Salsa Borracho for Enchiladas

Salsa borracha means “drunken sauce” in Spanish, and the beer is what earns the name. Half a cup of beer simmers into this sauce alongside diced tomatoes, jalapeños, and a generous pour of chili powder, adding a malty depth you won’t get from a standard enchilada sauce.

The technique here is what makes it work. Chili powder gets sautéed in butter with garlic and diced jalapeños until the powder starts to foam. That foaming is the signal that the raw, dusty taste of the chili powder has cooked out and the spice is now toasted and fragrant. Skip this step and the sauce tastes flat and one-dimensional.

Tomatoes, tomato paste, and beer go in after the spices bloom, and the whole thing simmers for just five minutes. Use a nonaluminum pan. Acidic tomatoes and beer react with aluminum and can leave a metallic taste.

Chef Tips

• Watch the chili powder carefully during the sauté. It goes from foamy and toasted to burnt in seconds. Keep the heat at medium-low and stir constantly.
• Use a Mexican lager for the beer. Darker beers can overpower the chili and tomato flavors.
• This sauce coats enchiladas beautifully but also works as a braising liquid for chicken or pork.
• Make it a day ahead. The flavors meld and deepen overnight in the fridge.

Variations

• Remove the jalapeño seeds for a milder sauce, or add a habanero for serious heat.
• Swap beer for tequila (use less, about two tablespoons) for a sharper, more intense version.
• Blend the finished sauce smooth for a traditional enchilada consistency, or leave it chunky for more texture.