Homemade Red Chile Sauce for Tamales
Earthy and Wonderful with flavor. Homemade Red Chile Sauce made from dried chile peppers Perfect sauce for Tamales or Enchiladas.
Servings 2 cups
Calories 36kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Dried Red Chile Peppers 20 - 25 dried chile pods
- 1 Tablespoon whole cumin seed toasted, or 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 cup Chicken broth or water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 small onion rough chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano or marjoram
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- Wear a mask and gloves! The particles emitted from breaking the dried chile pods are spicy and could be very irritating to eyes and throat. Handling of the pods could cause your hands to burn depending on the heat of the chile.
- Heat a large fry pan over medium heat. Dry roast the chile peppers in batches, until they release fragrance, about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Once the chile peppers have been toasted and removed from pan, add cumin seeds. Shaking the pan, toast until fragrant. This should take about 1 minute.
- Once the chiles are cool enough to handle, break the tops off and shake out the seeds.
- Place chile peppers in a blender and pour in half of the chicken stock (or water) and toasted cumin seed. Puree until smooth but with a few specs of the pepper remaining.
- Warm oil in a large saucepan. Cook the chopped onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Pour in the blended chile mixture.
- Puree remaining chiles with remaining chicken broth and pour the puree into the sauce in pan. Add Mexican oregano and salt.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for for 20 - 25 minutes. After about 15 minutes taste the sauce and adjust seasonings to your liking.
- When sauce is ready it will be cooked down enough to coat a spoon thickly but still drop off easily.
- Use the sauce warm or refrigerate for later use. The sauce keeps for 5 - 6 days and also freezes well.
Notes
Chile Pepper ideas:
- Guajillo peppers are readily available and are mild in flavor.
- New Mexico Dried Chile Peppers are a good choice and are available in mild, medium or hot.
- Pasilla peppers are a good choice as they have a fruity flavor. They are milk to medium.
- Nora peppers (Spanish paprika peppers) are nice.
- I've used Mulata dried peppers, which are hot spicy.
- Chile de Arbol peppers are readily available are are spicy hot.
- Each combo will add a different nuance of flavor to your sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 631mg | Potassium: 244mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1468IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
