Chile Sauce

Chile sauce

A friend taught me how to make this after learning how to make it from a friend, who learned how to make it from her mother.  There are just three steps to creating this wonderful sauce that can be used in so many ways.  I used Quajillo chiles for one (the darker) and Anaheim chiles for the other (the lighter red). Both of these chiles have a great depth of flavor and are mild in terms of heat.  You can make your sauce with one type of chile or combine two or three or four depending on your taste. Since I use this as a base in other recipes I do not add salt.  

Stem and seed dried chiles.  Toast in dry pan over medium heat until fragrant and slightly darkened.

Fill a large stock pot with filtered water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Turn off heat and add toasted chiles.  You can place a pan or plate over to fully submerge the chiles if necessary. 

After 15 -20 minutes, carefully remove chiles with tongs and place in blender  (no more than 2/3 of the way up as you’ll be blending hot liquid) with onion, garlic and 1 – 2 cups chile soaking water.  Vent the top of the blender to let steam escape, and blend until smooth. Pour sauce into containers and refrigerate for one week, or freeze up to six months.  It will separate slightly after freezing and thawing, so whisk or blend for a smooth texture.  

Add sour cream or yogurt for a tangy dip, use as a base for chili or an authentic tortilla soup.

Chile sauce mixed with yogurt, accompanied by fresh quacamole and Trader Joe’s mini chicken tacos!

Chiles are high in vitamin C and beta carotene and it’s rich antioxidant compounds have a ton of health benefits from cardiovascular to digestion.