Red Pork Chili Sauce
Yield: Makes 8 to 10 cups

10 ancho (dried poblano) chiles

4 dried California chiles

4 onions, quartered

8 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 to 4 cups pork, chicken or vegetable stock

one (28-ounce) can tomato puree or crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste

1 tablespoon salt, or more to taste

Seed the chiles, rinse and set aside. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add the chiles, pushing them down with a spoon so they are fully submerged. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, boil the onions in water until soft, about 25 minutes. Drain.

Remove the soaked chiles from the water, reserving 2 cups of the liquid. In a food processor, blend the chiles, onions and garlic until pureed.

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Stir the cumin into the hot oil, being careful not to burn it. Add the chili mixture and simmer for 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of the stock, 1 cup of the reserved chile liquid and the tomatoes. Add just enough additional stock and reserved liquid to make a sauce the consistency of thin gravy. Add the sugar and salt and cook for 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is the consistency of a thin gravy. Taste and add more salt and sugar if needed.

Set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days, or in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.

Each tablespoon: 10 calories; 0 grams protein; 2 grams carbohydrate; 0 grams fiber; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 75 milligrams sodium