Guajillo Chile Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Set a heavy ungreased skillet or griddle over medium heat, lay the unpeeled garlic on the hot surface and let it roast to a sweet mellowness, turning occasionally until soft when pressed, a few small spots will blacken, about 15 minutes. Cool, slip off skins and roughly chop.
• While the garlic is roasting break the stems off chilies, tear chilies open and remove seeds, for the mildest sauce remove all stringy light colored veins. Finish and remove garlic if you haven't done so. Toast the chilies a few at a time on your medium-hot skillet. Open them flat, lay them on the hot surface skin side up and press flat with a metal spatula (if the temperature is right you will hear a faint crackle), then flip them and do the same (If you press them just long enough they will have changed to a mottled tan underneath, a wisp of smoke is OK but any more than that then there burnt). Transfer chilies to a bowl and cover with hot water and let rehydrate for 30 minutes, pour off all water and discard.
• In a food processor or blender add chilies, garlic, oregano, pepper and cumin, add 2/3 cup of the broth and process to a smooth puree, scraping and stirring every few seconds (In a blender you may need to add a little more broth until everything is moving). With a rubber spatula, work the puree through a medium mesh strainer into a bowl, discard skins and seeds left in the strainer.
• Heat oil in a medium-sized pot (4 quart) over medium heat, when hot enough to make a drop of the puree sizzle sharply add the puree all at once. Cook stirring constantly, as the puree sears, reduces and darkens to an attractive earthy brick red paste, usually about 7 minutes, taste it: You'll know it is done when it has lost that harsh raw-chili edge.
• Stir in remaining 3 cups of broth, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes. If the sauce has thickened past the consistency of a light cream soup, add more broth. Taste and season with salt and sugar - Salt to brighten and focus the flavors, sugar to smooth any rough or bitter chili edges.
• Covered and refrigerated the sauce will last about a week. If you freeze it you will need to re-boil it to bring back the lovely texture.
• Other chilies you can use - An equal amount of New Mexico chillies can replace the quajillo, the sauce will not be as full flavored; a chipotle or two adds complexity.

Steps:

• Split, stem, and seed the chiles. Toast the chiles in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, turning and flattening with a spatula, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Put the chiles in a heatproof bowl, cover with very hot water, and set aside until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserve soaking liquid, chop chiles roughly, and set aside.
• While the chiles soak, char the onion and garlic in the same dry skillet over medium heat until the onion blackens slightly and garlic softens in the skin, about 8 minutes. Cool, squeeze the garlic out of the skin, and put in a blender with chiles and onion. Puree to a paste, adding soaking liquid as needed (about 3/4 cup) to help the mixture break down.
• Heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chile mixture and cook, stirring, until thick and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato puree, coffee, sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, oregano, cloves, and cumin. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in vinegar and season with salt to taste.

Steps:

• Heat heavy large skillet over medium-high heat 2 minutes. Add all chile pieces; cook just until chiles blister, pressing with metal spatula and turning occasionally, about 30 seconds. Transfer chiles to bowl; add 5 cups very hot water. Soak chiles until very tender, pushing occasionally to submerge, about 30 minutes.
• Working in 3 batches, puree chiles with soaking liquid and all remaining ingredients in blender until smooth. Season sauce with more salt, if desired. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Steps:

• Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add chiles and toast on all sides until softened and fragrant. Remove seeds and stems, place in a large bowl, and cover with 1 cup hot water. Soak until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain chiles and let cool. Place chiles in the jar of a blender with 1 cup water and blend until pureed. Season with salt.

Steps:

• Start 6-8 cups of water boiling.
• Put chilies in boiling water, turn heat to a slow simmer. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Transfer chiles to a blender and discard water. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, Adobo Seco and chicken stock to blender with chilies and puree 45-60 seconds until smooth.
• Strain chili mixture into a large bowl. Use immediately or freeze for later.
• Makes 2 cups.

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate when not using.

Steps:

• Fill a 2-quart saucepan halfway with water and bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, slit chiles lengthwise, then stem, seed, and devein.
• Add chiles to boiling water and remove from heat. Let stand, uncovered, until chiles are softened and have turned a brighter red, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toast annatto and cumin seeds in a dry small heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant and a shade darker. Transfer to a bowl to cool, then grind seeds to a powder in a grinder or mini food processor.
• Transfer chiles to a blender, then add 1 1/2 cups soaking liquid, ground seeds, garlic, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon salt. Blend until smooth, at least 2 minutes. Pour sauce into a large (3 to 4 -quart)shallow container and cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle meat with 2 teaspoons salt, then add to sauce and turn meat to coat using tongs or your hands (wear protective gloves to prevent staining). Marinate meat, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Holding both ends of a banana leaf, drag leaf slowly over a burner on medium-high heat until it changes color slightly and becomes shinier. Repeat on other side of leaf, then toast remaining banana leaves.
• Cut off tough edges from banana leaves with kitchen shears, then cut 8 (11-inch square) pieces from leaves, discarding remainder. Put each leaf on a 12-inch-square piece of foil, then arrange 2 pieces of meat and some sauce in center of each leaf, using all of sauce, and top each mound with a bay leaf (or if using California leaves, with half a bay leaf). Fold in all 4 sides of each banana leaf to enclose meat, then wrap tightly in foil. Arrange packages, seam sides up, in 1 layer in a large roasting pan and add just enough water to measure 1/8 inch in bottom of pan (about 2 cups).
• Bake adding more water as necessary to prevent pan from becoming dry, until meat is tender and falling off the bone (open 1 package to test), about 3 1/2 hours for beef or 2 1/2 hours for lamb.
• Discard foil and bay leaves and serve meat in banana leaves if desired (do not eat banana leaves).

Steps:

• Blend all ingredients in the blender for 5 minutes. If the sauce is too thick you can add an additional tsp of vinegar and a tsp of water.
• Pour the sauce in a sauce pan and cook on low for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Let the sauce come to room temperature and then marinate your favorite meat in this sauce for 2 hours and up to 6 hours.

Steps:

• Put the pork in a heavy Dutch oven large enough to fit pork comfortably.
• Pour in enough cold water to cover the meat by about 2 inches.
• Add 2 tablespoons salt, bay leaf and bring to a boil.
• Boil for one hour, skimming foam off surface as necessary.
• Cut the stems off the guajillo chiles. Tap out the seeds.
• Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
• Add half the chiles and toast them in the skillet, turning with tongs, until they crisp up a bit and change color, about 4 minutes.
• Lift out chiles and repeat with remaining chiles.
• Pour enough boiling water over the toasted chiles to cover them. Soak until completely softened, about 20 minutes. Drain well.
• Wipe out the skillet with paper towels, put the onion and tomatoes cut sides down in the skillet. Cook, turning the veggies as often as necessary, until tomatoes are blackened on all sides and the onions are blackened on both flat sides.
• After the pork cooks one hour, ladle off 2 cups of the cooking liquid and pour into blender. Add onions and puree until smooth. Add chiles and tomatoes and blend until smooth.
• Ladle off another 2 cups of the cooking liquid and set aside. Drain pork, discard remaining liquid, wipe out the pot.
• Set the pot over medium-low heat and add the oil or lard. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, 3-4 minutes.
• Pour the chili sauce into the pot slowly, stir well.
• Return the pork to a simmer, cover the pot and cook until tender, about 1 hour. While it cooks, there should be enough sauce to moisten the pork. If not, add reserved pork cooking liquid as needed.
• Serve hot over white rice or with flour tortillas.