Cheese Enchiladas Under Chili Gravy

Ingredients

• 12 corn tortillas
• 4 cups grated sharp cheddar, divided
• 1 onion, finely diced
• ¼ cup vegetable oil or lard
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3 cups beef stock
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp oil, for softening tortillas

Method

1. Make the gravy first: heat the oil, whisk in the flour, and cook 3–4 minutes to a peanut-colored roux. Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and oregano off the heat so they toast without scorching.
2. Whisk in the stock a cup at a time and simmer 10 minutes until it coats a spoon like thin gravy. Season and keep warm. It should taste of toasted chili, not tomato — that is the Tex-Mex line in the sand.
3. Warm each tortilla in a slick of oil for 10 seconds a side until floppy and pliable. Skipping this means they crack when you roll them and dissolve in the pan.
4. Fill each with a handful of cheddar and a pinch of raw onion, roll tight, and lay seam-down in a baking dish smeared with gravy.
5. Pour the remaining gravy over so every tortilla is covered, then blanket with the rest of the cheese and the remaining onion.
6. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20 minutes until the edges bubble and the top blisters. Rest 5 minutes or you will lose the whole thing to the spatula.