Nothing better than homemade red chile pod sauce. Excellent dipping sauce for quesadillas or green chile bread. Use it to make enchiladas or use it to make a braising sauce for pork deshebrada. I even use it as a base for my raspberry chipotle barbeque sauce.

Ingredients:

• 30 or so large dried red New Mexico chile pods
• 3 to 5 chiles de arbol (more, if you like a spicier chile sauce)
• 4 cups water plus 1/2 cup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup minced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced and peeled or equivalent of pre-minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crumbled dried oregano
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar

Process:

Stem the chile pods, including the chiles de arbol and slit them open. I use kitchen shears. Remove as many seeds as possible and cut chiles into 1 inch strips. Rinse chiles briefly under cold water. and place in large bowl or pan that can be covered.

Bring the 4 cups water to a boil and pour it over the chile pieces. Cover and let stand, stirring occasionally (maybe twice) until cool.

Place chiles and water in blender (I use a Kitchen Ninja…it is incredible). Blend until the chile puree is smooth. Strain the puree through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Add 1/2 cup water to blender to clean blades and container. Add to puree in strainer. Force the chile puree through the strainer with a stiff rubber spatula. Seeds and tough bits of peel will remain in the strainer and can be discarded.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook uncovered, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring and mashing the flour mixture, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the chile pod puree, chicken broth, salt, cider vinegar, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, stirring once or twice, for 20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat, cool to room temperature, and transfer to a storage container. Makes about 3 1/2 quarts.