Enchiladas de Santa Clara

A Poblano preparation in which corn tortillas are dipped in an ancho chile sauce bound with beaten egg, then fried briefly in lard until the coating sets into a rough, irregular crust. A slice of fresh cheese is tucked inside each folded tortilla so that it begins to soften from the residual heat. Kennedy notes the origin as uncertain, placing it within the culinary tradition of Puebla. The technique is distinct from the more familiar baked or sauced enchilada: here the egg-enriched chile coating fries directly onto the tortilla surface, producing a texture closer to a thin egg crepe wrapped around cheese than to a sauced roll. The result is immediate and unforgiving — these must be eaten the moment they leave the pan.