Red Enchilada Sauce

What’s not to love about enchiladas?  For my sisters, they are an absolute treasure for their gluten-free diets, but eating gluten free also means being very careful about the sauce that’s going to go on them.  Homemade is the way to go , but not only for restricted diets, but also because when you love enchiladas with red sauce you want the best! Homemade red enchilada sauce bears little resemblance to the canned version, and once you make this you will not want the canned ever again. No tomato sauce filler, no msg – no tinny taste. It is a thick, rich sauce loaded with flavor and yet has very few ingredients. It’s all about capturing the essence of those chili peppers.

This red enchilada sauce  recipe calls for New Mexico, Ancho and Pasilla chilies:

New Mexico Chili Pepper	Ancho Chili Pepper	Pasilla Chili Pepper

• New Mexico chilies have a Scoville heat rating of 500 – 1,000. Very mild, and are the traditional base for chili sauces. They have the aroma and taste you that says “enchilada”!
• Ancho chilies (dried poblanos) have a Scoville rating of 1,000 – 2,000 which is a mild to medium heat. They have a sweetness that is perfect for sauces, and balances out the heat.
• Pasilla chilies also have a rating of 1,000 – 2,000. They are very rich in flavor with a great smoky note.

Ingredients for Red Enchilada Sauce recipe:

3 New Mexico Chili peppers

3 Ancho chili peppers

3 Pasilla chili peppers

2 cloves garlic

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 tsp. + cumin powder, or 1 tsp. + toasted cumin seed, to taste

Salt, to taste

Directions:

The first step is to briefly toast the garlic and chilies in a heavy pan. Because all three of these peppers are relatively mild, I did not remove the seeds before toasting and cooking. They add subtle heat and flavor and will be strained out later.

On high heat, toast the garlic and chilies for a few minutes on each side. They will puff up slightly, and the essential oils will begin to be released. No need to peel the garlic – but do if you wish.

 After toasting, add water directly to the pan and simmer the chilies until they are very soft. …..about 1/2 an hour.

While cooking the chilies, mince the onion and saute with cumin and salt. Let cool.

Strain the cooked chilies into a bowl and let cool. You don’t have to throw away your chili water – I used mine to poach the chicken I used for enchiladas!

Remove the stems and seeds from the cooked and cooled chilies and add to a food processor along with the onion mixture. Buzz down to a watery paste and place mixture into a food mill or strainer. Just push the mixture through and there it is…..

Your enchilada sauce is ready to go!  And by the way, thinking outside the box, don’t just use this on traditional enchiladas……..how about on some SouthWest Breakfast Egg Crepes?  Enjoy!