Drunken Sauce

This Mexican chile pepper is called “Chilaca” when used fresh. In California the Poblano chile is often called Pasilla. Since most of these are bought and distributed from California this mislabeling often carries over into the supermarkets nationwide causing alot of confusion. This chile is very mild and is usually consumed in the dry form to make the famous Mexican ‘mole’ sauces.

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Ingredients:

6 medium-size fresh tomatillos, husks removed
3 pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded and chopped (may substitute 1 large dried ancho chile)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup flat beer
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 Tbsp red or rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBsp (1 oz) finely crumbled feta cheese ( may substitute cotija cheese)

Instructions:

Combine tomatillos, chiles, and water to cover in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cook, covered, 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Drain. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Pulse tomatillo mixture, garlic, and next 5 ingredients 3 or 4 times in a blender until chopped. Stir in cheese.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Southern Living, FEBRUARY 2003.