Mail Order 'Powder-Free' Red Enchilada Sauce

1. 1

   Wipe off the chiles with a damp cloth.

2. 2

   Tear the stems off the New Mexico and ancho chiles, then open them up with your fingers and pluck out the seeds and membranes, making jerky-sized pieces of chile.

3. 3

   Heat up the big sauce pan you will need later and 'stir-fry' the chile pieces until they smell nice (2-3 minutes).

4. 4

   Dump the toasted chiles and the chipotles into a medium-sized bowl, barely cover with hot stock, then float a smaller heavy glass bowl onto everything to keep the bits submerged. Soak for about 30 minutes.

5. 5

   Place the garlic, onion, spices and drained tomatoes into a blender.

6. 6

   Add the soaked chiles (including liquid), and puree until smooth.

7. 7

   Pour into the saucepan, add the tomato sauce and simmer for 30 minutes, adding stock to get the thickness you like. Season to taste.

8. 8

   To serve, I simply POACH corn tortillas right in the sauce for a minute or two (low fat trick), then pull them out one at a time with tongs, roll them around some pre-warmed filling (right on the plate), then smother with more sauce. No baking(impatient guy trick). Finish with a dollop of sour cream and a single black olive if you like.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.