United States / Sauces & condiments
Red Chile Sauce
Dried red chiles can be soaked and pureed to make red chile sauce. It can be used in many ways, including as an enchilada sauce, chicken marinade, or in huevos rancheros.
Ingredients
- dried chillies, 90 g; such as New Mexico chile3 oz
- water, 500 ml; hot, boiled then cooled slightly2 cup
- vegetable oil, 15 ml1 tbsp
- onion, chopped1/2
- garlic, minced3 clove
- ground cumin, 5 ml1 tsp
- Mexican oregano, 15 ml1 tbsp
Quantities are auto-calculated from the original recipe as a guide. Items without numbers (e.g. “to taste”) are not changed.
Method 10 steps
Wipe chile peppers with a damp cloth to clean. See warning for handling instructions.
Break off stems, and remove seeds.
Soak chili peppers in hot water until softened, about an hour.
Taste the soaking water. If it is bitter, replace it with fresh water.
Purée chili pepper and water mixture in a blender
Heat the oil in a pan, add onion, garlic, and seasonings.
Once the onions are cooked, add the chili purée to the pan. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Return mixture to the blender, and purée. See warning.
Pour sauce through a sieve. Use a spoon to stir and press the mixture against the sieve to extract all the sauce.
Add salt to taste. If the sauce is a little bitter, some sugar can be added to compensate.
