Tenderized and Brined Chicken Breasts rolled and centered with Pepper Jack Cheese, buttered, and corn flake-battered on a bed of vegetables all cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. This is a crowd-pleaser for sure.
From Fire-to-Plate, I’ll show you how to create this recipe using either Chicken Breast, Bone-in / Skin-on Chicken Thighs, or Skinless / Boneless Chicken Thighs…in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven!
This recipe goes hand-in-hand with Beer and Iron’s “Let’s Make Enchiladas” Recipe. Here’s the link for that recipe: https://beerandiron.com/lets-make-enchiladas-cast-iron-recipe
This is a quick and easy Enchilada Sauce Recipe that will give your enchiladas a bit of a zip and a zing. It’s red but not considered spicy. This version is mild though it can be spiced up as you like. We’ll keep things on the mild side here at our home.
Though I love tomatoes and sauces made with tomatoes, this enchilada sauce does not have any tomato ingredients.
We’ll start with creating a roux. Do you know what a roux is? What about creating a roux? Here’s the how to: https://beerandiron.com/roux/
There’s a video on that page too.
This is a very simple-to-create recipe with only about 5 (real) steps:
A Mason or Ball Jar is handy to store the finished sauce in. This is not a canning recipe; you will need to use your Enchilada sauce right away or store it in the refrigerator. Also, expect some separation when you keep it in the refrigerator. The oils will float, and the solids will sink; FEAR-NOT! A bit of a shake and a stir sets the Enchilada Sauce world right again (one of the reasons cans in the store say “shake well before using”).
You will need a cast iron sauce pot or a smaller-sized Dutch oven or skillet that will hold at least 4 cups (or about a liter or a quart) of liquid but really no bigger than a 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven. A larger skillet will work but I suggest you make sure the skillet will hold all that liquid (do a “dry” run with water to see if you can easily fit 4 cups of water in that skillet; make sure you account for frothing as well).
I have a pocked-up sauce pot that I found in the wild. An Asian piece that has become one of my most beloved pieces. This is the pot I will present this recipe in.
¼ cup avocado oil or olive oil
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika (Optional)
Ground Pepper to Taste
Salt to Taste
12 ounces of Beer (a Mexican Lager will go very well)
1 ½ Cups of Chicken Broth or Stock
Step 1: Measure out 1 ½ Cups of Chicken Stock or Broth. Have a 12-ounce can of beer out to reach room temperature (that’s about 1 ½ cups of beer). We will need these liquids to be at room temperature because we’ll be adding them to the hot roux and in that hot cast iron later.
Chef Tip: You can use the empty beer can or bottle to “measure” the stock or broth you will be adding to this recipe. 12-Ounces equals 1 ½ Cups.
NOTE: The Beer is a huge part of this recipe and will definitely influence the flavor of the Enchilada Sauce and inevitably the entire recipe. My suggestion is to use a mild Mexican Lager for your beer ingredient. Stay away from hoppy brews or sweeter beers. Start with a mild lager this first time and then experiment with other beers in the future.
Step 2: Measure out the oil and flour for the Roux. Keep these two ingredients separate from the other ingredients as well as separated from each other.
Step 3: Measure out all the other ingredients: ½ cup chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, and the pepper (I use about 1 teaspoon of peppercorns then I grind them before putting them in my mixture). These six dry ingredients can be mixed and at the ready for later.
Wait a bit before adding salt.
We’ll start with creating a roux. Do you know what a roux is? What about creating a roux? Here’s the how to: https://beerandiron.com/roux/
Step 4: You will need a cast iron sauce pot or smaller Dutch oven that will hold at least 4 cups (or about a liter or a quart) of liquid but really no bigger than a 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven. Heat the cast iron sauce pot or Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat.
Step 5: Add the ¼ cup of oil to the pre-heating pot. Watch for very light wisps of smoke.
Step 6: Add the flour and keep stirring until the roux begins to give off that beautiful nutty aroma. You are looking for a cream-colored Roux. This only takes a minute or two.
Step 7: Slowly add the chicken broth to the roux. Be careful. It’s a cooler liquid being poured into hot oil (speaking simplistically). Stir the broth and roux in well (it may look like it’s “curdling up;” that’s normal).
Step 8: Pour in your beer. Watch for a head or frothing to form.
Step 9: Add all the mixed, dry ingredients (the seasonings and spices) and whisk everything up well. The froth will turn to a pink or reddish color.
Step 10: Reduce the heat a bit and then check for saltiness. Just a little sip from a spoon will tell you what you need to know. Add salt per your taste preferences.
Step 11: Now, let the sauce thicken up. Be sure to scrape the edges every once in a while to remove the thicker stuff that will gather around the edges of the pot while the enchilada sauce simmers and thickens
The sauce should thicken up well in about 10-15 minutes. We are not looking for a cake batter thickness. We need the thickness to be thicker than V-8 Juice or Tomato Juice but as thick or a little thinner than Pizza Sauce.
Note: These “thickness” references are not ingredients for this recipe. I am using them as references. Enchilada sauce thickness preferences are subjective. Thicken to your favor.
And there you have it. Salsa De Cerveza – Sulae’s Red Enchilada Beer Sauce for tonight’s Enchiladas! And, likely some leftovers for tomorrow’s breakfast.
I love this stuff with eggs.
And that’s it y’all. This is one of my all-time favorite sauces to make. I’ll use it in other recipes too including the Beer and Iron’s “Let’s Make Enchiladas” Recipe: https://beerandiron.com/lets-make-enchiladas-cast-iron-recipe
My name is Sulae and I love to share the magic that comes from my black pots and pans. You all be sure to sign up for the newsletter and I’ll keep my messages short-and-sweet as well as few and far between. You keep on cooking in those cast iron beauties and enjoying those frosted glasses of that fermented barley pop.
We’ll see you next time on beerandiron.com
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