I know it has been a long time since it closed but I still fondly remember La Pinata's friendly staff, neighborhood atmosphere and comforting food. Is there any chance you could track down their recipe for beef enchiladas? I order the same dish at every similar restaurant I go but none tastes quite as good as the ones at La Pinata. Thank you for considering my request. - Aimee Eldon

Talk about a blast from the past! La Pinata was one of the first Mexican restaurants in Ann Arbor and was extremely popular in the '70s and '80s. You have to be a real townie to remember it.

They served stacked enchiladas which are traditional New Mexican style. The shredded beef version takes a bit of time to cook and is better after it sits overnight so plan accordingly. I have also included a version using ground beef.

In searching for your recipe request I came across La Pinata's guacamole recipe, It will make a great side to your stacked enchilada meal. Es un comida deliciosa!!

Shredded Beef for enchiladas

3-4 lb. chuck roast 8 cloves garlic 1 medium onion, chopped 2 tsp. oregano 1 tsp. ground cumin 1/4 cup beef stock salt and pepper to taste 4 tsp. New Mexico red chili powder

1. With a sharp knife, slit roast and inert whole garlic cloves.

2. Add all ingredients to a crock pot or slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours.

3. Remove meat from cooker. Reserve onions and garlic.

4. using 2 forks, shred beef into small pieces. Use knife if necessary.

5. Combine shredded beef with reserved onion and garlic and chill overnight or up to 2 days.

Enchiladas using ground beef

1 1/2 lb. ground beef 3-4 Tbsp. chili powder 2 Tbsp. garlic powder 1/2-1 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 tsp. ground cumin or more to taste 1 Tbsp. flour tomato juice or V-8 to cover meat

1. Brown meat and drain well.

2. Add spices and flour and cover with tomato juice or V-8.

3. Simmer until slightly thickened. Adjust spices to your liking.

Building the enchilada:

shredded lettuce shredded cheese, cheddar, Mexican blend or cheese of your choice diced tomatoes diced onion corn or flour tortillas vegetable oil for heating tortillas poached eggs, optional

To assemble heat a tortilla in the hot oil, drain and place in the center of a plate. Pour on a bit of sauce (1-2 Tbsp) , some beef and some cheese. Heat another tortilla and place on top of the first, followed by a bit of sauce, beef and cheese. Continue until you build your stack(most people use 3-4 ) of tortillas. Top each completed stack with lettuce, tomatoes and diced onion. It is optional but traditional to place a poached egg on top of the stack just before serving.

Guacamole from La Pinata Restaurant

12 ripe avocados (they used Haas avocados) 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 cup diced onions 1 1/4 cup diced tomatoes 1 tsp. onion powder 1 Tbsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. garlic powder 1/4 cup jalapeno peppers 1 cup sour cream

1. Pit, scoop and mash avocados.

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

May be stored in refrigerator with plastic wrap pressed around rim of bowl.

Makes 8 cups

Looking for a favorite recipe? E-mail Marge Biancke at a2mailbox@comcast.net.