Cascabel Chile Sauce Recipes

PAN ROASTED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH TAMARIND-PINEAPPLE BARBEQUE SAUCE AND BUTTERMILK AND CASCABEL CHILE ONION RINGS

Steps:

• Place chicken stock in a medium saucepan over high heat and reduce to 4 cups. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the chile powders and cook for 2 minutes. Add the reduced stock and bring to a simmer, whisk in the tamarind paste and brown sugar. Add the pineapple and cook over medium-low heat until the pineapple is very soft, 30 to 40 minutes. Place the mixture, in batches, in a blender and strain into a clean saucepan. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until reduced slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat olive oil in a medium saute pan over high heat. Season the pork with the ancho powder, salt and coarsely ground black pepper. Sear well on all sides until golden brown. Place pan in the oven and continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes until the pork is just cooked through. Remove and let rest 10 minutes before slicing on bias. Spoon sauce onto platter, top with pork slices, drizzle with sauce.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, buttermilk, cayenne and salt to taste to make a batter. Soak the onion rings in the batter for 2 hours or longer in the refrigerator. When ready to fry, heat the oil to 375 degrees F, or until a drop of batter sizzles. Dredge the onion rings in seasoned flour and fry, turning, in batches, until tender and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with salt. Serve immediately.

GRILLED LAMB PORTERHOUSE WITH FIG-CASCABEL SAUCE

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.

CASCABEL CHILE SAUCE

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.