Update and Redux: J – The sauce matters! Especially in Mexican cuisine … and, casting no aspersions on French, Italian or other great culinary traditions, Mexican dishes often start with fairly simple ingredients. The sauces seem to play more of a co-starring role. When we first did these three sauces, I was astounded at what a difference they made.
C – I am all sauced out today.
Luke had to show us the proper way to make Mexican sauces like the restaurants do. He made three. They tasted good … really good. Salsa is one of those staples in Mexican cuisine you expect to have by your side, right next to the hot sauce in most restaurants. I was in luck. Luke learned from the best, an experienced Mexican chef. Luke said he knew he did well when the chef told him he made it better and that he had to make it from now on. I knew I was in good hands.
The simple roasted salsas were pretty impressive.
Roasted tomatoes, onions, peppers, cilantro, lime, a few spices, salt and pepper. Blended up in a food processor. It was great. Just like a good Mexican restaurant.
The tomatillo sauce had similar qualities and the same exact ingredients … except for the tomatillos, of course. I was amazed at how different each one tasted. The tomatillo was a bit more tart, but equally different and unique.
My favorite had to be the enchilada sauce. I wanted to take a bath in this sauce. Oh my goodness. Low and slow cooking at its finest. I always wondered what people actually used dried California chilies for. Sauces like this. My mom bought a package of these chilies about five years ago and is still using the same package. She uses one chili pod for curry to get a good color for the broth.
This sauce was different. An entire package goes into this one pot. Boiled for about an hour until re-hydrated and soft then blended up and strained. It wasn’t as strong as I would have expected. It tastes nothing like the canned stuff you buy. It was really good. A perfectly light sauce that goes well with meat. I put it on everything. I was licking this sauce with my fingers at one point. It was so good.
| Three Mexican Sauces: Roasted Tomato and Roasted Tomatillo Salsas and Enchilada Sauce |
- 8 cloves of garlic
- ¾ onion
- 8 tomatoes, peeled and washed
- 3 jalapenos
- Enough canola oil to coat all the vegetables
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ⅓ bunch cilantro
- 2 limes
- 11 cloves of garlic
- ¾ onion
- 8 tomatillos, peeled and washed
- 4 jalapenos
- Enough canola oil to coat all the vegetables
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ⅓ bunch cilantro
- 2 limes
- 6oz California chili, remove tops and seeds
- ½ onion, cut into quarters
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 3 tsp salt
- 2 tsp granulated garlic
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, place tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, garlic and enough canola oil to coat and mix well.
- Place on a baking sheet.
- Place in oven and cook for 25 minutes or until soft.
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Add roasted vegetables to a blender
- Add cilantro, lime, salt and pepper. Blend until all large chunks are gone. There should be small chunks.
- Serve with chips.
- Enjoy!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, place tomatillos, jalapenos, onions, garlic and enough canola oil to coat and mix well.
- Place on a baking sheet.
- Place in oven and cook for 25 minutes or until soft.
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Add roasted vegetables to a blender.
- Add cilantro, lime, salt and pepper. Blend until all large chunks are gone. There should be small chunks.
- Serve with chips.
- Enjoy!
- Place California chilies, onion, and garlic into a large pot. Add enough water to cover the ingredients.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and let simmer for 1 hour or until liquid is reduced by half and chilies are a red color. Turn off heat and let cool.
- Add big chunks to blender and strain liquid to remove any remaining seeds that might have been missed. Add liquid to blender.
- Blend until liquified.
- Add salt, garlic and onion powder
- Use in enchiladas, tamales and as a great dipping sauce.
- Enjoy!
I hope you try making these sauces. Once you make them you will never go back to the canned or store-bought stuff again.
Thanks, Luke, for showing me the way to making great Mexican sauces.