Enchiladas Rojas

Instructions

1. Wipe 3 guajillo chillies and 1 ancho chilli with a damp cloth, snap off the stems and shake out the seeds and veins. Toast them on a dry comal or heavy frying pan over medium heat for 30-40 seconds a side, pressing them flat, until they smell sweet and toasty but do not darken or they will turn bitter.
2. Cover the toasted chillies with just-boiled water and weigh them down with a saucer. Soak for 20 minutes, until fully pliable, then lift them out and discard the soaking water.
3. Blend the drained chillies with 50 g of white onion, 1 peeled garlic clove, 120 ml of chicken stock, 0.25 tsp of Mexican oregano and a good pinch of salt until completely smooth, 1-2 minutes on high. Press the sauce through a fine sieve to leave the skins behind; it should coat a spoon thinly, like single cream.
4. Heat 2 tsp of lard in a small frying pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then pour in the strained sauce all at once, it should hiss and spit. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until it darkens to brick red and tastes rounded rather than raw. Check the salt and keep it hot and loose over the lowest heat.