Keeping “Pace®” with Picante Sauces

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Although most commercial salsas and picante sauces are made from similar 
ingredients, their flavors differ because of spices, cooking techniques, 
and the proportion of ingredients. Perhaps this home-cooked version 
outdoes the original of the best-selling American salsa--you tell me. It 
is important to use only Mexican oregano, as Mediterranean oregano will 
make this taste like a pasta sauce.

Ingredients

6 to 8 ripe red tomatoes (about 4 pounds), peeled, seeded, and chopped fine
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt to taste
6 jalapeño chiles, seeds and stems removed, chopped

Instructions

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine the tomatoes, onions, garlic, 
vinegar, oregano, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook 
for 15 minutes on medium heat to thicken the sauce.
Add the jalapeños and continue cooking for 15 more minutes. Remove from 
the heat, cool to room temperature, and serve with chips.

The Earliest Mole Sauce

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Why wouldn’t the cooks of the prehistoric, ash-covered village of Cerén 
in El Salvador have developed sauces to serve over meats and vegetables? 
After all, there is evidence that curry mixtures were in existence 
thousands of years ago in what is now India, and we have to assume that 
Native Americans experimented with all available ingredients. Perhaps 
this mole sauce was served over stewed duck meat, as ducks were one of 
the domesticated meat sources of the Cerén villagers.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons pumpkin or squash seeds (pepitas)
4 tomatillos, husks removed
1 tomato, roasted and peeled
1/2 teaspoon chile seeds, from dried chile pods
1 corn tortilla, torn into pieces
2 tablespoons red chile powder, such as New Mexican, guajillo, or Chimayó
1 teaspoon annatto seeds, or substitute achiote paste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 ounce Mexican chocolate; or substitute bittersweet chocolate

Instructions

Heat a heavy skillet over high heat; add the pumpkin seeds, and 
dry-roast until the seeds start to pop. Shake the skillet once they 
start to pop, continuing until they turn golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. 
Take care that they don’t darken and remove from the pan to cool 
completely. Place the seeds in a spice mill or coffee grinder and 
process to a fine powder.
Put the pumpkin seeds, tomatillos, tomato, chile seeds, tortilla, chile 
powder, and annatto or achiote in a blender or food processor and 
process, using just enough broth to form a paste.
Reheat the skillet over medium heat, add the oil, and when hot, add the 
paste. Fry the paste, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 4 minutes.
Whisk in the remaining chicken broth and the chocolate, and cook, 
stirring constantly, until thickened to desired consistency. If the 
sauce becomes too thick, thin with either broth or water.

Salsa Casera (Homemade Chiltepín Sauce)

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This diabolically hot sauce is also called pasta de chiltepín (chiltepín 
paste). It is used in soups and stews and to fire up machaca, eggs, 
tacos, tostadas, and beans. This is the exact recipe prepared in the 
home of my friend, Josefina Durán, in Cumpas, Sonora. Note: This recipe 
requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

2 cups chiltepíns (or other small, hot chiles)
8 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 cup water
1 cup cider vinegar

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree on high speed for 3 to 4 
minutes. Refrigerate for one day to blend the flavors. It keeps 
indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Salsa Chile de Árbol (Chile de Årbol Sauce)

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This is the sauce that commonly is bottled in liquor bottles and sold in 
the mercados and at roadside stands in central and northern Mexico. It 
is sprinkled over nearly any snack food, from tacos to tostadas.

Ingredients

30 chiles de árbol, seeds ands stems removed
Water
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cloves garlic
1 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup water

Instructions

Soak the chiles in the water until softened, about a half hour.
Toast the sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds in a skillet until they pop and 
are brown. Combine the seeds with the drained chiles and the remaining 
ingredients and puree for about 3 minutes. Strain the mixture through a 
sieve and bottle. It will keep for months in the refrigerator.

Salsa de Mole Poblano (Classic Mole Poblano Sauce)

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This subtle blend of chocolate and chile is from Puebla, where it is 
known as the “National Dish of Mexico” when it is served over turkey. 
This sauce adds life to any kind of poultry, from roasted game hens to a 
simple grilled chicken breast. It is also excellent as a sauce over 
chicken enchiladas.

Ingredients

4 dried pasilla chiles, seeds and stems removed
4 dried red guajillo or New Mexican chiles, seeds and stems removed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and seeds removed, chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 corn tortilla, torn into pieces
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
3 tablespoons shortening or vegetable oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 ounce bitter chocolate (or more to taste)

Instructions

Combine the chiles, onion, garlic, tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of the sesame 
seeds, almonds, tortilla, raisins, cloves, cinnamon, and coriander. 
Puree small amounts of this mixture in a blender until smooth.
Melt the shortening in a skillet and saute the puree for 10 minutes, 
stirring frequently. Add the chicken broth and chocolate and cook over a 
very low heat for 45 minutes. The sauce should be very thick. The 
remaining sesame seeds are used as a garnish, sprinkled over the 
finished dish.