Cascabel & Grapefruit Sauce
Submitted by VINNIE107
A Mexican Veracruz-style sauce of dry-roasted cascabel chilies, garlic, fresh grapefruit and orange juice, and warm allspice. A bright, mildly smoky marinade for grilled fish, chicken, or pork.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
25 minREADY
35 minCascabel chilies are one of Mexico’s most underused dried peppers. The name means “little rattle” because the loose seeds shake inside the dried pod, and the flavor delivers a gentle nutty heat that’s miles away from the smoky punch of chipotle or the deep raisin of ancho. They’re the secret ingredient in a sauce that walks a beautiful line between sweet, tart, and warmly spicy.
Dry-roasting in a comal or cast iron pan blooms their oils and brings out a toasted-cocoa note. A short rehydration in hot water plumps them up for blending. The pepper-water becomes the pureeing liquid (assuming it’s not bitter), then everything gets whirled with garlic and pushed through a fine sieve.
Fresh grapefruit and orange juice make this sauce. Bottled or pasteurized juice will not deliver the same brightness, so don’t take that shortcut.
A pinch of allspice ties it all together with subtle warmth. Use as a marinade for fish, chicken, or pork, or thin it slightly and serve as a tangy pour-over sauce at the table.
Pro Tips
- Don’t let the chilies blacken when dry-roasting. Burnt chiles turn the whole sauce bitter and unrecoverable.
- Always taste the rehydration water before using it. Some chiles release bitter compounds; if so, rinse and use plain water for the puree.
- Strain twice for the silkiest texture: through a sieve first, then push through a fine-mesh chinois if you have one.
- Marinate fish for no more than 30 minutes. Citrus acids will start to “cook” the protein, ceviche-style.
- For chicken or pork, marinate up to 4 hours for best flavor penetration.
Variations
- Substitute guajillo or ancho chiles if cascabel are hard to find. The flavor shifts but the technique is the same.
- Add a splash of tequila or mezcal to the finished sauce for a smoky-boozy edge.
- Whisk in a tablespoon of honey for a sweeter glaze that caramelizes beautifully on the grill.
Ingredients
Directions
NOTE: Cascabel Peppers, this pepper is small (1½ inch or so), round and dark brown.
This is the “little rattles” pepper that comes from the Veracruz area.
This pepper is not elongated, not black, not from South America, and not real hot.
Cascabel is also known as the chili bola.
METHOD: Remove stem and seed from chiles.
With a comal or black iron skillet, or in an oven at 250F, dry roast chiles for 3 to 4 minutes.
Shake once or twice and do not allow to blacken.
Add to the water in a covered pan and simmer very low for 20 minutes to rehydrate.
Allow to cool. SEE HINT. Taste the chile water, and if not bitter, add about ½ cup and the chiles to a blender (use plain water if bitter). Purée together with the garlic and strain. Add the fruit juices, allspice, and salt and mix together. HINT: If a very smooth sauce is required, pass the rehydrated, coarsely chopped, chiles through a food mill, then proceed as above.
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