Ingredients

  • 1 large Spanish onion, finely diced
  • 4 cups water
  • 14 ounces catsup
  • 10 ounces tomato puree
  • 5 ounces Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 5 ounces dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon powdered garlic

Method

  • Place the onion and water in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to the boil.
  • Boil for two minutes.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and return to the boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • To make sauce of various degrees of hotness, continue as follows: Mild sauce: add six tablespoons ground ancho chili.
  • Medium-hot sauce: add the ancho chilis and four tablepoons ground New Mexican chilis.
  • Hot sauce: add four tablespoons ground gaujillo chilis and two cups of water.
  • Very hot sauce: add four tablespoons of ground gaujillo, two cups of water and four tablespoons ground arbol chili.
  • To finish the sauce, add the chilis (and water where indicated) and simmer two minutes longer, stirring often.
  • Put the sauce in a blender or food processor and process for four minutes, until the mixture is completely smooth.
  • (Refrigerate up to two weeks, if desired.)