Basic Ancho Chile Puree

Directions

1. 1
   Soak the dried chiles in hot water for about 1 hour.
2. 2
   Drain (but reserve a little of the soaking water), then pull the stem ends off and discard. The seeds can be discarded or blended with the chiles, depending on how spicy you want the puree to be. (I found it helpful to go ahead and chop/cut the chiles into smaller pieces prior to grinding/blending.).
3. 3
   Blend the chiles in a food processor until smooth, adding a small amount of their soaking water if necessary (no more than 1/4 cup).
4. 4
   Press the puree through a medium mesh strainer with a rubber spatula, leaving the leftover large pieces in the strainer. Discard large pieces.
5. 5
   This will give you more chile puree than is needed for most recipes. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks or the freezer for up to 3 months. Freeze the puree in ice cube trays for easy measuring and future use.