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First, the dried chili pods I choose depends on my mood.
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2
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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10
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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19
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.
