Ingredients:

  • 4 large Dried Ancho chillies (seeded and stemmed)
  • 4 large Dried Guajillo chillies (seeded and stemmed)
  • 4 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock (low-sodium preferred)
  • 1/4 cup Neutral Cooking Oil (or Lard)
  • 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 medium Yellow Onion (finely diced)
  • 4 large Garlic Cloves (minced or crushed)
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin powder (ground)
  • 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano (Mexican)
  • 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
  • 1–1.5 teaspoons Salt (to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper (freshly ground)
  • 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar (Optional)

Instructions:

  1. Heat a dry, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Toast the stemmed and seeded Ancho and Guajillo chillies for 30–60 seconds per side, until fragrant. Crucially, do not let them burn.
  2. Transfer the toasted chillies to a bowl. Heat the 4 cups of stock until simmering, then pour over the chillies. Cover the bowl and let the chillies steep for 20–30 minutes until soft and pliable. Reserve the steeping liquid.
  3. Add the softened chillies and about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the steeping liquid to a high-powered blender. Set aside.
  4. Heat the oil/lard in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 5–7 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  5. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Whisk in the all-purpose flour until a thick paste (the roux) forms. Cook the roux for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it turns a light peanut-butter colour.
  6. Add the cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to the roux. Stir and cook for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
  7. Add the remaining steeping liquid and the cooked onion/garlic mixture from the saucepan to the blender with the soaked chillies. Blend until completely smooth and emulsified for at least 60 seconds on high speed.
  8. Strain the blended sauce through a fine-mesh strainer set over the empty saucepan, pressing down firmly on the pulp with a spatula to extract all the liquid. Discard the remaining solids.
  9. Bring the strained sauce to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Cook for 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
  10. Stir in the optional apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning generously with salt and pepper before using.