Chile Colorado
A from-scratch red chile sauce made with dried chile pods, cumin seeds, garlic, and oregano pureed smooth. The essential building block for enchiladas, tamales, and smothered burritos.
YIELD
3 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minEvery great Southwestern kitchen needs a killer red chile sauce in its back pocket, and this one delivers.
Twenty dried red chile pods get ground with cumin seeds, cilantro, garlic, and onion into a smooth, brick-red puree that smells like the desert after a rainstorm.
A quick 20 minutes in the microwave (or on the stovetop) cooks out the raw edge and melds everything into a velvety sauce with real depth.
Use it to smother burritos, braise pork, drown enchiladas, or freeze it in batches so it’s always within reach.
Kitchen Tips
- Remove all seeds and stems from the chile pods before grinding. Seeds add bitterness, not heat.
- For a smoother sauce, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve after cooking. Some folks prefer it rustic, but straining gives you a silkier pour.
- This freezes beautifully in ice cube trays. Pop out a few cubes whenever you need a hit of chile colorado.
Ingredients
Directions
Coarsely grind the cilantro and cumin seeds in a spice grinder, and then put into the bowl of the food processor.
Break the chili pods into small pieces, and coarsely grind in the spice grinder, and then add to food processor bowl.
Add the garlic and onion to the food processor, and process until the onions are chopped.
Add the remaining ingredients and process until pureed.
Place the mixture in a 2-quart casserole dish.
Cover and microwave on 70% (medium high) for twenty minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.
(I assume you could make it on top of the stove, too. ) Makes 3½ cups.
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