This is probably the most versatile version of the red chile sauces. It also shows two important techniques. To develop the flavor of the dried chiles while softening them and taking away any bitterness, they are washed, quickly heated on a griddle, and soaked in hot water. Learn to recognize the moment when they are fragrant but not scorched — this is something you’ll be encountering in many dishes. Scorched chiles will turn the entire dish bitter and unusable. The other technique to note is one that I have made an even more special point of in my own cooking: After the sauce has been puréed it is finished by being cooked in a small amount of hot fat. This kind of final sautéing is an important addition to flavor in dozens of the dishes we served at Zarela. It both deepens and melds the effects of separate ingredients. This particular chile sauce is also bound with a roux, which is not true of all.
Red Chile Sauce (Salsa de chile colorado)
Ingredients
- 6 ounces large semi-hot dried red chiles, such as New Mexico or Anaheim long red chiles
- Hot water
- 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
- 3 cloves garlic divided
- 2 cups (approximately) water, chicken stock, or pork stock
- 2 tablespoons lard, preferably
home-rendered or vegetable oil - 1½ tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Heat a heavy skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, remove stems and seeds from chiles while rinsing under cold running water. Place them on griddle and toast, three or four at a time, just until the aroma is released, 30-60 seconds. Be careful not to burn them. Place the chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain chiles and discard liquid.
- Place chiles, oregano, 2 garlic cloves, and 2 cups of water or stock in blender container and blend to a smooth purée. Add more stock if it is too thick for the blender. With a wooden spoon or pusher, work the purée through a sieve into a bowl, pushing and scraping to get all the solids. You may want to pour in a little more liquid to help rinse the sauce through the sieve.
- In heavy medium saucepan, heat lard over medium-high heat until rippling. Add remaining garlic clove and brown in the hot fat, pressing down with the back of a cooking spoon to release the flavor. Remove and discard garlic.
- Add flour to hot fat and cook, stirring constantly, until golden. Add the strained chile puree to the pan and reduce the heat to low. It will splatter as you pour it in — be careful. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until raw flour taste is gone and the flavor of the chile is mellowed, about 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt.