Brookalinatina's Dad's New Mexican Red Chile Sauce

I have had this sauce. It is a very sexy sauce. Here is the recipe, in her own words:

My dad perfected this sauce…my grandmother’s was made with only bacon drippings, chile powder and water…not nearly as sexy as this sauce.

Using a standard-sized wooden spoon, measure into a heavy pot on medium heat:

1 huge heaping spoonful of bacon drippings
1 spoonful of flour
2 garlic cloves, minced

Stir constantly until well combined. Let the flour brown ever so slightly, just to lose that icky flour taste.

Then add:

2 small spoonfuls of Anaheim red chile powder from New Mexico (preferably from Chimayo)*

Stir like crazy until well blended, but DO NOT let the chile burn. Inhaling the fumes of burnt chile will scorch every membrane of your body, and it is not fun. Plus, it makes the sauce hotter than Hades which is not fun either.

Then add the following:

1 c. homemade chicken stock
1 c. tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
Kosher salt to taste

The key here is to simmer for a while to let the flavors develop. You may want to add more tomato sauce or stock, depending on how the sauce turns out. The paste gives it nice body, the sauce adds nice depth to the chile.

* Whatever you do, do NOT use the “chili powder” spice commonly found on the spice aisle. You’ll need to find the red chile powder on the ethnic aisle, in the Mexican section.