Beef Enchiladas — What Roy Taught Me About Taking Your Time with Good Beef

Last week of August. Roy taught me to use his smoker this Saturday and I want to record what I learned because it is the kind of knowledge that lives in your hands once you have it but is worth writing down.

The brisket goes on at five in the morning, seasoned the night before with only salt and coarse black pepper, because a good brisket does not need a complicated rub, Roy said. The fire builds to 225 degrees and stays there. You maintain it by managing the air flow and the wood, which is pecan wood for beef, Roy's opinion and I am not arguing. The brisket stays on for twelve to fifteen hours, unwrapped for the first eight to develop the bark, then wrapped in butcher paper for the remainder. You do not open it constantly. You trust the fire and the time.

We did not smoke the birthday brisket Saturday, just a smaller practice cut to understand the process. It came out in the late afternoon, dark-barked outside and tender and juicy within, and Roy sliced it at the counter and said: that is right. That is what you are going for. I ate a piece standing at the cutting board and tasted all twelve hours in it.

I drive home with the knowledge of how to smoke a brisket and the feeling of having learned something from a father figure who is not my father and who gave me his time and his expertise without being asked and without any ceremony. Roy Clarke is a good man. Tyler comes by it honestly.

I came home from Roy’s with smoke in my hair and twelve hours of patience written into my bones, and all I wanted was to keep cooking beef. These enchiladas are not a brisket — nothing takes twelve hours on a weeknight — but they carry the same lesson Roy gave me that Saturday: season simply, trust the process, and let good beef speak for itself. I think he’d approve of the way the filling comes together low and slow before it ever hits the oven.

Beef Enchiladas

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and coarse black pepper to taste
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (4 ounces) diced green chiles
• 2 cups red enchilada sauce
• 12 flour or corn tortillas (6-inch)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• Fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. Brown the beef. Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it apart with a spoon, until no longer pink — about 7 minutes. Drain excess fat.
3. Build the filling. Add the diced onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Add the black beans and green chiles and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
4. Sauce the dish. Spread 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
5. Fill and roll. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the beef filling down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of shredded cheese. Roll tightly and place seam-side down in the baking dish.
6. Top and bake. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled tortillas. Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese on top. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned.
7. Serve. Let the enchiladas rest for 5 minutes. Top with sour cream and fresh cilantro before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 32g | Fat: 26g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 980mg