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Embracing my Mexican heritage and sharing all the wonderful flavors, colors and foods I grew up with. Join me on this journey as I also learn new foods and cooking techniques. Dedicated to my parents Ramiro and Blanca.

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Home » Sauces » Five Mexican Inspired Sauce Recipes

Five Mexican Inspired Sauce Recipes

February 15, 20161 Comment

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One of my more popular Mexican cooking classes was Mexican Sauces. I tried to pick recipes that I was often asked to share.  To start with, I wanted to feature a sauce prepared using mostly dried chiles with a few spices. Chile ancho is the mildest of the dried peppers and is the most often used in countless Mexican recipes.  The second sauce was inspired by my love of New Mexico and the wonderful flavors of the green chile.  And of course, you can’t have nachos without a big bowl of warm Queso Blanco. The last two sauces, Easy Enchilada Sauce and Mole Sauce are simplified versions of the traditional Mexican recipes. They both really utilize all those spices in your cupboard that you may not be using as often as you like. Any or all of this sauce can be used for the obvious, which would be enchiladas. But they all, besides the Queso, can really be used in any recipe that requires a braising or simmering sauce.

Five Mexican Inspired Sauce Recipes

Pure Chile Ancho Sauce for Enchiladas and Much More! Get the full recipe https://pinaenlacocina.com/salsa-para-enchiladas-de-chile-ancho-pure-chile-ancho-enchilada-sauce/

One of my most favorite recipes to prepare! I use this ancho sauce for enchiladas, tamales, pozole, menudo, ribs, chile colorado and more.

Pure Chile Ancho Sauce For Enchiladas and Much More

All of the sauces, minus the queso blanco freeze well. As a matter of fact, the flavors will improve!

chile ancho sauce

Chile Verde Sauce~ Get the full recipe https://pinaenlacocina.com/chile-verde-sauce/

chile verde sauce

This Chile verde recipe is all chile verde, no tomatillos. Delicious for enchiladas, pork chile verde and green chile chicken pozole!

chile verde sauce

Queso Blanco~Tex Mex. Get the full recipe https://pinaenlacocina.com/que-es-eso-es-queso-melted-shredded-crumbled-and-sliced/

Queso Blanco with chips

Easy Enchilada Sauce-Tex Mex. https://pinaenlacocina.com/easy-enchilada-sauce-spices-in-the-cupboard/ Get The full recipe!

Inspired by my years living in Texas, this recipe is easy and so tasty when you don’t want to fuss too much with dried chiles. So, pull out all those spices and chili powders you have stashed away! But, if you are craving something more traditional, Get it here! https://pinaenlacocina.com/basic-chicken-enchiladas-enchiladas-de-pollo/

easy enchilada sauce

Easy Mole Sauce

It’s as easy as I could prepare it without buying a jar of the premade mole paste. My more traditional mole recipes include much of the same ingredients but do require a few more steps. You can find mole poblano, Oaxacan style mole sauce and even a mole de jamaica prepared with pork!

Easy Mole Sauce

Easy Mole Sauce

Easy Mole Sauce~ A much simpler version of my traditional mole sauce recipe….it still has all the rich, deep flavors, all done in a lot less time, with a few less ingredients! If you can believe that! Lol!
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes
Total Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1/4 c avocado oil or natural rendered pork lard
  • 1 medium onion roughly chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic sliced
  • 2 serrano peppers roughly chopped
  • 10 dried pasilla peppers, negro, mulato or ancho peppers
  • 1 14 oz can Hunt’s fire roasted garlic tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
  • 1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds plus more for garnish
  • 1/3 c peanuts or creamy peanut butter I use dry roasted peanuts
  • 1/3 c raisins
  • 2 oz disc of Mexican chocolate
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • Pinch of ground cinnamon
  • Salt, to taste
  • 6 cups chicken broth

Instructions

  • Remove the stems and seeds from pasilla peppers and tear into pieces. Set them aside.
  • In a large deep skillet or dutch oven pot, preheat 1/4 cup of avocado oil or pork lard at medium heat.
  • Add the onion, serrano pepper, and garlic. Sauté for 4 minutes. Add the torn pieces of the pasilla chiles into the pot. Stir well to combine. Stir continuously for the next minute so dried chiles don't burn.
  • Mix in the nuts, seeds, spices and raisins. Sauté for 1 minutes. Pour in 4 cups of chicken broth. Let it come up to a simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let ingredients cool slightly.
  • When ready, transfer the mixture from the pot to a blender jar. Pour in the fire roasted tomatoes. Blend on high until smooth. Be extremely careful when blending hot liquids. Always secure top of blender using a towel, use your hand to hold down lid tightly.
  • Now at this point you will need to strain the sauce through a wire mesh strainer into a larger bowl, for a really smooth sauce. I have a power blender and there is no need to strain the sauce.
  • In that same pot, preheat 3-4 tablespoons of oil or lard to medium heat. Add the sauce to pan, add the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth. Stir well to combine. Taste for salt. When it comes to a boil, add the Mexican chocolate and stir until melted.
  • If you like the sauce a little sweeter, you can add a little piloncillo or dark brown sugar to taste. I like mine more on the savory side. Cover, reduce heat and continue cooking and stirring occasionally for another 40 minutes. Taste for salt along the way. If it's too thick, you can pour in a little more broth or water. Serve sauce over pork, chicken, or turkey, garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Notes

For Chicken Mole: Season 3 pounds of bone in chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Brown and sear for 5 minutes per side in preheated avocado oil at medium heat. Add chicken to simmering mole sauce and continue to cook at a steady simmer for 1 hour.
Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!

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Filed Under: Dried Chiles, Enchilada Sauce, Green Chile Recipes, Mole, Sauces Tagged With: chicken mole, Easy Mole Sauce, Enchilada Sauce, Green Chile Recipes, Molé, Queso, Sauces

Previous Post: « Shredded Pork Carnitas~Chanclas Poblanas and Tacos!
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  1. Puebla-Style Molé Sauce(Molé Poblano) - La Piña en la Cocina says:
    August 31, 2018 at 9:48 pm

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Welcome!

Hi, my name is Sonia Mendez Garcia. My parents Ramiro and Blanca Mendez moved to the United States from Monterrey, Mexico in 1963. I am first generation Mexican American born in Los Angeles, California. Cooking has always been one of my passions in life. This is my journey and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Read More…

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