Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients

Meat (for 5 large tortillas)

• 250 g minced beef
• 1 medium onion, very finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• Black pepper, salt and 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves
• 1/2 tsp each of coriander, cumin and dried thyme
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Tomato sauce

• 3 medium tomatoes
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 small onion, very finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp each of coriander, cumin and oregano
• 2 tbsp olive oil

White sauce

• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 stock cube
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

To assemble

• Cheddar cheese (burger cheddar preferred)
• About 1 cup mozzarella
• 5 tortillas
• 1 cup spring onions, finely chopped
• Pickled jalapeño

Method

1. Blend the tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar well. In a small pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil, soften the onion, add the blended tomatoes and let it reduce well without any water. Once cooled, add the salt and spices.
2. In another pan, heat the vegetable oil, soften the onion and garlic, add the meat and spices and cook through, then the tomato paste. Let it cool.
3. White sauce: melt the butter, add the flour and stir, then the milk gradually until thick, then the nutmeg, stock cube and black pepper.
4. Fill each tortilla with the cooked meat, cheddar, spring onions and jalapeño and roll up.
5. In a baking dish, spread a little tomato sauce, then white sauce, and arrange the rolls. Add a line of white sauce down the middle, leaving the sides bare, then a line of tomato sauce, then cheddar, mozzarella, spring onions and jalapeño.
6. Bake at 180°C until bubbling from below, then brown the top so the tortilla edges toast and the cheese melts. Serve hot.

Notes

Enchiladas are Mexican; you can add bell peppers, tomato, corn and beans to the filling, but I kept it light. Chicken or shrimp work too.