NY Times (6/4/14)

TOTAL TIME

  About an hour

INGREDIENTS

• 6 guajillo or ancho chiles
• 1/4 cup neutral oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 cups canned tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup distilled white or apple cider vinegar

PREPARATION

1.

Boil 3 cups of water. Put chiles in a large skillet over medium heat and toast, turning once, until fragrant, 2 or 3 minutes on each side. Transfer chiles to a bowl, pour boiling water over them and soak until soft and pliable, 15 to 30 minutes. Remove stems and as many seeds as you like (the fewer you remove, the hotter the sauce will be). Roughly chop them, and reserve soaking liquid.

2.

Put oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add chiles, onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, honey, salt and pepper.

3.

Adjust heat so the mixture bubbles gently. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is very thick, 10 to 20 minutes. Let it cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a blender with the vinegar. Purée until completely smooth, adding more vinegar or a splash of water if you want it thinner. Pour into a glass bottle or jar, cool completely and refrigerate up to a week.