Ancho Chile Salsa

Ancho (Ahn-cho) Chile (Capsicum Annum) means Wide Chile Pepper. This chile ranges from 3 – 4 on a heat scale of 1 to 10. An Ancho is the dried form of a Poblano Pepper and often is mislabeled as a Pasilla or Mulato Pepper. Anchos have sweet fruity flavor with hints of cherry, prune, and fig. Anchos, combined with the Pasilla and Guajillo, form the Holy Trinity of chiles used to prepare the traditional mole sauces. Scoville heat units are 1,000 to 3,000.

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Ingredients:

4 Ancho chiles, dried
1 cup orange juice
juice of 1 lime
2 red peppers, roasted and peeled
1 garlic clove
1 tsp. salt

Instructions:

Soak Ancho chiles in hot water for 15 minutes. Place chiles , orange juice, bell peppers, garlic, and salt in a food processor. Process for 2 minutes. Serve over grilled chicken or fish.

This makes a mild salsa. If a hotter salsa is desired, simply add a hotter dried chile such as Arbol or Morita to add heat.