Ben Ray’s New Mexico Green Chile Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 2 Chicken Breasts or one shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
• 2 cups diced green chile
• 9 -12 Corn Tortillas
• Olive oil
• Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese

Directions:

1. Boil the chicken breasts, let cool slightly and shred.
2. Set aside the water, the chicken was boiled in, for the next step.
3. Add garlic salt to green chile.
4. Heat small amount of olive oil in sauce pan. Lightly brown corn tortillas in the pan. Place on plate with paper towel to dry.
5. Combine both cream soups into a saucepan and add 2 cans of the chicken water and whisk until smooth.
6. Add green chile and chicken and heat thoroughly.
7. In a baking dish, layer corn tortillas, pour the cream soup mixture with chicken and green Chile.
8. Repeat layers until top layer is covered with soup chicken chile mixture and covered with cheese.
9. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until heated throughout and cheese has melted.

Martin’s Elk Pot Pie with Wild Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 1½ lbs elk cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 lb sliced mushrooms (lobster mushrooms are best, but porcini (King Boletos) also do the trick)
• 1 shallot diced
• 2 carrots diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 cups beef, venison, or elk stock
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 tbsp avocado oil or other high temp oil
• 1 frozen puff pastry sheet
• 1 egg beaten for an egg wash

Directions:

1. Cube elk and season with a coarse salt.
2. Place in a Dutch oven (the Dutch oven is key!) on the stove at medium high heat.
3. Using the avocado oil, brown the elk on all sides. This can be done in batches for best results. Remove the browned elk and set aside. Note: The elk may not be cooked all the way, which is fine.
4. Reduce heat to medium, add shallots to the pot and cook until soft.
5. Add the mushrooms and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add the red wine and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Add flour to the pot and mix well.
8. Add stock, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary and the browned elk to the pot. Cover and simmer on low until elk and vegetables are tender, about 1 ½ to 2 hours depending on the cut of meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. About 45 minutes before the elk is finished, remove puff pastry from the freezer to thaw.
10. Set the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
11. Remove the bay leaf from the elk mixture and then pour it into a 10” cast iron pan. Top with puff pastry.
12. Brush the top of the puff pastry with the egg mixture.
13. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

*recipe and photo from Hunt to Eat

Leger Family Tamales

Directions:

1. Cook pork roasts in a covered roasting pan on a pressure cooker with 2-3 inches of water at the bottom of the pan, until meat can be pulled apart easily with a fork.
2. Reserve the broth and fat, which will be used in the masa.
3. Refrigerate until fat separates.
4. Shred the cooked meat.
5. Boil the chile pods for 5 minutes, or roast them for a smokier flavor.
6. Roast chile at 300 degrees for about 6 minutes. When you smell roasting chile, they’re done.
7. After the chile pods cool, place in a blender with chicken broth or water and remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. Should be the consistency of gravy. If too thick, add more broth or water.
8. Combine blended chile with the shredded meat and simmer for ½ hour. The meat should be coated with chile but not swimming in it.
9. Cool the meat/chile before assembling the tamales.
10. Rinse and soak the hojas in warm water for at least an hour before using. Tear strips out of some of the hojas for tying the tamales.
11. Mix the masa thoroughly with both hands — first with lard and broth rendered from the cooked meat. Then add extra lard to equal 2 ½ required cups. It should taste slightly too salty.
12. Add more salt to taste.
13. Add more lard or broth if the masa appears too dry.

To assemble the tamales:

1. Take an hoja and lay it flat. With a butter knife, spread about two tablespoons of masa on one side of the hoja to a ¼ inch thickness.
2. Place two tablespoons of chile in the middle and fold the hoja over, tucking in the sides.
3. Tie each end of the tamale with strips of hoja.

Cooking tamales:

1. Place a steam basket or leftover hojas on the bottom of a large pot with three inches of water.
2. Steam the tamales for one hour. If frozen, add an extra fifteen minutes.
3. Let them stand for 10 minutes after cooking so the masa can set.
4. If cooking more than two dozen at a time, more water will be needed during steaming.