Roja Enchilada Sauce Autentica!
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It was my good friend Oliva who taught me to make red chili puree & a mean pozole. Being raised in a Hispanic family, Olivas style of cooking was steeped in rich history. Her mother taught her & her mothers mother taught her. A culture that values traditions to be handed down through the generations. I admired how their family got together to create a beautiful meal, even the children busy shaping tortillas with Grandma. I have long since lost touch with Oliva but I still miss her laughter & cooking.
A basic red chili puree consists of rehydrated dried chilies, bruleed onion & fresh garlic whirled with a bit of soaking liquid until smooth. It is very purposeful in contributing robust flavor & color to Mexican sauces & soups such as pozole & chicken tortilla. Here, the addition of chicken stock, caramelized tomato & aromatics transforms the puree into an authentic enchilada sauce. The unusual addition of toasted dark coffee gives a wonderful earthy & roasty note to the finished sauce. I recommend that what ever you purpose the sauce for, such as enchiladas, you prepare it the day before to allow the flavor to develop & mellow.
makes 3 1/2-4 cups
4 dried Pasilla chili pepper
3 dried Guajillo chili peppers
4 dried Arbol (or if you seek more heat, Pepins)
2-2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tsp. cumin seed (or pre ground if desired)
1 tsp. ground coffee, preferable a dark roast
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. salt
canola or olive oil
1/2 onion, peeled & quartered
3 plump cloves of garlic, crushed with the butt of your knife, peeled
2 small Kumato tomatoes, halved (or hothouse tomatoes)
1 tsp. sugar of choice, I use Monk Fruit (brown sugar, sugar in the raw, agave or honey would all work here)
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, finely minced
1.) Using a sharp pair of kitchen shears, cut stems from chili peppers & cut down one length, open chili & remove seeds & membrane, flatten out. In a dry cast iron skillet over medium heat, toast chili peppers until fragrant to release their natural oils, about 15 seconds per side, set aside. Remove pan from heat, in the residual heat from the pan, toast cumin seed & coffee just until fragrant, about 30 seconds- 1 minute, then grind into a fine powder along with the paprika & salt, using a mortar & pestle. Set aside (If you have opted to use pre-ground cumin instead of toasting the cumin seed, you may skip this step). Wipe out cast iron skillet with a kitchen towel. Place chilis in a small bowl, cover with just enough hot water to immerse, cover tightly with plastic wrap & set aside to steep & soften for 30 minutes.
2.) While chilies soak, heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a cast iron skillet until the oil shimmers, place you onion, garlic & tomatoes in the hot oil & cook until caramelized & blistered, remove from heat. Your garlic will brown quicker than the tomatoes & onion, remove as soon as they turn golden.
3.) In a blender or food processor (I use my bullet, in batches if necessary) add soaked chilies (discard the soaking liquid) onion, garlic, tomatoes & enough stock to facilitate. Blend until mixture is smooth. Strain sauce through a fine mess strainer.
4.) Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a cast iron skillet, add puree then whisk in just enough additional chicken stock to get a proper consistency; thick but pourable (you may not need any at this point) add your aromatics; cumin mixture, sugar & oregano. Turn down heat to low & simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, adding stock as necessary to maintain consistency. Because this sauce is on the thick side, it tends to want to spatter up. If this happens move it to a smaller burner, if necessary cover with a lid slightly off set or cover with a splatter screen. Taste your sauce & adjust seasoning as needed. If it has a slight bitter edge, give it a bit more sugar. If it needs a bit more flavor add a pinch more salt or stir in a teaspoon of chicken base.
Chef Notes:
Look for most pliable chili peppers you can find as these will be the most flavorful. Some chili peppers are smoky, some spicy, others contribute fruity notes, the trick is to combine them in such a way that they balance one another. Authentic Mexican cuisine typically uses a combination to deliver the best result, these three are the most prized; Ancho, Guajillo, Arbol.
Although it takes an extra step, toasting the cumin seed & grinding it with coffee & other spices gives a very authentic touch to this sauce.
A common complaint of enchilada sauce done with soaked dried chili peppers is a bitter aftertaste. We have taken three steps to avoid this. One, the seeds & membrane s have been removed. Two, soaking liquid can be bitter so we opted not to use it in the sauce. Three, most sauces are strained after they cook but in this case, straining the sauce prior holds back some of the skin which can also add to bitterness.
If you do not have a mortar & pestle in your kitchen arsenal, it’s time to invest. It will take your culinary adventures to the next level.
A quality cast iron skillet is in my opinion (and countless others) an absolute necessity in the kitchen. They conduct heat evenly & consistently making it a valuable asset.
