Recipes from Mexico :: Mexican Salsas and Condiments
4 med. to large ancho chiles
2 Tbsp. olive oil
6 oz. lean stew meat, cut into 1/4-in. pieces or smaller
5 c. water
1/2 onion, cut in half
2 tsp. Mexican oregano
5 cloves garlic
1/4 c. ground cumin
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 c. tomato purée
Preparing the broth*
Toast chiles in an oven preheated to 275 degrees fahrenheit for 5-10 mins.; then stem, de-vein, and seed them. Heat a pot over med.-high heat and add the first 2 Tbsp. of olive oil. Just before the oil begins to smoke add the meat. Cook the meat until it has just browned, stirring constantly. Add water, onion and chiles. Cook sauce at a low simmer, covered, for 15 mins.; then remove the chiles, placing them in a blender.
Cover the pot and continue simmering for 1 hour more. When the meat has cooked, remove it and its broth to a bowl. There should be at least 3 c. of broth remaining. If there is more, pour some off; if there is less, add some water.
* You can eliminate this entire step by mixing 1 1/2 (one and one-half) c. of Swanson beef broth mixed with 1 1/2 (one and one-half) c. water.
Preparing the sauce
Add oregano, garlic and cumin to the blender with the chiles, or mash them in a molcajete or mortar and pestle. Next, add 1 c. of the broth to the blender and blend for 1 minute to fully incorporate the chiles. Add the remaining 2 c. broth and blend to mix. At this point, strain the sauce or not.
Heat the pot you used over med. heat and add the remaining olive oil and butter. As soon as the butter is melted, add the flour and stir the roux until it just begins to brown and produce a nutty aroma.
When the roux is done, remove the pot from the heat and add about 1/2 c. of the chile mixture, stirring well until it is incorporated with the roux. Replace the pot on the heat and continue adding the chile mixture in small quantities, stirring well after each addition. If you have made your own broth, you may add the reserved meat at this time if you desire. If you ground the cumin, garlic and oregano separately, add them to the sauce at this time. Add the tomato purée. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer, uncovered or without a lid, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened properly, about 20 mins.
Yields about 2 c..
