RED CHILE SAUCE from Dried Pods

Our go-to red chile recipe, this article first posted in 2014 and we can never find enough dishes to smother with this intoxicating and healthy red sauce …

Just like everyone in the Southwest, I have my own red chile sauce recipe.  To be clear, it is traditionally called ‘red chile’ and adding ‘sauce’ at the end raises an eyebrow around here … but either way you say it, it is rich, earthy and unique.  Many years ago when I first tasted it, I thought it might have a tomato base, a lot of butter and took eight hours of simmering to get that depth of flavor.  So you can imagine my surprise to find out that it’s very healthy, traditionally made without butter.  Or tomato.  Only takes a half hour to cook.  And most of that time is spent simmering everything in a covered pan.

I buy my dried pods in big half-pound bags or scoop them out of bins at the market.

They’re labeled as Red Chile Pods or New Mexico Red Chile Pods or Hatch Red Chile Pods.  They’re brittle and break apart easily.  When you shake one the seeds inside sound like a baby rattlesnake.  They smell smoky, with a hint of fruity roasted tomato.  But more earthy.  Not peppery like black pepper makes you sneeze peppery.  And not herbie like a fresh red bell pepper.  It’s hard to explain because they really are so unique.  In the photo above you can see how gorgeous that deep red is.  And they’re dusty, which is why I rinse them well in cool water before cooking.

The bags and produce tags are marked:  mild, medium, hot or extra hot.  I go for mild.  Mr.D was born with some kind of heat shield on his tongue, so medium or hot for him.

This recipe is so simple.  Adapted from the one printed on the back of the Mesilla Valley Mild Pods bag, from Hatch, New Mexico.   And because everything will simmer together and then puree in a blender, there’s no need to perfectly dice or mince the onion and garlic.

To prepare the chiles you just break off the stems, then crack them open and shake out the seeds.

Season with Mexican oregano, salt and ground coriander seed.

It all boils in chicken stock for 5 minutes.  Then reduce to low (that’s a 2 out of 10 on my stove) … cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Expect a wonderful aroma to fill your house.

Then it all goes into a blender with two tablespoons of butter.  I’ve been told that butter isn’t traditional, but I like that tiny hint of creamy silkiness.   Blend for two or more minutes and then use a spatula to push it all through a sieve.

This has been blended but not sieved.  Some people love the texture.  I prefer to take the extra step and seive it for a really smooth sauce (like in the very first top photo of this post.)  Poured over pork chops, scrambled eggs, topped with shredded cheddar, diced tomato and onion … breakfast is served.  The uses for red chile are endless!

New Mexico’s official state flower is the yucca.  The state bird is the roadrunner.  And the official state question is “Red or Green?”  Do you want red or green chile with your meal?  If you want both you say “I’ll have Christmas.”  And that’s why every day is Christmas in New Mexico.

xoAmy

RED CHILE SAUCE From Dried Pods

Print recipe

Ingredients

• 8 dried red chile pods (mild, medium or hot, your choice)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup onion (rough chopped)
• 3 large cloves garlic (rough chopped)
• 1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano (or other oregano also fine)
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tblsp butter

Note

I've tried several techniques over the years, and adapted mine from the recipe printed on the back of Barker's New Mexico Red Chile Pods bag, from Hatch New Mexico.

Heat levels are indicated on the bag or produce bin -- mild, medium, hot, extra hot.  They are marked as Red Chile Pods or New Mexico Red Chile Pods or Hatch Red Chile Pods.  They should be completely dehydrated and break apart easily in your hands.  Very often they are dusty and need to be rinsed in cool water before cooking.

Makes:  1 1/2 cups, or 1 1/4 cups when sieved.

 

Directions

Step 1

Prepare the pods by washing them in cool water. Break off the stems and discard. Crack each pod open, shake out and discard the seeds. You will have a pile of lovely broken chile pieces, and a few seeds are okay.

Step 2

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add all of the ingredients except the butter. Boil and stir for 5 minutes.

Step 3

Reduce to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. The chiles will soften and become pulpy.

Step 4

Remove from heat. Add butter. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Step 5

Pour all, including the liquid, into a blender. Cover the lid with a heavy cloth to avoid hot splatters. Puree for 2 minutes or more, or until you have a smooth consistency.

Step 6

I prefer to use a spatula and push it through a sieve for a really silky smooth texture. Taste for your preference of salt. (c) 2014 I'D ORDER THAT Food and Lifestyle Blog from the American Southwest