Green Chile Sauce (Hatch)

Hatch chiles make their appearance in Texas groceries in late summer/early fall. I always grab a bushel and make this yummy sauce to eat immediately and then can the rest. To me, the secret to many Tex-Mex and southwestern sauces utilizing chicken stock is a really flavorful homemade stock. At least, buy stock in cartons, not cans. If you can't find Hatch peppers, use Anaheims or New Mexico green chiles. This sauce is for general purpose cooking, and is a great dipping sauce, too.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1  lb  hatch chile
• 1  tablespoon  corn oil
• 1  small  diced onion
• 4  garlic cloves
• 2  tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
• 1  teaspoon oregano (Mexican, if possible)
• 4  cups chicken broth (homemade preferred)
• 4  tomatillos (washed and cored)
•  salt and pepper

• optional

• 1⁄2 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Blacken chiles and place in a plastic bag. Saute onion in oil until lightly translucent. Add garlic for 30 seconds. Add tomatillos and cover. Cook on low heat until tomatillos become soft. Seed, remove stems and coarsely chop hatch chiles. Add all ingredients to a sauce pot and cook, reducing the mixture by 1/2, or more. Let cool. Place in blender and pulse until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add optional sour cream at this stage and pulse several more times.