Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Pasilla Negro Chile and Tomato Sauce

Pasilla Negro Chile and Tomato Sauce

Great for meat, seafood, tacos, enchiladas – or pretty much anything

Pasilla negro chilies – also called pasilla chilies or sometimes chile negro – have deep, haunting flavor. But they’re not too hot for comfort.

Here, we pair them with fire-roasted tomatoes for a tangy sauce. One that’s great on almost any meat (try it with steak), rich seafoods (swordfish, anyone?), or Mexican-style dishes like tacos, enchiladas, and burritos.

You might even be tempted to dip a tortilla chip into it. Go ahead – we won’t tell.

Pasilla Negro Chile and Tomato Sauce

Recipe: Pasilla Negro Chile and Tomato Sauce

This recipe is a sauce rather than a salsa. The difference between the two is somewhat arbitrary, although a salsa tends to be thicker and chunkier. Plus, salsas usually are not cooked at all, while sauces often are.

Pasilla chilies are not overly spicy – they usually walk on the mild side. But their heat can vary from chile to chile, and some may contain more than a hint of heat.

Many grocery stores carry whole, dried chilies. If yours does, they’ll probably stock pasillas (a long chile with dark, wrinkled skin). If your market doesn’t carry them, a Mexican grocery certainly will. Or you can buy them online.

You can make this sauce from dried, ground pasilla chilies, but we prefer to use whole chilies. You do need to soak them in water to rehydrate them, but that takes only 20 minutes.

This recipe takes about 45 minutes from start to finish (this includes rehydrating the chilies).

The sauce will keep for a week or two if refrigerated in an airtight container. Or you can freeze it for up to two months.

This recipe yields about 2 cups.

Ingredients

  • ~2 ounces dried whole pasilla negro chilies (about 6 or so)
  • hot water (a cup or two, as needed, to rehydrate the chilies)
  • ½ cup onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 14-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon cumin (or more to taste)
  • ~1 cup water or chicken stock (beef stock works too)
  • salt to taste (optional)
  • brown sugar to taste (very optional; see Notes)

Procedure 

  1. To prepare dried chilies, start by removing their stems, then shaking out as many loose seeds as you can (don’t worry about getting them all – you’ll have another opportunity to do so later).
  2. Then freshen the flavor of the chilies with a quick application of heat: Place the chilies in a 400-degree F oven for 2 to 3 minutes – just until you notice an aromatic chile fragrance. At that point, remove the chilies from the oven and place them in a small bowl. Add just enough boiling water (or hot tap water) to cover them. If the chilies float to the surface, put a small plate over them to hold them down. Let the chilies soak for 20 minutes (set a timer).
  3. Meanwhile, peel the onion and slice it roughly. Peel the garlic and chop it roughly. Heat a small frying pan over medium stovetop heat. When it’s hot, add a tablespoon of cooking oil, then add the onion and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Let the onion and garlic cool, then pour the contents of the frying pan into the jar of a blender.
  4. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and the cumin to the blender. 
  5. When your timer goes off, drain the chilies. Wearing gloves, tear the chilies open and remove any remaining seeds, as well as the ribs (it’s the seeds and ribs that give chilies most of their heat; you’re wearing gloves to protect your hands from the hot chile oils). Then tear the chilies into smallish pieces and add them to the blender.
  6. Whirl the blender to thoroughly pulverize the contents. Add enough water or chicken stock (about a cup for us) to get the sauce consistency you want. Taste the mixture and add salt if necessary. 
  7. Pour the contents of the blender into a small saucepan (some cooks like to strain the mixture first; see Notes). Bring the mixture just to a simmer, then let it cook for 20 minutes to blend all the flavors together. (You don’t want the sauce to boil; a bare simmer is what you’re aiming for.) When done simmering, taste the mixture again, then add salt or cumin if necessary. Add brown sugar to taste if the sauce seems bitter to you (see Notes). 
  8. Use the sauce immediately. Or let the sauce cool and refrigerate it until ready to use (warm before using).

Pasilla Negro Chile and Tomato Sauce
Notes

  • The consistency of this sauce will be almost (but not quite) “gritty” – though not unpleasantly so. If you want a completely smooth sauce: In Step 7, pour the blended sauce into a fine mesh sieve placed over the sauce cooking pot, then work the sauce through the sieve with a spatula. This should catch most of the “gritty” pieces. Then proceed to simmer the sauce for 20 minutes.
  • Some people find chile sauce bitter. If you do, adding a small amount of brown sugar can help. (White sugar or honey works too.) 
  • Acid or fat can also reduce the bitterness. So we sometimes add a teaspoon or two of lemon juice to chile sauce (this also helps brighten the flavor). Or, if we’re using the sauce over a dish like steak, we might add a dusting of grated cheese (cotija, feta, or even Parmesan). The fat in the cheese helps mellow the sauce.
  • Cooking the sauce at the barest simmer (Step 7) also helps reduce bitterness. 
  • When toasting the chilies (Step 2), don’t overdo it (because that brings out the bitterness). Better too little than too much.
  • Don’t want to heat the chilies in the oven? Use a dry skillet instead. Heat the chilies for 20 seconds or so per side (don’t let them burn). If you prefer, you can stem and deseed the chilies first, tear them into big pieces, then heat the pieces in the skillet. Toasting in a skillet provides slightly more flavor, but heating in the oven is much easier. And the flavor difference is pretty small.
  • Some versions of this recipe omit the canned tomatoes. Or substitute fresh tomatoes. Or even tomatillos.
  • You can also find versions of this recipe that add canned chipotle peppers (one or two, plus some adobo sauce from the can). This will make for a much spicier sauce. (Another way to up the spiciness is to just add some hot sauce or cayenne pepper.)
  • Pasilla negro chilies are the dried version of fresh chilacas chilies. They sometimes are confused with ancho chilies, which are the dried version of poblanos. The two chilies do have a somewhat similar flavor profile, though pasillas seem a bit earthier and richer to us. If you can't find pasillas, you can substitute anchos in this recipe if you wish.
  • This sauce is great with traditional Mexican-style dishes like tacos, enchiladas, tamales, and burritos. But we particularly like to use it as a sauce for roasted or grilled meats. In one of the pictures that accompany this post, we show it served over grilled flank steak (medium-rare for us). If you want to serve it this way: Just slice and plate the cooked steak, add a large dollop or three of sauce, and then sprinkle on some crumbled or grated cotija cheese. We also like to add radish slices and chopped cilantro or parsley for color and extra flavor.
Pasilla Negro Chile and Tomato Sauce

Chile Today

“Mmm, rich chile flavor,” said Mrs Kitchen Riffs. “Fresh green ones are always good, but dried chilies pack even more savor.”

“Yup,” I said. “That’s pretty much cut and dried. Just like these chilies.”

“Ancho going to stop with those jokes?” said Mrs K R.

“I thought that was a very insightful comment,” I said. “The kind of quality content we add to the interwebs.”

“Don’t let me interfere with your delusions,” said Mrs K R. “I must say, these pasillas are tasty, but not too hot.”

“Indeed,” I said. “Like Argentina, they’re bordering on Chile.”

“That was terrible,” said Mrs K R. “You need to chile out. I’m shutting this down.”

Guess I’ll have to console myself with this delicious sauce. Think I’ll habanero bite.

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64 comments:

Angie's Recipes said...

I can't tell a salsa from a sauce...I just know it's DELICIOUS! Esp. with that plate of steak!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Angie, we often can't tell the difference either! And this actually started out as a recipe for steak with pasilla negro sauce, but this sauce is so good and versatile we decided to focus on that alone. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Terry at Blue Kitchen said...

Sounds like another winning recipe, John! And I love the detailed notes—not only on how to do something, but why. An important part of cooking is learning techniques and tricks that you can apply beyond a single recipe.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Terry, this is such good stuff -- we really like using dried chilies. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Martha said...

LOL, you always make me laugh with the endings of your posts. This does sound delicious! I like that it has heat but it's too hot. I'll have to give it a try. :)

Gerlinde de Broekert said...

I am always interested in new sauces. This one looks fantastic. Thanks John.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Martha, we enjoy writing those endings. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Gerlinde, this is one of those sauces that's pretty easy to play with -- use different ingredients and so forth. Thanks for the comment.

Family Spice said...

Mmmm... chiles! Living in San Diego we love cooking with chiles. So many varieties and flavor profiles to choose from.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Laura, so many, indeed, and all really good. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes said...

This post made me laugh and I'm pretty sure I would love this sauce!!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Ashley, bet you would love it! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Mae Travels said...

The sauce looks delicious. I like the not-too-hot peppers that leave room for a wider range of other tastes as well as just heat.

best...mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Judy@SavoringToday said...

You can tell by the deep red hue the flavor would be fabulous. This sauce sounds like the perfect topper for grilled meat for sure, but really just about anything would benefit. YUM!

Valentina said...

I love Pasillas and I will definitely have mine with steak! Delicious! :-) ~Valentina

Healthy World Cuisine said...

Another delicious sauce to add to the list. As you know, the boys love it spicy so the word hauntingly spicy has us very intrigued. I can picture so many uses for this delicious sauce. I bet the boys will end up slathering on everything, including eggs.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Mae, this really isn't hot at all (unless you get hold of an unusually spicy pasilla, which does sometimes happen). Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Judy, this is actually pretty good on ice cream. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Valentina, steak it is! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Bobbi, perfect on huevos rancheros! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Merryn said...

How perfect and soothing for these cold Aussie days. I have dried chillies on hand so will be making this on Friday night. Thanks for another delicious recipe John.

Eha said...

Agree with Bobbi about loving new sauce recipes to try! This looks like a very practical one to have in the file - now a visit to one of the local spice merchants to see what kind of chillies are available this side of the so-called Pond !

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Merryn, sounds like a wonderful Friday night ahead of you! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Eha, you can do so much with sauces like these -- very adaptable. Thanks for the comment.

New Classic r said...

This will be a good recipe for me to make and have on hand. Your humor really cracks me up.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi NCR, bet you'll like this! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Sherry's Pickings said...

you funny guys! :) THis sauce really looks amazing - full of flavour. We don't have so many different kinds of chillies here in OZ as you do, so I'd have to look around to check it out...

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Sherry, it'd be fun to experiment making this with different chilies. Flavor -- and heat level! -- would vary, of course, but the basic concept would be the same. :-) Thanks for the comment.

savorthebest said...

We have some swordfish that this would be fantastic with. Great recipe

Ben | Havocinthekitchen said...

Normally I don't like hot food, but this sauce looks and sounds quite delicious that I want to give it a try...well, probably still with few chillies less :) And, I also think that a little dash of smoked paprika and smoked chipotle would be appropriate in here!

Lea Ann said...

As I mentioned on Facebook, this is just a great photo. And a must try recipe. Thanks John.

Debra Eliotseats said...

Looks de-li-cious! I always enjoy the informative notes (and your puns). Thanks for a great and versatile recipe!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Pat and Dashn, that would be SO tasty. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Ben, both smoked paprika and chipotle would be great, but the chipotle is going to up the heat quotient a lot (it's much hotter than pasillas). Which would be OK with us! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Lea Ann, aw, thanks for your kind comment! :-)

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Debra, totally delish. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Cocoa and Lavender said...

Yes, and yes again! Love this, John - I use a lot of pasillas in my cooking and have made a similar sauce to use on steak. I actually think this would make a great salsa... here in Tucson, we have a lot of different cooked salsas as well as raw. I will be making this very soon... the question is how many ways will I use it!? Have a great weekend.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi David, we always struggle with the differences between salsas and sauces -- they can be SO close! Whatever you want to call this or however you want to use it, it's good stuff. :-) Thanks for the comment.

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

What a great looking sauce and since I'm not a fan of "real " hot, these may be to my liking.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Judee, I don't think you'll find this too hot, but you could always use fewer chilies. Or more tomato. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Chef Mimi said...

I'm finally home and can catch up on the recipes I've been seeing! I'm going to print this recipe, because I want to make it as is. Lots of times I throw this chile pepper and that one together, and it's always good, but I really need to taste this salsa! Thanks!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Mimi, definitely worth making this as is. Then next time I'd change it up by playing around with different chilies -- always fun to experiment. :-) Thanks for the comment.

mjskit said...

One can never have enough condiments, especially the spicy ones. Love this pasilla tomato sauce. I can easily see it use with steak and even chicken. Great sauce.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi MJ, we haven't tried this with chicken -- need to! Thanks for the comment.

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

We grill a lot of flank steak and serving this with your chile sauce sounds like a yummy way to shake things up! Thanks!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Liz, this is really good with flank steak. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Food Gal said...

I can envision that deeply flavored sauce on so many things, even just plain scrambled eggs.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Carolyn, any kind of eggs! :-) Thanks for the comment.

handmade by amalia said...

LOL. I love terrible puns. And the dish looks delic, nice and spicy.
Amalia
xo

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Amalia, we obviously love terrible puns too. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Karen (Back Road Journal) said...

I'm in luck as I have all the ingredients necessary to make this sauce. Now I have a good excuse to get my ladder out as my dried chilies on on the top self of my pantry.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Karen, we always store our dried chilies in a rather inconvenient place too! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Laura Dembowski said...

It's so great to have a super flavorful sauce like this on hand for a variety of uses. Dinner is served in a flash this way!

beyondkimchee said...

This sauce sounds delicious with pretty much any meat or poultry. Dried chili and tomatoes go so well. Another great recipe, John!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Laura, we agree! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Holly, we love dried chilies and tomatoes! So nice. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Jeff the Chef said...

This looks like a delicious sauce, John! Thanks for the recipe!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Jeff, it's wonderful stuff. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Raymund said...

Ohh that would be so good with grilled fish

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Raymund, particularly if the fish has a bit of char on it. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kelly | Foodtasia said...

John, I'm just imagining all the things I'd love to put this wonderful sauce on! It looks fantastic!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Kelly, it IS fantastic. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Inger @ Art of Natural Living said...

This looks like such a great flavor boost! Someday I need to really figure out chilis!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Inger, neat thing about this is you can use it on so many different foods. :-) Thanks for the comment.