Cascabel Chile Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Heat grill to high or heat a grill pan over high heat. Brush chops on both sides with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chops on the grill or grill pan and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn over the chops and continue grilling to medium doneness, about 2 to 3 minutes longer.
• Ladle some of the sauce into the center of each dinner plate. Place 2 chops per order in the center of the sauce and drizzle the edges of the meat with some more of the sauce. Garnish with parsley leaves.
• Place figs in a bowl, cover with boiling water and let sit until softened, approximately 30 minutes. Place the softened figs in a food processor with 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid and process until smooth.
• Combine the vinegar and port wine in a medium nonreactive saucepan and reduce by half over high heat. Add the sugar, orange juice, and fig puree and reduce by half again, stirring occasionally.
• Combine the chile puree and chicken stock in another saucepan and reduce by half over high heat. Add the reduced vinegar-fig mixture to the chicken stock mixture along with a touch of honey and reduce by half again, stirring occasionally. Strain the mixture into a clean medium saucepan and reduce to a sauce consistency.

Steps:

• 1. Toast the chiles in a dry skillet or on a comal over medium heat, turning, until aromatic and pliable, about 2 to 3 minutes. Cool then cut the chiles open and remove the seeds and veins. Save about 1/2 teaspoon of seeds to toast, and discard the remaining seeds. Cut the chiles into pieces and put into a spice grinder. (I use a coffee grinder reserved for spices.) 2. Toast the chile seeds in the dry skillet until they just begin to color, about 2 minutes. Add them to the spice grinder and grind the chiles and seeds to a coarse powder. Transfer to a blender with the chopped tomato, garlic, and salt. Blend to a coarse sauce. Transfer to a bowl and serve as a table sauce. From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.