Chili Dip:
- Deseed all chilis and place into a medium saucepan and cover with water.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove using a spider and place in the blender with the garlic and blend at high speed. Add cooking liquid (¼ cup at a time) until smooth.
- Dip tortillas into the sauce covering both sides. Repeat with remaining tortillas and let sit for 25 minutes.
TexMex Chili Gravy:
- Blend a sweet onion with garlic until a smooth paste is formed.
- Add to a small saucepan and heat over medium. Once simmering, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Cut bacon slices into ½” lardons, add to a cold pan, and heat over medium heat. Cook while stirring, often allowing to cook until crispy. Drain on a paper towel, and once cool finely chop into a crumble.
- To the remaining pork fat, add in vegetable oil and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add in all-purpose flour and whisk together until a light golden color and lightly toasted.
- Add in Texas-style chili powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and cayenne powder. Whisk and cook together until just fragrant. About 15 seconds.
- Add and mix in the onion-garlic paste then gradually whisk in beef stock. Continue to heat and mix (add beef stock if too thick) until a gravy consistency is reached.
- Season to taste with salt.
Cheese Enchilada Assembly:
- In a 10” cast-iron skillet add vegetable oil and heat to 350℉ over medium heat.
- Add in tortillas one at a time frying for 2-3 seconds on both sides. Place on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- To each tortilla, add shredded Oaxaca cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, and roll up into a tube.
- Place tortillas lengthwise into a 9 x13 baking dish seam side down.
- Pour the TexMex gravy generously over the enchiladas with more shredded cheddar cheese followed by more shredded Oaxaca cheese.
- Add to a 375℉ preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove, let it cool slightly, and top with crumbled cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro leaves.
Verde Sauce:
- In a medium saucepan, add in tomatillos (cleaned, peeled, and halved), cover with water, and place over medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high and add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Cut the top off a sweet onion and quarter it leaving the root, and removing the outer layer. Add to the hot skillet. Sear for 1-2 minutes. Flip and repeat on each side.
- Remove tomatillos with a spider and place them in a bowl along with the quartered onions (remove the roots prior).
- Add onions and tomatillo to a blender along with cilantro stems, garlic, and serrano chilis. Blend on high until completely smooth.
- Season to taste with salt.
- Dip tortillas into the sauce covering both sides. Repeat with remaining tortillas and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
Chicken:
- Season chicken thighs with the desired seasoning.
- Heat a large pan over medium-high and fill with just enough oil to coat the bottom.
- Once the oil is shimmering, sear the chicken (in batches) for 2 minutes per side.
- Toss all the seared chicken back into the pan and cover it with chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Add cooked chicken to a bowl.
- Turn heat on the pan back to medium-high and boil the liquid and reduce it by about 85% and begin to thicken. Turn off the heat and whisk in unsalted butter until melted and combined.
- Shred all the chicken. Add in the chicken sauce/glaze, and toss all together.
Chicken Enchilada Assembly:
- In a 10” cast-iron skillet add vegetable oil and heat to 350℉ over medium heat.
- Add in salsa verde covered tortillas one at a time frying for 2-3 minutes on both sides. Place on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- To each tortilla, fill with chicken and shredded Oaxaca cheese, and roll up into a tube.
- Place tortillas lengthwise into a 9x13 baking dish seam side down.
- Pour the salsa verde generously over the enchiladas followed by more shredded Oaxaca cheese.
- Add to a 375℉ preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove, let it cool slightly, and top with sour cream, crumbled cotija cheese, thinly sliced red onions, thinly sliced jalapenos, and fresh cilantro leaves.