Makes about 2 cups

This basic red chili sauce is excellent as the base for many Mexican dishes including enchiladas and tamales.   Keep some on hand.  A spoon full added to sautéed  ground or diced meats will give them that authentic  Mexican flavor.  Try rubbing it on meat before roasting or grilling.  This sauce, in it’s self is not overly hot.  It’s primary use is as an ingredient in other dishes.  You may make the individual dish as mighty or mild as you wish.  If you are making the sauce for a vegetarian dish, substitute Court Bouillon or vegetarian stock or water instead of chicken or beer broth.

3 or 4 Ancho chilies

Boiling water

1 tablespoon olive oil *

3 or 4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

1/2  teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 cups chicken or beef stock, or 1, 14.5-ounce can

Salt and fresh, coarse ground black pepper to taste

Place the dried chilies in a heavy skillet over a high heat and toast them lightly.  You do not want them to completely brown.  You just want to soften them and slightly toast them.  When finished, place in a bowl and pour over just enough boiling water to cover.  Leave sit until soft.  When the water has cooled enough to handle, remove the chilies saving the soaking liquid.  Remove the stems and seeds from the chilies, tear them into small pieces and put them in the jar of your blender.  See Handling Chilies.  Add just enough of the liquid the chilies were soaked in to be able to process, and purée.   Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet and sauté the garlic and onions until carmalized.  Add the next six ingredients and the chili purée.  Stir well and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until reduced to about half it’s original volume.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  You may also wish to add a bit more sugar and or vinegar.  Allow to cool a bit for safety and purée with an immersible blender.  If you want a smooth sauce, press through a sieve.  This may be stored in the refrigerator for about two weeks.  This is an excellent sauce to use when making enchiladas and to add that authentic chili flavor to many Mexican dishes.

*  For a truly authentic Mexican flavor, use lard, however, now, even in Mexico many cooks are using a lighter hand.