MEXICO - Chipotle Sauce

A smoky, thick, and complex chipotle sauce that goes with, frankly EVERYTHING!

INGREDIENTS

- 1 mid-size can of chipotle peppers (whatever brand you can find in the supermarket)
- 1/2 large can of chunky tomato or whole tomato (It’ll get blended anyway)
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano (dried is okay) - 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
- 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- 1 mid-size onion - 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt (but add more if you want)
- 1/3 cup red wine

PREPARATION

1. Chop the onion and garlic into thin slices (but don’t worry too much as it will be blended anyway eventually)
   
2. Take out the contents of the can of chipotle peppers and chop the peppers up into smaller pieces (make sure you keep the adobo red seasoning liquid on the side)
   
3. Take out half the contents of the can of tomatoes and store the rest in the fridge (you’re only going to need half a can of tomatoes)
   
4. Pour the oil in a cooking vessel (ideally a saucepan with a lid) - Bring oil to medium hot setting on stove - Add the garlic and onions
   
5. Add in the other spices (cumin, coriander, oregano, cinnamon
   
6. Stir the spices into the onion / garlic and keep on medium heat until onions are softened
   
7. Stir in the ketchup
   
8. Let the mixture simmer until it becomes bubbly and a thick paste
   
9. Deglaze the pan with the 1/3 cup of red wine and keep stirring until dissolved all the little brown bits at the bottom of the pan
   
10. Keep the pan uncovered and keep stirring until the mixture becomes thick once again
    
11. Add he chipotle peppers and he 1/2 can of tomatoes, salt
    
12. Give it a stir until it is all nicely homogeneous - If you have a potato masher, use this to mash the tomatoes and chipotle peppers into the mixture (if you don’t, then just cook for 5 min longer so that the whole thing melts together) - Mix really well so that there are not huge chunks of tomato (crush as much as you can so that it’s a good chunky mixture but not too big pieces of anything)
    
13. Simmer for 10 min on lower heat (covered, else you will have sauce all over the kitchen!)
    
14. Once it’s done, you should have a chunky consistency and not watery
    
15. Put the sauce in the blender (or use a stick / immersion blender) and give it a big whirl for like 30-45 seconds (or more / less until you have the consistency that you like). - Taste it for salt and spice
    
16. If too spicy, add more tomatoes and cook for another 5 min, mashing the tomatoes into the mix well - If not spicy enough, then add in the adobo chili liquid or add more spice to it - If not salty enough, then add more salt - If too salty you’re screwed! (Just kidding - just add more tomatoes and the reserved adobo liquid from the peppers).