Ancho Chile Sauce

By jeknudson

Ingredients

• 6 dried ancho chiles
• 5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted homemade or canned low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil or rendered bacon fat
• 2 medium onions, chopped medium fine
• One 28-ounce can fire roasted petite diced tomatoes with their juices, in a blender
• 1 to 2 teaspoon sugar
• Kosher salt

Preparation

Step 1

Cover chiles with about 2 cups boiling water and let soak for 20 minutes, or until softened.

Meanwhile, add the onions to the skillet for about 8 minutes, add garlic for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a blender, combine the onions, garlic, cinnamon, basil, oregano, cumin seeds, chicken broth, and vinegar. Drain the ancho chiles and add to the mixture. Blend at high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.

Add the ancho chile mixture to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, partially cover, and simmer until the sauce is very thick, about 35 minutes until the sauce has reduced to about 4 cups. Add the sugar and salt to taste.

The sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.