Diane's Mexican Red Chile Sauce

Ingredients

• 6 ounces about 10-12 whole dried ancho peppers
• 3 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce or tomato paste
• 1 small garlic clove (or to taste)
• 1/4 cup salad oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon mexican oregano leaves, dried and crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin (to taste)

Directions

1. 1

   Place chiles on a baking sheet. Toast lightly in a 400° oven for 3 or 4 minutes only or until they give off a mild aroma. If burned, chiles will become very bitter.

2. 2

   Remove from the oven, let cool to touch, then remove and discard stems, seeds and any pink pithy materials inside the chiles. Rinse in cool water, drain briefly, then cover chiles with hot water, let stand one hour.

3. 3

   Place chiles in a blender with enough of the water to blend; whirl until smooth, (or scrape pulp from the skin with a table knife, then, put through a wire strainer). Add remaining water, tomato sauce, garlic, oil, salt, oregano, and cumin. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to blend the flavors. Chill up to 1 week, or freeze for longer storage.