Red Chile Massacre: A Scene from a Steven King Novel

Red Chile Sauce for Posole and More

I saw red when I arrived at Anna’s place. Thick red liquid dripped from tabletops, blenders, pots and pans, and wooden spoons. Dressed also in the red goop was Anna herself. So were her friends Kim and Deb. Bloody-red juice dripped from their fingertips and smeared their aprons. Even the family dog blushed from the stuff. Had I not known better, I would have thought I’d walked onto a scene from a Steven King novel.

But the setting before me was much more palatable. It was a beautiful, sunny autumn afternoon. A light wind kept the heated rays at bay. Anna and her friends were on the front porch just about knee-deep in red chile sauce. “Making the sauce together has been a tradition for three years,” said Anna, whose nose tip was stained from the juice.

Preparing red chile sauce, especially in large quantities, is no easy task. The three friends were unable to estimate how much had been processed since dawn, but nearby two giant plastic barrels were topped off with the creamy red concoction.

Anna explained the processing operation. First the pods are cleansed in water, stems snipped and seeds removed. Anna uses both fresh and dried chiles, “about half and half,” she said. Next the chiles are softened in two large kettles filled with water maintained at a rolling boil over propane burners. “Once the chiles have softened,” said Anna, “they’re ready for the blender.”

As Deb cleaned and boiled the pods, Kim and Anna kept the blenders churning. “We add one garlic clove to each blender full,” Anna explained. Both the kettle chile juice and fresh water is added to prepare the sauce. Once churned smooth, the sauce is then poured into a separator, a convenient contraption that divides the pulp and remaining seeds from the chile’s “jacket.” After the sauce cools, it’s ladled into quart-size plastic freezer bags.

“My favorite dish,” said Anna, “is posole drizzled with red chile sauce topped with a dollop of sour cream.” She also slathers it on enchiladas, tacos and burritos.

The earthly red chile aroma set my tummy a-grumblin’. Anna came to the rescue, furnishing me with several warm 12-inch flour tortillas – perfectamente for chile sauce dunking. Its deep, rich flavor with just the right amount of tongue-tingling heat, was knee-weakening addictive. I dunked some more (and a little bit more), stopping only this side of blush and embarrassment.

Mexican-Style Posole (Serves 10-12 hearty servings)
Dried red pods are packaged in cellophane and can be purchased mild, medium, hot and extra hot. Serve posole with fresh mixed greens tossed with canned mandarin oranges, almonds and your favorite salad dressing.

• 5 pounds pork shoulder
• 2 large cans white hominy
• 10-12 dried red (mild to hot)
• 1 clove garlic

• Oregano

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Salt

• Fresh cracked black pepper

Cut pork into bite sized pieces. Heat olive oil in large stockpot. Sear pork and season with salt and black pepper. Add enough water to cover the pork and simmer. 
 Slice open the dried chiles and remove all seeds and veins. (It’s okay if they break into pieces.)

In a small pot, boil the chiles with just enough water to cover. Once tender, about 10-15 minutes, put cooled chiles with water in a blender and add one clove of garlic and 1 teaspoon oregano. Blend to a smooth consistency. 
Add the chile sauce to the simmering pork. Then add the hominy, include the water from the can. If necessary, add water to desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until pork is tender and juicy and broth has thickened slightly, about 1 1/2 hours. Serve with chopped onion and cabbage, lemon slices, and tostadas.

Red and Green Posole (Serves 8-12)
This version of posole calls for both red and green chiles. This colorful medley tastes especially good with warm and salted corn tortillas.

• 2 pounds lean pork cubes (1 inch)
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds frozen hominy (or posole)
• 4 quarts water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
• 4 roasted, peeled and seeded mild to hot green chile
• Red chile sauce or puree (canned or homemade – mild to hot), about 28 ounces

Put pork, onion, garlic, salt and water in a large stewing pot. Bring mixture to a boil at high heat. Reduce heat and skim foam from top of water. Add red chile to pot. Rinse frozen hominy and add to pot. Boil approximately 2 hours or until corn starts to pop. Reduce heat and add green chile and oregano. Simmer for 1 hour. Adjust salt, if necessary. Serving suggestions: top with chopped green onion, cilantro, sour cream, lime or lemon wedges, shredded cabbage, oregano, and/or sour cream.

Sunny Conley (http://www.linkedin.com/in/sunnyconley) is an award-winning cookbook author and food columnist. Sunny welcomes feedback, chile recipes and story ideas. Contact Sunny at sunnyc@evliving.com.

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