This recipe is a family heirloom passed down from my mother, from her mother. We hope you will enjoy!
Baked Pheasant Chilaquiles
By Brenda Mizenko- Summerset, SD
Ingredients
2lbs tomatillos (husks removed)
1 Jalapeno pepper or Serrano. (2 if you like it hot)
1 bunch of cilantro-chopped. If possible try not to chop much of the stems, only the cilantro leaves. The stems will give off a more bitter taste. A few stems won’t make a big deal.
1 red or white onion
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups of shredded pheasant or chicken if you don’t have pheasant.
1 pack of shredded quesadilla or mozzarella cheese (Mozzarella is our preference).
4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
1 pack of tostadas (Guerrero or Mission work well. You can also used tortilla chips.)
Salt and Pepper
Directions
A day before, put pheasant breast and/ or hind quarters (or chicken) in a crock pot with ½ of the diced onion, 2 of the garlic cloves, and salt and pepper. Pour 4 cups of chicken broth (make sure meat is covered in broth) and heat on low for 8 hours. Once pheasant is cooked, let cool, shred meat, and reserve the stock for later.
Tomatillo Sauce
Remove the husks from the tomatillos, wash and put in a soup pan filled with water. Add jalapeno or Serrano pepper and a few cilantro leaves. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes or until tomatillos are soft but not mushy. Let cool. You can pour cool water in to help cool the process.
While tomatillos are cooking, dice up the onion, garlic and cilantro. Blend these with a cup of reserved broth. Once this is blended together add the cooked tomatillos, peppers, and a cup of reserved pheasant or chicken stock. You may add more stock as needed. If it’s too tart you can blend a teaspoon of sugar to it.
Once sauce is all blended, in a deep sauce pan, pour the tablespoon of oil and let heat. Add a 2 tablespoons of diced onion and sautee until onion is translucent but not burnt. Slowly, pour tomatillos sauce and heat up. It should be hot but not boiling. Once it is heated remove from stove.
In 9x9 pan (Or larger depending on how much you make) pour a little of the tomatillo sauce at the bottom and spread around. Take the tostadas and break them into little pieces placing them at the bottom of the pan. Take some of the shredded pheasant and cover the first layer of tostadas. Then sprinkled shredded cheese over pheasant. Pour a ladle of tomatillo sauce over the cheese. Repeat with a layer of tostadas, pheasant, cheese, tomatillo sauce. Keep layering it until all of the ingredients are used up. The final top layer should have cheese. If you have extra tomatillo sauce pour the rest over the chilaquiles. Cover with aluminum foil.
Preheat oven to 350F. Place covered chilaquiles in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until cheese is melted. Do not overbake as they will dry.
Serve hot with sour cream, Tapatio sauce or any salsa of your choice. Enjoy!
