Chile Relleno Sauce (Salsa de Chiles Rellenos)

• 2 pounds ripe Roma tomatoes (about 10 medium, cored and quartered)
• ⅓ cup white onion (coarsely chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (divided, plus more as needed)
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (plus more to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)

Instructions

1. Blend the Aromatics: Add the white onion, garlic, and ½ cup of the broth to a blender. Blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the blender as needed.⅓ cup white onion, 2 cloves garlic, ½ cup broth
2. Cook the Base: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Carefully pour in the onion-garlic mixture. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick, translucent, and beginning to show oil around the edges. Reduce the heat if the onion begins to brown.2 tbsp oil, blended onion-garlic mixture
3. Blend the Tomatoes: Add the quartered Roma tomatoes to the blender. Blend until completely smooth, working in two batches if necessary.2 pounds Roma tomatoes
4. Strain the Tomatoes: Pour the blended tomatoes through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl or measuring cup. Press the mixture through with a spoon or silicone spatula, leaving the seeds, skins, and coarse pulp behind.blended tomatoes
5. Fry the Tomato Purée: Carefully pour the strained tomato purée into the saucepan with the cooked onion and garlic. Bring to a lively simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce turns a deeper red, loses its raw tomato aroma, and begins to thicken. Partially cover the saucepan if the tomatoes splatter.strained tomato purée, cooked aromatic base
6. Add the Broth and Seasonings: Stir in the remaining ½ cup broth, bay leaf, fine sea salt, and black pepper.½ cup broth, 1 large bay leaf, 1 tsp fine sea salt, ¼ tsp black pepper
7. Simmer the Caldillo: Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The finished sauce should lightly coat a spoon but still pour easily around the chile relleno.seasoned tomato sauce
8. Adjust the Consistency: Remove the bay leaf. Taste and add more salt if needed. If the sauce is thicker than desired, stir in additional broth 1 tablespoon at a time. If it is too thin, continue simmering uncovered for another 2–3 minutes.additional broth and salt as needed
9. Serve: Spoon approximately ⅓–½ cup of the warm caldillo onto each plate. Set the freshly fried chile relleno over the sauce rather than covering the top completely. Serve additional sauce at the table if desired.finished chile relleno tomato sauce