Recipe: Sauce for Chiles Rellenos and Red Enchilada Sauce - Mexican Sauce Recipes for Carla

Sauce for Chiles Rellenos

half of 1 medium onion, sliced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (28 oz) can Italian style tomatoes
1 teaspoon garlic, pressed or smashed and finely minced
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon sugar
chicken broth or tomato juice, to use if sauce is too thick

Saut onion slices in hot oil in medium-sized saucepan. Process canned tomatoes in blender or food processor with garlic; strain. Add tomatoes and garlic to saut ed onion slices. Season with salt and pepper and add oregano. Add sugar and correct seasoning. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. If sauce thickens too much, add chicken broth or tomato juice and cook 2 minutes longer. Take to the table in a sauceboat or serve over Chiles Rellenos to cover. Adapted from "Mexican Family Cooking".

Red Enchilada Sauce

5 dried Pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
3 dried California chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 cups chicken stock, hot
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
3 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tomato, chopped
Coarse salt, to taste
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Over a medium-high heat, toast the chiles until fragrant, about 30 to 60 seconds. Cover with the chicken stock and allow to soften, about 20 minutes.

In a blender, place the chiles and stock. Blend until chopped. Add the cilantro, garlic, oregano, cumin, vinegar, tomato, and salt and pepper. Blend until very smooth.

Over a medium heat, in a heavy skillet, heat the oil. Pour the sauce into the oil and cook for about 10 minutes.