Ranchero
3 servings
40 minutes
Ranchero is a vibrant, spicy sauce inspired by Mexican cuisine. It has its roots in traditional village recipes designed to add depth and rich flavor to dishes. It features sweet and sour notes of tomato, the gentle sweetness of red pepper, and spicy hints of garlic. Cayenne pepper and chili add heat, while a slight bitterness from cocoa enhances the richness of the aroma. Ranchero perfectly complements meat and vegetable dishes, especially eggs in the famous huevos rancheros breakfast. It can be used as a dip sauce, added to tacos or burritos, or spread on toast. Its thick texture and freshness of cilantro make it indispensable on a Mexican table.
1
Remove the flesh from one large tomato and chop it coarsely. Cut the remaining skin, about three millimeters, into cubes. Finely chop the onion. Peel and dice the red pepper into small cubes. Remove the core from the garlic cloves and mince. Divide all the vegetables into two parts — two-thirds of each will be sautéed, and the remaining third will be added at the end.
- Tomatoes: 1 piece
- Red onion: 1 head
- Red sweet pepper: 1 piece
- Garlic: 3 cloves
2
Place large pieces of chopped vegetables in a pot. Add cayenne pepper, dried paprika, oregano, chili with cocoa, sugar, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sauté, stirring constantly, over high heat until it turns into a mash.
- Cayenne pepper: pinch
- Ground paprika: 1 teaspoon
- Oregano: pinch
- Chili powder: to taste
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon
- Freshly ground black pepper: to taste
3
Add a heaping teaspoon of tomato paste to the vegetables.
- Double-concentrated tomato paste: 1 teaspoon
4
Blend the vegetables with a hand blender, then strain the resulting puree through a sieve.
5
Mix the remaining fresh vegetables, finely chopped cilantro, and a pinch of dry cocoa mixed with chili into the sauce.
- Cilantro: 15 g
- Cocoa powder: 0.3 teaspoon