Ranchero Sauce From Doolittles Air Cafe Recipes

RANCHERO SAUCE

Steps:

• Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Cook and stir onion in the bacon grease until onion is transparent, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove bacon from skillet and drain on a paper towel-lined plate; crumble.
• Stir chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, salt, pepper, and crumbled bacon into onion; bring to a simmer and cook until flavors blend, about 15 minutes.

RANCHERO SAUCE

Steps:

• Blacken the peppers under the broiler or top of a gas stove.
• Place in a plastic baggie.
• Toast the cumin in a saucepan until it begins to smoke.
• Add the oil, onions and garlic.
• Sauté for 2 minutes.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the peppers, and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the skins from the peppers, seed, and coarsely chop them.
• Add them to the saucepan.
• Cook another 5 minutes or so until the sauce thickens slightly.
• Pulse in a blender to desired consistency. Refrigerate for up to a month.
• Serve hot or room temperature.

RANCHERO SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut the prepared poblano chiles into 1/4-inch-thick strips (rajas); set aside. Chop together the blackened tomatoes and serranos and set aside. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over low heat and sauté the onion and garlic until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes (add up to 1/4 cup water, if necessary, to provide moisture and prevent browning). Add the chopped tomatoes and serranos, two-thirds of the poblanos (reserve one-third of the strips to add at the end), the cilantro, and the salt to the pan. Cover and cook over low heat until the flavors have married and the ingredients have lost their raw taste, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the cilantro and stir in the reserved poblano strips.
• Serve immediately, or hold at room temperature for up to 2 hours. It can be prepared up to 1 day ahead, refrigerated, and gently warmed before serving (don't overcook).