Light Mexican Tomato Sauce: Caldillo De Jitomate

Submitted by Mami J

"This is an all-purpose sauce that is a staple in Mexican homes. It is served over fried eggs for breakfast or chilaquiles. It can also be poured over almost any pan broiled meat, such as chicken breast. It can also be made into a salsa if it is pureed without water. Please note that the level of heat will depend on the kind and number of chiles that you choose. Fresh chiles add a sort of "greener" flavor whereas the dried ones give a deeper flavor. Also, if you are looking for a light, clear sauce, use a sieve to separate the solids."

 

• Ready In: 7mins
• Ingredients: 4
• Yields: 1 cup
• Serves: 2-4

ingredients

• 2 roma tomatoes
• 1 slice onion, a 1 1/2 inch piece is good
• 1 -2 dried arbol chile (or 1 fresh serrano, 1/2 fresh jalapeno, or 1 dried guajillo)
• salt, to taste

directions

1. Place the tomatoes, onion and chiles in a small sauce pan with enough.water to almost cover the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are soft. Then puree them in a blender with salt to taste and some of the cooking liquid, adjusting the amount to achieve the texture that you like.
2. Some people add a little powdered chicken stock (Knorr Suiza). You can add a bit of garlic too. If you are pouring this over fried eggs you can either pour it over them in the same pan where they cooked and let the sauce simmer a little or you can just pour it over the eggs right in the serving plate (I prefer this method-less fat!). You can also use this sauce for chilaquiles, but in this can be fried in a little oil or added to the fried tortillas in the pan where they were fried. I like my chilaquiles crunchy so I fry the sauce separately in about a tsp of oil.
3. This sauce is so basic that herbs such as oregano or cilantro can be added and the flavor can be changed completely.

Reviews

[Chef Els]

That a simple sauce can be so good!I made it several times allready,served it over fried eggs,with fish taco's and grilled chicken.The only thing I did do is peel the tomatoes. Thanks for sharing,I will make this sauce or salsa often.

 

[Mamas Kitchen Hope]

Fantastic light sauce that is well flavored yet so very easy to make. I served this with some chicken tacos and it really brightened the dish with flavor. Thank you Mami!