Smoky Red Chile Sauce, New Mexico-Style

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This recipe is part of a five-part series devoted to chipotles–those many varieties of smoked chiles. You can go here to start reading–and cooking with–chipotles of all kinds.

Ingredients

10 to 12 Chipotle Texas Smoked Red Chile pods, buy here
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups homemade beef stock

 

Instructions

Place the chiles on a baking pan and place in a 250 degree F. oven for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the chiles are toasted, taking care not to let them burn.  Remove the stems and seeds and crumble into a saucepan.

Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

Puree the mixture in a blender until smooth and strain.  If the sauce is too thin, place it back on the stove and simmer until it is reduced to the desired consistency.

Sichuan Red Chile Oil

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Here is a quick and easy way to make a versatile chile oil that can be used in stir-fry, as a salad dressing, or as a spicy topping for all grilled meats. Sichuan pepper (fagara) are the spicy seeds from a native bush. Eliminate the Sichuan pepper if you can’t find it.

Ingredients

2/3 cup dried red chile pepper pods, coarsely chopped
2 cups cooking oil
2 tablespoons Sichuan pepper, crushed

Instructions

In a saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat, then add the chile pieces. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Sichuan pepper and allow to cook for an additional 15 minutes.  Do not let the oil get too hot or it will scorch the chiles. When the oil turns red, remove it from the heat and allow to cool. Filter out the solid material using a sieve and cheesecloth, and reserve the red oil.

This oil can be stored in a glass bottle in the refrigerator and used as an all-purpose seasoning.

Red Chile Papaya Soup

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Even though the papaya is a native of the Wester Hemisphere, papayas have been cultivated all over the world in semitropical zones. The exotic flavor of this fruit combines the dried red chile and mace to give it a most wonderful taste in this South African recipe.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  • 2 teaspoons red chile powder
  • 1 1/2 pound papaya, peeled seeded, and coarsley cubed
  • 1 cup papaya juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground mace
  • 3 1/4 cups milk
  • 2 easpoons cornstarch
  • * Garnish: croutons

Instructions

Heat the butter in a large skillet and add the onions and saute until they are a golden color, about 3 minutes.  Add the parsley, chile powder, cubed papaya, papaya juice, salt, and pepper and simmer over a low heat until the mixture resembles a pulp.

Position a sieve over a large saucepan, pour the papaya pulp into the sieve, and press down on the contents to get all of the liquid into the saucepan.  Add the mace.

Add the 3 cups of milk and heat the mixture gently, not allowing it to boil.  When the mixture is hot, mix the cornstarch and the 1/4 cup of milk in a small jar and skake.  Pour the cornstarch through a fine sieve into the hot soup and stir until the soup is slightly thickened.  Simmer for 3 minutes over a low heat and serve hot.

Pork and red chile Tamales

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These are some of the most common tamales in the Southwest. They can be found in restaurants, cafes and in the coolers toted by strolling vendors. Everybody loves them, so make a bunch and freeze any leftovers. This recipe makes enough pork filling to make another batch of tamales, but you can always just use the extra pork for burritos.

Ingredients

•    1 recipe Basic Masa (recipe follows)
•    2 1/2 pounds boneless pork butt, trimmed of excess fat
•    6 cloves garlic, peeled
•    1 teaspoon black peppercorns
•    2 bay leaves
•    1 teaspoon salt
•    1 recipe New Mexico Red Chile Sauce (recipe follows)
•    At least 36 softened corn husks, plus 36 strips for tying

Instructions

Arrange the pork butt in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add the garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and salt. Pour over it enough cold water to cover by several inches. Turn the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, about 2 hours.

Transfer the pork to a cutting board and allow it to rest 20 minutes. Using 2 forks, shred the meat. In a bowl, combine 2 cups of the shredded pork with enough red chile sauce to thoroughly moisten the meat.

To assemble the tamales, spread about 1/3 cup dough onto the center of each corn husk. Spoon several tablespoons of the shredded pork filling down the center of the dough. Fold and tie the tamale; repeat with the remaining ingredients and husks.

Steam the tamales for 1 hour and serve with the remaining New Mexico Red Chile Sauce.

New Mexico Red Chile sauce

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This is my version of New Mexico’s famous red chile sauce. Mixed with shredded pork, it is used as a tamale filling, but it is also ladled over the tamales as well as enchiladas, huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos, stuffed sopaipillas, chiles rellenos and almost anything else you can think of. You may not need four cups of the sauce for your recipe, but you might as well make the whole batch; freeze extra portions in small resealable plastic containers.

Ingredients

•    24 dried red New Mexico chile pods
•    5 cups beef stock, chicken stock or water
•    2 tablespoons bacon grease, lard or vegetable oil
•    2 cloves garlic, minced
•    2 tablespoons flour
•    1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
•    Salt, to taste
•    1 teaspoon honey, or to taste (optional)

Instructions

In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, toast the chiles on both sides (you’ll have to do this in batches) until they soften slightly and become aromatic. When the chiles are cool enough to handle, remove the stems and seeds.

Transfer the chiles to a deep saucepan and pour over them about 4 cups water (or enough to just barely cover. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the chiles to rest, about 15 minutes.

Working in batches, puree the chiles with their soaking liquid.

In the cast-iron skillet, over medium heat, melt the bacon grease. Add the garlic and flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture becomes golden. Add the pureed chiles and stir quickly while the sauce bubbles and spatters. Reduce the heat, add the oregano and simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt. If the sauce is a little bitter, mellow it with the honey.