Essential Quick-Cooked Tomato Chipotle Sauce

Recipe Notes: This sauce goes with Tinga de Pollo y Papas (Smoky Shredded Chicken and Pototoes with Roasted Tomatoes)

Makes 1 cup sauce

INGREDIENTS:
2 stemmed, dried chipotle chiles or canned chipotle chiles en adobo
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
12 ounces (2 medium-small round or 4 to 6 plum) ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. For dried chiles, toast them on an ungreased griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat, turning regularly and pressing flat with a spatula until very aromatic, 30 seconds. In a small bowl, cover the chiles with hot water and let rehydrate 30 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure even soaking. Drain and discard the water. (Canned chiles need only be removed from their sauce.)
2. While the chiles are soaking, roast the unpeeled garlic on the griddle or skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until soft (they will blacken in spots), about 15 minutes; cool and peel. Roast the tomatoes on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until blackened on one side, about 6 minutes, then flip and roast the other side. Cool, then peel, collecting all the juices with the tomatoes.
3. In a food processor or blender, puree the tomatoes and their juices, rehydrated or canned chiles and garlic to a medium-fine puree. Heat I tablespoon of the oil in a heavy, medium (2- to 3-quart) saucepan over medium-high.
4. Add the puree and stir for about 5 minutes as it sears and thickens.

Nutritional information for entire sauce recipe (per Mastercook): 315 Calories; 28g Fat (74.3% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 209mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Lean Meat; 3 Vegetable; 5 1/2 Fat.

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