May 5, 2013 Red Chile Sauce

Nine pounds of pork on the bone plus eight people equals a sizeable amount of leftovers. Looking for a good way to “repurpose” the pork I was thinking ahead to Cinco de Mayo and decided to go in a Mexican direction. Red chile sauce would be just the right accompaniment for some shredded pork to fill some tortillas.

The red in red chile sauce comes from ancho chiles. Ancho chiles are poblano chiles that have been ripened and dried.  They are a versatile chile with a rich fruity taste reminiscent of stone fruits with just the right amount of heat.

I have my own collection of dried chiles from the hot peppers that we have grown in the garden. It isn’t a difficult process. You must remember that chiles need to be dried in their mature state, which means the pepper is totally red (or yellow or orange in some instances), with no hint of green. There should be no blemishes, tears or other damage to the fruit. I have had success with several methods of drying chiles. I have taken the whole plant, hung it upside down to dry in a well ventilated room. Chiles can be spread out to dry on a screen, again in a well ventilated room.  I have my own special drying screen for herb/chile drying. I have dried them in ristras, which is a little more complicated, but also very attractive.The chiles are tied together by the stems and hung in long bunches. Probably the easiest and most foolproof method is to dry chiles on wire racks on top of baking sheets. This should be done at a very low temperature preferably in a convection oven, for my oven that is 140°F. You can get burns from chiles. Remember to wear gloves when you work with fresh chiles and never touch your face or eyes, or any part of your body for that matter. Yes, inevitably your nose will itch while you are working with chiles, but don’t be tempted!!

 
Toasting the dried chiles and the sesame seeds is definitely a worthwhile step, it brings out a complex toasted smoky flavor that you wouldn’t have otherwise. It is important to keep a watchful eye when toasting chiles and nuts and seeds. Only a matter of seconds can separate nicely toasted and burnt. Especially with seeds, keep them moving in the pan to ensure even browning and get them out of the pan quickly once done to stop the cooking.
I store dried chiles in unsealed but closed quart canning jars, labeled with type and year in a cool dark pantry. Some say the flavor and heat fade after time, but in the name of “science” I did an experiment with a jar labeled Jalapeno-Anaheim ( a cross?) from 1997. I bit into the tip of the pepper and it still packed quite a wallop and had me running for a glass of milk to neutralize the burning sensation in my mouth. The slow cooked pork was perfect with the chile sauce. I have heard it freezes well but I wouldn’t know since we used all of ours. The sauce would also be good with chicken thighs or braised beef.

Red Chile Sauce

Yields about 3 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 oz dried ancho chiles
• 2T vegetable oil
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4c raw sesame seeds
• 1/2 drained canned tomatoes (I used my roasted tomatoes)
• 1t dried Mexican or regular oregano
• 1/4t ground cumin
• 3c low salt chicken broth
• 1T apple cider vinegar
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1/2t kosher salt

Directions

1. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the dried chiles and cook for 20 to 30 seconds on each side, pressing down with a spatula, until soft, pliable and slightly redder in spots. Watch chiles carefully, you don’t want burnt chiles in your sauce. Rinse the chiles, remove the stems, veins and seeds and tear each one into several pieces. Put the chiles in a small saucepan with enough water to cover and cook at a gentle simmer until well softened, about 20 minutes.
2. In a medium skillet, heat 1T of the vegetable oil, add the chopped onion and saute over medium heat until the edges of the onion are brown, 8-9 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for another minute, and set the pan aside.
3. Toast the sesame seeds in a small dry skillet over moderately low heat until they turn a deep golden brown. Transfer the seeds immediately to a plate to cool when they are toasted.
4. Drain the chiles, discarding the cooking water and transfer to a  blender bowl. Add the sauteed onion, garlic, sesame seeds, tomatoes, oregano, cumin and 1 cup of broth. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down sides several times. You will have a medium thick paste.
5. Wipe out the skillet that you cooked the onion in. Heat the skillet again adding the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the paste from the blender. Cook the paste with a wooden spoon, stirring constantly. Stir in the broth, vinegar, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. The sauce will thicken as it sits.

Makes a great burrito too!