Charles' BASIC RED CHILI SAUCE

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Millie Galliher: This is the basic chili sauce used in a variety of Mexican dishes, such as enchilada, enchilada casseroles, Sonoran style Chimichangas, Chili Con Carne and many other recipes. This was an heirloom recipe from one of Dad's coworkers.

   1 cups lard (or 1 C vegetable oil - healthier)
   1 tablespoon salt
   1 cups pure red chili powder -the fresher the better
   8 cupss warm water
   1-1/2 cups flour
   1 tablespoon salt



Mix chili powder and 1 cup warm water, to make a paste. Stir until smooth. Add 1 more cup water and stir.


In a 4 qt pot, melt the lard (or heat the vegetable oil) until hot. Add the flour and salt. Stir with a whisk. Continue stirring until the flour is a light honey-brown color. Be careful not to burn the mixture. Add the chili-water mixture while whisking continuously. Add the remaining water while stirring. The mixture will absorb all of the water to make a smooth thick broth. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally, so it does not burn. If it is too thick, add a little amount of water and stir.





Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.