It is officially fall. Frost is absolutely in the air. It's actually the day after Halloween. Which means that any day now it's going to snow and it may officially be Christmas season. But it also means that I have to use up all of my peppers for the season! Now, the tomatoes were store bought because they are much more sensitive to changing temperatures. But I do have a plethora of Thai chilis still hanging on. And it is absolutely time to make enchilada sauce again!
This particular version consists of Thai chilis. I obviously grew these particular ones. However, you can absolutely substitute any of your own peppers. This is particularly fun when you're creating your own flavor profile and spice level. The basic principle is the same, regardless of what produce you use.
You can also roast your produce in the air fryer, oven, barbecue, or smoker. Although I prefer to roast the peppers, tomatoes, onion, and garlic to give it a greater depth of flavor, you can also forego this part of the recipe entirely and cut straight to puréeing and simmering! It's a great recipe to mix and match to fit what works best for you. There is no steadfast formula that you absolutely must follow.
Gallery
Variations of Enchilada Sauce
Everyone who knows me knows that I am an enchilada sauce aficionado. Whenever I attempt to make salsa, I am always confounded by the many questions that surround the process. Chunky? Puréed? Spicy? Mild? Medium? Cooked? Roasted? Raw? Can I use Thai peppers in a Mexican style blend? Is there supposed to be corn??
For whatever reason, though, I feel like there is less controversy surrounding enchilada sauce. It's such a simplified process. And I absolutely am constantly mixing up the types of peppers and tomatoes to use. Although I never quite feel the tinge of guilt about going a little bit rogue with it.
Enchilada sauce is one of my favorite things to make. It's far simpler than most imagine and something that anyone can accomplish. This version consists of Thai chilis, medium tomatoes, garlic, red onion, cumin, salt, and pepper. Although you can easily mix and match whatever hot peppers, tomatoes, and spices you prefer or have on hand. A lot of the time I grow the peppers and/pr tomatoes, so I simply pick what's ripe at the moment!
Place the chilis, tomatoes, garlic, and onion in the air fryer. It can help to cut the tomatoes and onion in half and pierce the chilis with a knife so they don't burst while cooking.Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to break this up into multiple batches. I cooked the peppers and the rest of the fruits and vegetables separately. You can also substitute any other roasting method of choice. An oven or BBQ would do just fine. It's more to get a char flavor than explicitly necessary.
Cook for 7-12 minutes, or until the produce is lightly charred. The skin should begin to brown, but not entirely blacken or shrivel. You're trying to roast them, not dry them!
Let cool to the touch.
Blend
Once the produce are cool, add a food processor with 2 cups of water.
Blend until puréed completely.In my Vitamix or Cuisinart Food Processor this takes about 15-20 seconds. In another blender, this might take a minute or two.Just be careful not to inhale the mixture when you open the lid! It's quite spicy.
Cook
Add the puréed mixture to a large pot with the additional 1 cup water and the salt, pepper, and cumin.You can blend all of the water together when you puree it, but I found that it was easier to add 2/3 of the water then finish thinning it in the pot. None of this will effect cooking, though. Add as more or as little water as you need to puree the ingredients and then add the rest before cooking!
Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes, or until thickened to the desired consistency. Make sure to stir occasionally.
Serve immediately or refrigerate. With so many hot peppers, this enchilada sauce will last a good while in the refrigerator.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
If you do air fry the vegetables for too long, don’t fret too much. You’ll still end up boiling the ingredients and they will re-hydrate. You’re pretty much okay with any amount of char as long as you don’t seriously burn them!
You can substitute any kind of pepper of choice. Even dried peppers will re-hydrate with the first simmer. If you don’t have fresh chilis or other peppers and want to use dried ones, just skip the roasting step and go straight to the first cooking stage.
Leave a Reply