Tortilla Casserole with Braised Beef in Beer and Salsa Verde

I seem to have a mental hang-up where tortilla casseroles are concerned, preventing me from properly keeping track of the recipe. Which means when it comes time to share, all I really have is a list of ingredients in my head. No amounts, no nothing, just common sense and a love for anything with Mexican flavors.

I also have a terrible habit of photographing the casserole when it is piping hot out of the oven–and if you have ever made any kind of layered casserole (lasagne, tortilla, etc), you know that fresh and hot out of the oven, the wedge of casserole pretty much collapses, leaving a gloppy but delectable mess.

Most tortilla casseroles that I make are convenience food, whipped up fast out of my head using ground beef and/or beans or leftovers. But for this one I decided to braise a beef chuck specifically for the casserole. After browning the beef, I sautéed onions and deglazed the pan with lager. I then braised the beef in a very low oven with the rest of the beer and a few glugs of green salsa (storebought is fine–just try to find one without a lot of unpronounceable ingredients; I prefer ones with tomatillos).

When the beef was done, I de-boned it and cut off all the fat (reserve the beer/beef stock it cooked in). I then chopped the remaining meat. I sautéed onions, garlic, bell peppers and added the chopped beef and an entire jar of salsa verde. I also added ground cumin, Mexican oregano and the beer/beef stock–one of the most important things to remember when whipping up a casserole is too make sure it has extra liquid to cook in. Otherwise you will risk the casserole drying out in the oven. Plus, you do not want to lose all that fabulous flavor that leached into the braising liquid.

When layering the casserole, I used corn tortillas (be sure to get good ones from a Mexican bakery–I tried store-brand first and UGH!), the beef/veggies mix, shredded monterey jack and cheddar cheeses, and sour cream. Bake until bubbly and the cheese on top (end with the cheese) is melted. Serve with Tapatio Hot Sauce.