Billy the Kid Enchiladas
In Lincoln County, New Mexico, Billy the Kid has become more than just a legendary outlaw. It’s the place where William H. Bonney – known as “The Kid” became involved in a clash between local lawmen and business owners, and hired guns in what became one of the deadliest feuds in the West—the Lincoln County War.
I love to visit a place and learn the history behind it, and in Lincoln county, their historical society has done an excellent job preserving the buildings and artifacts from this short conflict. Shan and I visited and we wanted to know the history and – of course- what folks were eating at the time. This recipe came from that study – New Mexico’s famous and delicious enchiladas.
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19th Century Style New Mexican Enchiladas
In the New Mexico territory mid-19th century, Mexican flavors were incorporated into almost every meal. For good reason – they’re delicious and grew abundantly in the area. The enchilada sauce is a combination of onion, garlic, dried chilies, flour for thickening, and oil.
Whisk the oil and flour together, adding chili powder, onion and garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, and cumin. Add chicken broth and tomato paste, and mix until well incorporated. Add adobo sauce. Taste what you’ve got and add some of the chipotle peppers that came with the adobo sauce if you feel the sauce needs more flavor.
Leave the sauce to simmer as you begin to brown the hamburger meat and the diced onion. Add taco seasoning and cook until meat is thoroughly browned and onions are translucent.
Used in This Recipe
Flour or Corn Tortillas?
Traditionally, enchiladas are made with corn tortillas. What I like to do is start with a flour tortilla, brush it with the enchilada sauce, and add two smaller corn tortillas on top of it. Add the meat and cheese, and roll up the flour tortillas, placing the enchilada seam side down on the pot.
Tip: Baste the bottom of the Dutch oven or casserole dish with enchilada sauce to prevent burning the tortillas.
Fill the oven with the tortillas, and cover in cheese and extra sauce. Some like to add sauce after the tortillas are baked – if you prefer that, go right ahead. There’s no wrong way to eat an enchilada!
Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly and enchiladas are cooked through. Serve with Mexican rice and refried beans. You can use our traditional refried bean recipe or use our quick 15 minute “dress up” a can of refried beans to taste really good.
Serve Billy The Kid’s Enchiladas With These Recipes
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Billy the Kid Enchiladas – Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil or butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons chili powder
- 4 teaspoons onion powder
- 4 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 6 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
Beef Enchiladas
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 white onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Kent's taco seasoning
- 4 cups easy enchilada sauce
- 12-14 8-inch flour tortillas
- 24 – 28 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded jalapeno jack cheese
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth for about 1 minute.
- Whisk in the chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cumin and oregano.
- Whisk in the chicken broth, tomato paste and adobo sauce. Let simmer on low for about 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large cast iron skillet, begin browning the meat over medium-high heat. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, and as the meat begins to brown, stir in the onion and continue to cook until the onions have softened.
- Stir in the taco seasoning and let it simmer on low for 3 to 4 minutes.
- In a 12-inch Dutch oven or 9×13-inch casserole dish, pour a light layer of the enchilada sauce in the bottom.
- Lay a flour tortilla on a cutting board, and brush the top with the enchilada sauce. Top with two corn tortillas. Sprinkle with a little cheddar cheese, then add about ¼ cup of meat and top with a little more cheese. Roll up and place in the dish, seam side down.
- Repeat the process until all the meat is used. Top with the remaining enchilada sauce and bake for about 30 minutes or until warmed through. Sprinkle with additional cheese and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Serve warm.
The Lincoln County 5-Day War and the Legend of Billy the Kid
In the late 1870s, two rival factions were fighting for control of cattle, commerce, and power in the territory. What started as a business dispute turned bloody, and the Lincoln County War was born. In the middle of it all rode a wiry young outlaw—William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid. Billy was a sharp-shooting young man with a quick temper and a quicker draw. He rode into Lincoln County in the 1870s looking for honest work. What he found instead was a town on the edge of war.
One side of the conflict was the Murphy-Dolan group. Lawrence Murphy and James Dolan operated a powerful business monopoly in Lincoln County. They controlled the general store, banking, and held sway over local law enforcement. On the other side was Englishman John Tunstall, a newcomer, and his lawyer Alexander McSween, trying to build fair business and bring a little justice to the territory. And tension quickly rose between the two groups.
On Feb 18, 1878 the Murphy-Dolan men in consort with the corrupt lawmen, formed a posse and ambushed John Tunstall, killing him. Billy took it personal. He’d beenworking for Tunstall and saw him as a mentor. He vowed revenge.
Billy and a group of ranch hands got together and formed the now infamous Regulators. They took up arms and headed into Lincoln. Over the next few months, several shootouts and killings occurred between both factions. The territory was in near-anarchy, with violence spilling into ranches, roads, and even the town center.
The climax of the war occurred from July 15–19, 1878-the 5 day war. Tunstall’s lawyer McSween and his supporters, including Billy, were surrounded in his home by Murphy-Dolan forces. After several days of gunfire and siege, the house was set on fire. McSween was shot and killed while escaping the fire, but Billy the Kid got away.
The conflict left dozens dead and the town in ruins. The Murphy-Dolan faction regained control, but public opinion began to shift. After all the dust from the Lincoln County War settled, Billy the Kid kept on running. He was wanted for several killings, including the murder of Sheriff Brady. In the winter of 1880, Sheriff Pat Garrett—a once friend of Billy’s turned lawman—was given the job of bringing Billy in.
Garrett tracked him across the New Mexico Territory, through snow, plains, and mountain passes. Garrett located Billy outside of Lincoln near Fort Sumner just before dawn and surrounded the small cabin Billy was hiding in.
Billy was taken to Santa Fe, then brought right back here to Lincoln to stand trial. He he was sentenced to death by hanging, but the Kid had other plans. He bided his time, waiting for an opportunity to escape. He was chained to the floor and watched over by two officers at all times.
He was being escorted by officer Bell outside to the outhouse. He wrestles with Bell and breaks free. He then runs back into the courthouse upstairs and grabs a gun from the armory. As Bell runs after him, Billy shoots him at the bottom of the stairs. Bell stumbles outside and falls dead. Hearing the gunshot, the other officer on duty, Robert Ollinger runs to the side of the courthouse. Billy runs to the second story window and with rifle aimed steady-he shoots Ollinger dead.
Billy did escape, and he made it out on the road for a while until his longtime friend turned lawman tracked him down. 62 days after he was scheduled to be hanged, officer Garrett is said to have killed Billy the Kid at his hideout – the Maxwell Ranch in Fort Sumner. Legend has always questioned whether Garrett killed Billy the Kid or gave him cover to start a new life somewhere else. The eternal question is this: was justice really served for the lives taken by the hot-headed youth?
Billy wasn’t just an outlaw—he was a symbol of rebellion against a crooked system. And that story still echoes in the walls of Lincoln County, Nebraska.
For a detailed telling of the Billy the Kid trial, read David G. Thomas’s History net article, “Was Billy the Kid’s Murder Trial Fair?”