Ok last week we made those insanely good cheesy beef enchiladas and promised you the recipe for the sauce we made. While it is totally ok to keep things super simply with store-bought, ready to go sauce, sometimes you’ve just gotta try making your own. The flavor is unmatched and it makes enough to have some for a couple of batches of enchiladas. It keeps well in the freezer, so make a big pot and save it for your next game watch party (countdown to football!) or easy weeknight dinner.
In doing some research, we found that different recipes use different types of peppers. We like a bit of spice (and by a bit, I mean a lot) so we opted for guajillo peppers to complement the traditional anchos. That being said, this was not a very spicy sauce at all. Definitely remove most if not all of the seeds to reduce the heat level if you want less of a kick.
I really like the flavor that the two different types of peppers brought. Both were easy to find in the international aisle of our grocery store. Sweet and smoky is how I’d describe this sauce.
What I will say, though, is that I wish I’d used beef stock instead of water for the base of the sauce. I wound up adding a packet of beef bouillon (thankfully my mother-in-law had a stash!) to round out the flavor. Also, the longer the sauce sits, the more flavorful it becomes. I’d definitely recommend making it at least a day ahead of when you plan to use it so the flavors can meld.
Other than that, it’s a pretty straightforward recipe. I found my Ninja was big enough to hold and blend the whole batch in one fell swoop. I tend to be a messy pourer, so this was a relief! Give it a try and let us know in the comments what you think!
- 8 large ancho chiles
- 4 guajillo chiles (or pasilla, whatever is easiest to find)
- 1 medium white onion
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon marjoram
- 1 teaspoon hot Mexican chili powder
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 4 cups beef stock*
- Salt to taste
- Heat a large, dry cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Toast the chiles lightly on all sides until they are just fragrant (but not burned) and softened. Allow the chiles to cool until safe to handle, then pull off the stems, slice them open and remove the ribs and seeds (to reduce the spice level).
- While the chiles cool, halve the tomatoes and quarter the onion. Place them on the hot, dry skillet along with the garlic cloves and char until slightly blackened on all sides, turning occasionally (think sizzling fajitas...that's the charred look you're going for).
- Once the veggies are charred, add them along with the chiles to a medium stock pot. Cover with the beef stock until just nearly covered (you may not use the full 4 cups, depending on your pan). Simmer over medium-low heat until the chiles are reconstituted, about 10-15 minutes.
- Once the chiles have reconstituted, empty the pot into your blender or food processor (work in batches if your blender is on the smaller side) and blend until smooth. Strain the sauce using a fine mesh strainer, pressing as much liquid out of the pulp as possible. Discard anything that remains in the strainer.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil in a medium stock pot over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and is hot. Pour in the strained sauce and "fry" it, stirring constantly as you pour it into the hot oil. Stir for just about 1 minute and then reduce the heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Remove the sauce from the heat to cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight jar or container and refrigerating/freezing.