Chile Colorado (Red Chile Sauce)

Cooking Steps

1. 1

   Break off stems and crack the chile pods, shaking out most of the seeds. Rinse pods and towel or drain dry. Cover and soak the cleaned pods with 3 cups of boiling water. Allow at least 30 minutes to 1 hour for pods to soften. When they are light red and spongy, include the water they have soaked in, and puree the pods in your blender for 1 1/2 minutes.

2. 2

   In a sieve placed over a bowl, stir the chile puree continuously with a wooden spoon until all that remains is a residue of seeds and fragments of chile skin. The resulting pure chile puree will have the color and texture of a smooth tomato sauce. Add remaining ingredients and season to taste. 

3. 3

   Simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes blend the flavors. The flavor of the sauce will continue to improve over time as the spices and chile blend. Chile Colorado keeps well in your refrigerator or can be successfully frozen and thawed.