Red Pork Chile Sauce

"This is the most traditional chile sauce. My family has always used the following method to make our sauce. This sauce is used for making enchiladas, chile colorado, and chilaquiles, as well as tamales." from Tamales 101

• 10 ancho (dried poblano) chiles
• 4 dried California chiles
• 4 onions, quartered
• 8 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 - 4 cups pork, chicken, or vegetable sauce
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons sugar, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste

METHOD

Seed the chiles, rinse, and set aside.  Bring 4 cups water to a boil.  Remove water from heat and add chiles, pushing them down with a spoon so they are fully submerged.  Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, boil the onions for 25 minutes, until soft.

Remove soaked chiles from water, reserving 2 cups liquid.  In a food processor, blend chiles, onions, and garlic.  In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil.  Stir cumin into hot oil, being careful to not burn the cumin.  Add chile mixture and simmer for 3 minutes.  Add 1 cup stock, 1 cup reserved liquid, and tomatoes.  Add just enough additional stock and reserved liquid to make saucy.  Add sugar and salt and cook for 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is the consistency of thin gravy.  Taste and add additional salt and sugar if needed.  Set aside to cool.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days, or in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.

Makes 10 cups

use this for red pork chile tamales

back to salsa and chutney page    back to chef and cookbook recipes   more mexican recipes  mexican food and cooking

back to super bowl sunday page

Reprinted with permission from ©Alice Guadalupe Tapp, Tamales 101: A Beginner's Guide to Making Traditional Tamales, published by Ten Speed Press   click for book review

this recipe from www.inmamaskithchen.com

Note:  When ready to make tamales combine the sauce with cubed chicken, pork, or beef or spoon on top.  Always add one or two pitted black olives to each tamale containing this sauce before wrapping; the flavors complement each other fabulously.

 

top of page