Oh hi there!!!! How are you all doing?? I’m doing superb and finally enjoying the great weather that beautiful Arizona has to offer during this time of year! I’m really looking forward to spending time outdoors, grilling, bike rides and a few hikes here and there. Are you jealous yet? lol!
Okay I’m not going to beat around the bush any more and ignore the fact that it was exactly one month ago since I’ve blogged! I know I’ve been a bad bad blogger but sometimes things happen that are out of your control and you have to choose your priorities (as in when survival mode kicks in). Don’t get me wrong, my blog is always a top priority but this time other stuff got the best of me; I changed jobs two weeks ago and I can honestly say that it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a loooong time. The entire process happened so fast that I barely had time to digest what was going on. But when a GREAT opportunity comes knocking on your door, you must act fast and not think about it twice. Right? I’m still working from home but now I’ll be doing consulting work for a great company.
So for the past month I had to transition from one crazy job to a great one PLUS we had a housewarming get together for some close friends. Getting your house ready to show your friends is a major thing if you ask me! I love to entertain and this was a great time for me to show my culinary skills.
For the main dish I decided to serve Beef Tamales. They are perfect for this time of year. I decided to blog about the process on how to make authentic Mexican Beef Tamales and will be doing two posts to show you the how to’s. Making tamales is time consuming. The two things that will make a difference in your tamales are the Red Chile Sauce (Chile Rojo) and the Masa.
On this post (part I) we’ll talk about how to make the Red Chile Sauce and part II will be how to make the masa, shredded beef & how to assemble them. The beauty of this sauce is that you can make a few cups, freeze it and use later as needed. You can also make Enchiladas, Carne con Chile, Pozole, Chilaquiles …. so versatile! My sister Brenda is the expert at making this sauce and she’s the one that showed me how to do it. I’m so blessed to come from a family of great cooks! 🙂
Okay let’s start with good chiles. I like to combine two different type of chiles as it gives extra depth to the flavors. It’s not about how spicy the sauce is… it’s always about the flavor! Chile New Mexico and Pasilla are my faves.
Remove the top of the chiles and shake out most of the seeds. In a large pot, add the chiles and all of the spices. Add enough water to cover all of the chiles.
You may have to push the chiles down in order to squeeze them all in as they tend to be bulky. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 2 hours.
Once the chiles are soft, transfer to a blender or food processor and add about 1 to 2 cups of water each batch. Start with 1 cup and add more if they are not blending well due to being dry.
Add the pureed chiles through a strainer to remove the remaining seeds and skins. Push the chile mix with a spoon to get the most out of them.
Once all of the chiles are strained, transfer to a big bowl and add more salt and pepper to taste.
Traditional Red Sauce (For Tamales, Enchiladas, Chile Con Carne and more!)
This recipe makes about 4 cups but could easily be doubled. Can be frozen in freezer bags or containers for up to 6 months.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 mins
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried New Mexico chiles
- 4 ounces dried Pasilla chiles
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon beef bullion powder
Instructions
- Remove the top of the chiles and shake out most of the seeds.
- In a large pot, add the chiles and all of the spices.
- Add enough water to cover all of the chiles.
- Cover and cook on medium heat for about 2 hours.
- The following steps will be done in batches until all of the chiles are blended:
- Once the chiles are soft, transfer to a blender or food processor and add about 1 to 2 cups of water each batch. Start with 1 cup and add more if they are not blending well due to being dry.
- Add the pureed chiles through a strainer to remove the remaining seeds and skins.
- Push the chile mix with a spoon to get the most out of them.
- Once all of the chiles are strained, transfer to a big bowl and add more salt and pepper to taste.
I just wanted to make sure that this sauce can be used for enchiladas? I always imagined that there were tomatoes in enchilada sauce until I started to look for recipes to make it homemade.
Yes definitely can be used for enchiladas. This is what I use! Thanks Jessica!
I just love your site. The photos are inspiring and, although I make many of these recipes “by heart” it’s nice to have a place to direct the next generation for quantities and and detailed procedures. I got oodles of ideas for variations that I have either not tried or had forgotten about. My aunt’s vs my mother’s vs my mother-in-law style of sopa, for example.
BTW – have you ever tried slightly toasting the red chiles before boiling? Place on a cookie sheet in the oven, medium low, until you can just barely start to smell the aroma. (See, – “medium low” – how could my niece and daughter know what that means!) I think it adds to the richness of the sauce. I have never tried the pasillas before but I am going to next time.
Thanks so much for your lovely work!
it looks really good, will try
I have a question, after i blend the chilies in a food processor do i add a cup of water from which i boiled the chillies from or just regular water?
Hi Alyssa! Use from the boiled chiles for more flavor. Let me know how it turns out! I just used some that I had frozen on my tamales! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
This reminds me so much of the salsa roja my Grandma Cuca made — delicious, with that lovely smoky undertone from the ancho. I added juices from a roast and used dried mushroom powder instead of the buillon. Thanks for putting together a great site.
★★★★★
Seems great to me. I made some from a different recipe but it was almost like yours. I used leg garters. Used the broth in the sauce & the masa. I learned to add the amount called for in the masa becausee mine at first was a little dry. I also added some of the sauce to my Masa. Delcious.
I was wondering how many tamales you get our this recipe.
To day made the Red Sauce and it came out just perfect my family enjoyed the taste .I will be making it agein
That’s great Ruthie! Thanks for sharing your experience! I hope you had a nice holiday!
I love this! Most people think that “red sauce” is loaded with tomatoes but it’s all chile just like you did here. The bouillon idea is so smart too! Bet it adds a nice depth of flavor. Totally trying that next time.
So true Vijay! no tomatoes involved here 🙂 Oh and bouillon is my best friend lol! Have a great day!
I just love your photography. I hope we get a chance to work together some day.
Hi Caren! Sorry I’m just seeing my comments! I was having problems with wordpress 🙂 … anyhow, I hope so too! California is not that far from AZ so you never know! Happy Holidays!
There is no room for oregano and any Mexican cooking this is deafly not tamale seasoning and some sort of an Italian whatever where is the cumin where is the garlic