Guajillo Salsa II
The Guajillo (wha-hee-oh) chile is the most common dried chile in Mexico after the Ancho. The flavor of the Guajillo is distinct, slightly fruity with a strong piney, berry under taste. Guajillo flavors dished easily so a little goes a long way. This chile is between a 2-4 on the heat scale of 1-10. Guajillo, combined with the Passilla and Ancho, form the holy trinity of chiles used to prepare the traditional mole sauces.
Suggested Use:
A mildly hot chile. Use in sauces, salsa, soups and your favorite chile. A little goes a long way.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb dried guajillo chiles
3 cups water
5 large cloves roasted garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 lb Roma tomatoes
2 tsp toasted pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp roasted ground Mexican oregano
Instructions:
Remove stems and seeds from the guajillos. Dry roast the chiles in a 250° oven for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the roasted chiles to water that has been heated to just below boiling. Allow them to sit for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain.
Puree the roasted, re-hydrated chiles with the remaining ingredients.
To use as a sauce, heat 2 Tbsp peanut oil or lard in a high sided pan and refry sauce at a sizzle for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Add a little water if necessary.
Makes 3 cups.
From The Great Chile Book by Mark Charles Miller.