Extravagant Enchiladas

2008 Baron Philippe de Rothschild Escudo Rojo and Enchiladas: 5/5

2008 Baron Philippe de Rothschild Escudo Rojo: 91/100

There are those recipes, staples if you will, of your family. Enchiladas are one of my families favorites. Sure, they are a bastardized version of authentic enchiladas, but there is something in the simplicity of ground beef, refried beans, tortillas, cheese and sauce that is just perfect.

As a side note, With plenty of Mexican restaurants near downtown Chicago, why take the time to cook Mexican at home? At Zapatista’s you can pay as much as $12.99 for a plate of Enchiladas. What’s that you want extra cheese? That’ll be an additional $2.00. Throw in a $7 glass of wine or a $5 beer, some $8 dollar guacamole, and you’ve spent over $30 with tip. It’s just not worth the money when you can make everything from scratch, with as much cheese as you’d like, serve 4 people with leftovers, all for under $20.

Since the column that I’ve been co-writing needs pictures of the dishes that I am writing about, I thought I would double dip this week and feature the enchiladas twice. Amuse Bouche is a column written for the Windy City Times focused on what food means to family and the LGBT community. Starting on recipes that define our family, every couple of months we plan to shift the focus of the column to feature another theme that highlights other recipes and LGBT interests. So for the enchiladas recipe, first read the column, then the recipe at the end: http://bit.ly/bhyyCP

With rich mouth coating flavors, I knew I could expect, I wanted to find a wine that would be able to stand up to the tomato sauce, the fatty cheese, the ground beef, and the sour cream and beans. At first I thought a Malbec would fit the bill, but I’ve chosen Malbec for every Mexican inspired dish that I’ve made, so I wanted to push my en’vino’lope (wow, that’s corny).

Anyways, as I was walking through the grocery store, I made my way down the Wine isle to the South American wines. Plastered with plenty of Malbecs, I stopped and stared for something different. There on the top shelve was a bottle of 2008 Baron Philippe de Rothschild Escudo Rojo on sale for $12.99, originally $18.99.

Baron Philippe de Rothschild wine is rich in history, reaching back all the way to the late 18th century. Now sold all over the world, even the branded wine, like Escudo Rojo, is obtaining high reviews. Translated from the german “Das Rote Schild” (Red Shield), used as the Rothschild family sign, Escudo Rojo is a blend of red wines that showcases Chile’s rich soil, and the technical skill found in Rothschild wines. With an alcohol content of 14.5% I was sure that there would be no problem with the wine standing up to the bold and fatty flavors of the enchiladas.

As with most Mexican recipes that I have made, there is a lot of construction when it comes to putting the recipe together, like an assembly line. After the meat was browned and seasoned, the cheese grated, the refried beans opened, it was time to start constructing. I am always looking for a way to make recipes a bit healthier, and with enchiladas, if you substitute whole wheat tortillas for plain flour, you won’t even be able to taste the difference. Once ready to assemble, it’s just tortilla, beans, roll, repeat, until all of your ingredients are used. Usually I’m left with a little extra ground beef and refried beans, which turn into a snack for the chef. Once the baking dishes hit the oven, the smell of melting cheese, and enchilada sauce, began to seep out of into the kitchen, coating the smallest crevasses of our apartment in a rich and spicy aroma.

With the cheese melted and bubbling, it was time to take the enchiladas out of the oven. You want to let them rest a couple of minutes before serving, so the heat can distribute evenly, and then it’s chow time.

With avocado, lettuce, sour cream, hot sauce, and diced tomatoes on the table, all that was left to do was take a couple of pictures, doctor up my enchiladas, and then dig in. Looking at the darker purple color of the Escudo Rojo, I noticed some recognizable legs streak down my glass. With strong aromas of blackberry, oak, and black cherry, the contrast to the spicy mexican flavors was warm and inviting. As the wine coated my mouth, I felt a full body and fruiter flavors, before swallowing to reveal the wine’s upfront tannins.

As my fork pierced the tortilla, little bits of ground beef tumbled out onto the sauce. Getting a bite of lettuce tomato, sour cream and enchilada, my mouth watered in anticipation. As soon as the bit hit my tongue I was transported back to childhood, eating at the kitchen table with my family, to college preparing enchiladas for my dorm friends, to colorado with Chrissy. Not only was the wine soaked in history so was the food. The slight spiciness of the enchilada sauce, played against the cool sour cream, and the chewy cheese. Little pops of green pepper and onion would rise and fall, giving way to the fresh crunch of lettuce, or a vibrant pop of tomato.

Taking another swig of wine, the bold flavors of blackberry and cherry stood in a noticeable contrast to the enchiladas, but did not overpower any aspect of the dish. Instead my mouth was given a needed sweetness that left me wanting more enchiladas.

As the banter about the drama of daily life swirled like the wine in our glass, at least there was one constant, and that was our friendship. There is something magical in food. It holds the power to relieve you from the stress and chaos of daily life, transporting you to a simpler or happier time, while creating new and lasting memories. Another Perfect Pair.