[Recipe] New Mexico Red Chile Sauce

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RED CHILE

 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons finely diced onion

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 tsp. ground cumin (optional)

1/2 cup ground red chile (see note at end of recipe)

Salt

 

Heat the oil with the onion, garlic, and oregano in a heavy saucepan. Cook over

medium

heat until the onion begins to color a little, about 5 minutes. Add the flour

and cumin and

cook for at least 2 minutes, stirring constantly. The flour will brown slightly.

Mix the chile

and 2-1/2 cups warm water and pour it all at once into the roux, whisking as you

do so.

Keep stirring until the sauce thickens, then lower the heat and cook, stirring

occasionally,

for 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

 

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Note: This recipe requires New Mexico ground red chile. This is *not* American

" chili

powder. " You can usually locate ground red chile at Mexican markets and some

specialty

food shops. It's important (for flavor) that the package says New Mexico chile.

 

Purchase the level of heat you desire -- mild, medium, hot, or extra hot.

 

If you can't find the chile locally anywhere, you can buy it online at numerous

sites. Here

are a few to get you started:

 

http://www.hotchilepepper.com

 

http://www.nmchili.com

 

http://www.hotchile.com

 

This recipe is from the cookbook " Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone " by Deborah

Madison. I

grew up in New Mexico but never found a red chile recipe in NM that I liked more

than this

one.