Red chile sauces

Method

Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles. Warm the chiles in a heavy skillet over medium heat. DO NOT ALLOW CHILES TO CHAR! Burned chiles can become bitter tasting.

Heat a bowl, containing 1 1/2 cups water in the microwave to boiling. Fully submerge the chiles in the hot water until well saturated, about 1 hour. With a hand blender, puree the chile/water mixture to a smooth consistency. Strain the thin paste through a fine-mesh strainer. While using a wooden spoon, mash, scrape and coax the maximum quantity of the sauce from the skins into a receiving bowl. Adjust water level to about 1 1/2 cups.

Smash the garlic into a paste. Place the red chile sauce into a saucepan, along with cumin, Mexican Oregano, garlic and a fair amount of salt. Bring the pan to a boil, then simmer slowly for 10 minutes. Do not reduce this sauce too severely.

Chile Colorado
Add 1-2 oz of finely diced shallots to the simmering chile sauce to produce Chile Colorado.

Note
For a sauce based on chile powder and enriched by cream, see the recipe below.

Red chile cream

Method

The choice of the red chile variety is up to the chef. Dry, de-seeded and ground New Mexican or Guajillo peppers will produce a mild sauce. Chile de arbol or Japones seco pods will yield a fiery sauce.

In a small sauce pan - over low heat, combine the chile powder, cumin, coriander, garlic powder and salt. Increase the heat to medium. Pour in the water. Stir until the sauce achieves the consistency of a thin tomato sauce. Spoon in the créme fraîche. Reduce until the sauce barely coats the back of a spoon.

The sauce is an elegant compliment for grilled pork chops, roasted tenderloin and broiled chicken, served with flat-breads on the side.