Enchiladas South Texas Style

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the shortening in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When melted, add the ground beef and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is broken up and well browned.

Sprinkle the flour over the surface of the meat and mix well. Stir in the tomato sauce and 1 cup of water.

In a bowl, stir together the chili powder and 1/2 cup water until it is smooth. Add the chili powder mixture to the meat and mix well. Season the meat with salt and garlic powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat mixture forms a gravy-like sauce.

Reduce the heat to a very low simmer and let the sauce cook, covered, for another 15 minutes.

Dip a tortilla into the enchilada gravy, just enough to make it pliable. Place it on a work surface and top with some of the longhorn cheese and chopped onion. Place a tablespoon of the enchilada gravy off center on the tortilla. Roll the tortilla up tightly around the filling and place seam side down in a baking dish. The enchiladas should be touching but not overly crowded. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and chopped onion.

Place the enchiladas in the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Serve the south-Texas style enchiladas immediately with refried beans, salsa, sour cream, Spanish rice, and additional steamed tortillas.