Enchilada-rific!

Ok, so maybe it’s not a word. But you’ll certainly feel like exclaiming it once you try this ancho chili sauce over enchiladas. It’s smoky and earthy with only the mildest hint of spiciness. The recipe calls for deseeding the ancho peppers which will remove most of the simmer, but feel free to keep some (or all) of the seeds in the chilies to give it the most spiciness possible.

This ancho chili sauce is not only delicious over enchiladas. Try it with grilled meats or drizzled over fried potatoes. Its flavor is earthy enough to stand up to red meats and mild enough to be very family friendly!

Ancho Chili Sauce

4 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Ingredients

5 ancho chilies
1 cup vegetable stock
4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cloves ground
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Rehydrating the chilies

In a sauce pot, cover the anchos with water, then bring the water to a quick boil.
Remove the pot from the heat and cover. Allow the ancho chilies to rehydrate for 20 to 30 minutes, then remove from water. KEEP one cup of this water to the side.

Prepare the ancho chili sauce

De-stem and deseed the ancho chilies (or leave the seeds in for a little more heat to the sauce).
Place the peppers, the cup of ancho water from rehydration, and all remaining ingredients, except olive oil, into a blender (or bowl, if using a food processor).
Blend or process the mix until you reach a smooth sauce consistency, then add the olive oil and stir to combine.
Serve immediately, or for best flavor allow the sauce to sit for 30 minutes to an hour to allow the flavors to meld.

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