Melanie's Redneck Red Chili Sauce

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   First, the dried chili pods I choose depends on my mood.

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   I do usually like to mix it up for depth of flavor and love Guajillo and Ancho/Pasilla varieties.

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   I've even been known to slip in a few of the skinny asian hot peppers for extra heat and depth.

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   Place Chili pods on a baking sheet and into the oven at 375 degrees.

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   Bake for about 5 minutes.

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   Place the Hot Chili Pods in a large bowl and cover with water.

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   Soak for about 30-40 minutes.

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   Cook bacon in a large skillet until crispy.

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   Remove bacon and reserve about 3 TBS of the bacon grease.

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    Pull the tops off the chili pods and place into a blender with the onion, garlic, spices, a slice of bacon, and some of the chili soaking water (barely cover the blender ingredients with the water).

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    Depending on the size of your blender you may need to do this in batches.

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    Puree until smooth.

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    Heat bacon grease in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat.

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    Add chili sauce.

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    Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer for about 20-30 minutes until it starts to thicken a bit.

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    This will intensify that beautiful earthy red chili flavor.

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    Sometimes, the sauce will have a bitter taste -- all depends on the quality and variety of the dried chilis.

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    If this happens to me, I like to add just a touch of honey to smooth out the flavor.

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    I like to use this sauce for tamales.

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    You can also use it for enchiladas, chili colorado, or other recipes.

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    It also freezes well for future use.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.