Featured Recipe: Pipián Rojo
From The Great Chile Book, by Mark Miller (slightly adapted)
In his book, Mark Miller describes Pipiáns as pesto-like sauces dating back to pre-Columbian times. These sauces feature chiles, ground seeds, and nuts. They can be served with appetizers, or as a sauce or garnish for grilled meats. They can also be used as a spread for sandwiches.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces whole dried ancho pods
- 2 ounces whole dried guajillo pods
- 1 quart water
- 3/4 pound Roma tomatoes
- 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 ounces green unfrosted pumpkin seeds
- 6 cloves garlic, roasted and peeled
- 1 tablespoon chipotle paste (substituted for 2 chipotles in adobo sauce)
- 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
- 1/2 teaspoon ground all spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon peanut oil
Directions
Roast and rehydrate the chiles, as described below. Roast tomatoes under a broiler for about 5 minutes. You can also blacken the tomatoes in a skillet if you prefer. Sauté onion in olive oil over low heat until slightly browned. Dry roast pumpkin seeds in a sauté pan for about 5 minutes until they have finished popping. Place in a blender and purée together with tomatoes to form a paste. Add the chiles, along with about 1/2 cup of chile water (if it is not bitter, otherwise use plain water), onion, garlic, chipotle paste, peanuts, spices, sugar and salt and purée further.
Add peanut oil to a high-sided pan, and heat until almost smoking. Refry sauce at a sizzle for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Serve at room temperature.
Rehydrating Dried Chile Pods
Stem and seed chiles. Dry-roast them in a skillet or a 25o degree oven for 3 to 4 minutes. Shake pods once or twice while roasting. Be sure not to scorch the chiles as a bitter taste will result. Add the pods to a pan of water that has been heated just below the boiling point. Only use enough water to cover the chiles and press them down with a lid. Allow the pods to steep until they are soft (approximately 15 to 20 minutes). Taste the soaking/steeping liquid, if it is bitter discard the liquid and use fresh water when the recipe calls for the soaking/steeping liquid. The chiles are now rehydrated and should be used according to the recipe.
Enjoy!