Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

This sauce is so good and by far taste better than the canned stuff (homemade always does)!  Props out to my Mexican friend Deidrie for this recipe.  If it weren't for her and her skillful ways I would forever be condemned to a lifetime of store bought enchilada sauce.  Making your own enchilada sauce is much easier and cheaper than you think.  You'll never go back to the can!  (P.S. This is exactly how Deidrie wrote down the recipe for me so you won't miss a beat.)

Ingredients

1/2 cup of oil ( I use canola)

2/3 cup of flour or 10 tablespoons

1/2  cup of chili powder ( I prefer a brand called "grandma's, that's the real name)

8 cups of chicken broth or chicken stock.

sprinkle granulated garlic to taste. Like 1/2 to 1 tsp

1 tsp of cumin

2-3 dried bay leaves

salt to taste
Directions

Heat up oil in a large stock pot. I use my dutch oven. Add flour and whisk together. This is your roux. Let the flour cook for a bit to get the raw flour taste out, but not too long or it will burn.  Add your chili powder and whisk.  Roux should become a brick red color or almost brown and you should blend so well that you cannot see flour color anymore.  Allow to cook.  Mexicans call this frying your mole' :)  Add broth, whisking and allowing it to blend as you go. So don't dump all at once, you need to get the lumps out as you add.  After about 5 cups add your cumin, garlic, bay leaves. No salt yet.  It will cook and thicken. When it starts to thicken add another cup of broth. Continue this process until all broth as been added. You may get to the end and it seems to thin.  It is.  Allow it to simmer and thicken.  As it thickens the flavors will become richer.  You may add salt at this time but not to much. Saltiness will increase as it cooks down. Keep some broth to add if you don't like the thickness, same with chili powder and salt. I allow mine to simmer on low for several hours. You can freeze and use later.  I use this for my base for tamales, enchiladas, mole'.  You are well on your way to a happy Mexican repitiour'.

Thanks Deidrie for sharing your family recipe!  Coming soon my favorite red sauce enchiladas.

*This makes a lot of sauce!  I asked Deidrie about freezing it & she said it works great.  Just when you thaw it out you have to add a little water because the flavor intensifies while it's frozen.  So before you use it dilute it with a little water to your taste preference.  Enjoy!


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