Best Ranchera Sauce Recipes

CHILE RELLENOS TOPPED WITH RANCHERA SAUCE, GARNISHED WITH WHITE CHEESE AND CILANTRO

Steps:

• Roast the poblanos over a gas flame, turning until blistered and slightly charred all over. Put them in a heavy plastic bag and set aside to steam for 10 to 20 minutes. Peel the skin. Carefully make a lengthwise slit in each of the peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. Rinse and drain well using paper towels pat the peppers dry.
• Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan, add meat and brown. Add chopped onion, and garlic stirring for one minute. Add tomatoes, salt, cumin and black pepper and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir constantly until meat stuffing is dry. Set aside to cool.
• Stuff the peppers with the filling and secure with a toothpick.
• In a bowl beat egg whites until stiff and foamy. Add egg yolks to egg whites and blend.
• In a separate bowl add flour for dusting peppers and set aside.
• In a deep skillet heat the oil. Batter and flour dust peppers and drop into hot oil. Fry to a golden brown on both sides. Lay peppers on paper towels to soak up excess grease. Serve chili rellenos topped with Ranchero Sauce, garnished with shredded queso blanco and chopped cilantro.
• In skillet heat oil until hot. Brown onion, garlic, peppers, and tomatoes for 2 minutes or until transparent. Add the tomatoes and cumin, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until sauce is lumpy. Set aside.

PAPA RELLENA CON SALSA RANCHERA (STUFFED POTATO WITH SPICY CREOLE SAUCE)

Steps:

• For the potatoes: Start by putting the potatoes in a large pot. Cover with 8 cups cold water and add the salt; the water should taste a little salty. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer and cook until they feel tender when poked with a fork or knife. Drain and then mash, adding the milk and butter. Transfer to a bowl and let cool for at least an hour.
• For the filling: Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a deep skillet over high heat. Add the onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Turn the heat down to medium-high and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the beef and tomato paste, cover and turn the heat down to medium. Cook for about 25 minutes. Remove the lid and stir; the consistency should look like thick chili. Transfer to a pan and spread the mixture out so it cools quickly.
• To assemble: Start by portioning the cooled potato mixture, about 8 ounces or enough to look like an orange when rolled into a ball. Next, take a ball and flatten with your palms while at the same time maintaining a cup shape in one hand. Then, with an ice cream scooper, fill the potato with the meat filling. Close and seal it with both hands. Repeat with all the potato balls. Set up 3 shallow pans, one with the egg wash and the others with the panko. Take a potato ball and put in the egg, then in the fine panko, back into the egg and then in the coarse panko. Once you have breaded them, put them in the refrigerator to firm up, about 30 minutes. Fill a deep pot about halfway with oil and heat to about 350 degrees F. Carefully drop the potato balls in the oil and fry in batches until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve with Salsa Ranchera.
• Start by heating a skillet with 5 tablespoons of the olive oil and adding the chiles and whole garlic cloves to toast for a few minutes. Then add the onions, bell peppers, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Then add the fresh tomatoes, tomato puree and stock, and reduce by a third at a low simmer; this takes about 15 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes. Then place in a blender and puree. Heat the remaining 5 tablespoons olive oil in another pan. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer and add to the pan. Fry the sauce in the hot pan and reduce until thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

RANCHERA SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat a griddle over medium heat or preheat a boiler on low with the broiler rack 8 inches from the broiler. Place tomatoes on griddle and cook, turning as necessary, until evenly softened and skins are blackened, 15 to 20 minutes. If using a broiler, place tomatoes on a broiler pan and broil, turning as necessary, until evenly softened and skins are blackened, about 20 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to a bowl and let cool. Peel and core tomatoes.
• Working in batches of necessary, combine roasted tomatoes, chiles, and garlic in a blender and blend until smooth. Place cinnamon stick on a 6-inch square of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine to enclose.
• Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the pureed tomato mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until lightly thickened, about 30 minutes. If sauce becomes too thick, reduce heat and add water 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Remove sauce from heat and adjust seasonings, if desired. Sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. Let cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat over low heat, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary, to return sauce to desired consistency.

RANCHERA SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic, stirring, until they begin to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Reserve in the pan off heat. 2. Prepare the tomatoes. Put the tomatoes with skins and juices in a blender. Add the serrano chiles and blend until smooth. Transfer the sauce to the skillet with the onion and cook over medium-low heat, partially covered, stirring frequently, to blend flavors, about 10 minutes. Add salt. The sauce is ready to use, or store the sauce in a covered container, refrigerated, up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months. From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.