Chiles and The Fort + Chipotle BBQ Sauce Recipe
(Excerpted from Holly Arnold Kinney’s “The Fort Restaurant Cookbook”)
"A day without chile is a day without sunshine!” said Elidio Gonzales, who, in the early days of The Fort, was the brilliant wood carver the restaurant employed to craft dining room chairs and other furniture. He even carved The Fort’s front doors, much admired by everyone who passes through them. The Fort continues to embrace that philosophy, cooking with what is considered the very best New Mexican chiles, which grow in certain valleys in New Mexico and Pueblo, Colorado.
Like the grapes that are blended into fine wine, chile varietals grown in certain places have distinctive qualities. Hatch, Chimayo and Dixon are grown near their namesake towns. Most of the chiles used at The Fort come from Hatch and Dixon. Holly often goes through Chimayo to buy the wonderful chipotle chile and green powder sold there, which she uses to create extra layers of flavor in sauces, soups, eggs and rubs for beef and pork.
The Fort's menu is rich with chiles; you will find them on the Gonzales Steak, in a sauce for the Cowboy Caviar empanadas and even included in a couple of craveable desserts. Bring some flavorful heat to your own kitchen by following the recipe below for a delicious Chipotle BBQ sauce.
Makes about 2 quarts
Ingredients
1 tbsp. canola oil
¼ c. diced onion
2 tbsp. minced roasted garlic
1 qt. chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz.) fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 ½ c. tomato paste
½ c. honey
¼ c. molasses
¼ c. apple cider vinegar
1 can (3 oz.) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 jalapeno chile, seeded
1 tbsp. ground New Mexican red chile (Dixon preferred)
1 tbsp. minced Italian parsley
1 ½ tsp. dried Mexican oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 ½ tsp. salt
Juice of ½ lime and ½ orange
Directions
In a Dutch oven, over medium-low heat, sweat the onion and garlic in oil until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat. Purée with an emersion blender, then continue to simmer for 20-30 minutes over low heat, stirring often to meld the flavors.