Sauced
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[Photographs: Joshua Bousel]

About the author: Joshua Bousel brings you new, tasty condiment each Wednesday and a recipe for weekend grilling every Friday. He also writes about grilling and barbecue on his blog The Meatwave whenever he can be pulled away from his grill.

Adapted from The Tex-Mex Grill and Backyard Barbacoa Cookbook by Robb Walsh

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About This Recipe

Yield: makes about 2 1/2 cups
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Special equipment: Blender
This recipe appears in: Sauced: Ancho-Raisin Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 large ancho chile
  • 2 cups brewed coffee
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup finely diced onion (about 1 medium)
  • 1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic (about 1 medium clove)
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon finely ground coffee
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Procedures

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place chile on baking sheet and place in oven until puffed and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Stem and seed chile. Tear into large pieces.

  2. Place coffee, chile, and raisins in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let steep until chile and raisins are very soft, about 20 minutes.

  3. Transfer mixture to a blender. Add in cocoa powder and puree until smooth. Set aside.

  4. Melt butter in now-empty saucepan over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add in onions; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in coffee puree, vinegar, and Worcestershire. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in ground coffee and season with salt and pepper to taste.