Ranchero sauce with peanuts

There is a wonderful little hole in the wall, authentic Mexican restaurant in my hometown serving delicioso food. In addition to a wonderful mole poblano sauce with chocolate, they serve a mole ranchero sauce with ground peanuts. While I've never associated peanuts with Mexican cooking - this stuff is AMAZEBALLS. Lick every drop off your plate and ask for a helping on the side - kinda sauce. Like a spicy red chipotle sauce with peanuts. Before I shake the owner down and ask for the recipe, has anyone out there heard of a peanut based, red mole ranchero sauce and have a recipe for it?

Burnt Offerings
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9 Comments

Amanda H.
Amanda H. July 30, 2011
Apologies for the spam.
 
Burnt O.
Burnt O. July 29, 2011
Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!! Thank you ChefHef!!
 
ChefHef
ChefHef July 29, 2011
Peanuts are a common ingredient in Mexican moles. Sounds to me like it's a ranchero sauce crossed with a mole, or riff on a pipian
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pollo-en-Pipian-Verde-14143
in other words, lots of instances where tomatoes/tomatillos are blended with nuts or seeds to give further flavor and textural dimension to the sauce.

I posted a recipe for the contest this week with a very basic Mexican sauce. For what you want, I would follow that (I assume you can see it with my profile?). When you blend everything add chipotle en adobo to taste (I whole one for the quantity in my recipe for a mild heat) and about 1/4 c of roasted peanuts(get raw, toast yourself) 1/2tsp cinnamon and a good pinch of cloves or allspice. Then fry the sauce as I describe. I bet you'll get close to what you are describing.

Let me know if you can't see that recipe (Poblanos stuffed with Goat Cheese and Greens- the tomato sauce follows)
Buen Provecho!


** Just a little addendum. After you reduce the sauce by "frying" it, if you want to, you can broth it back out. That's how moles are done. Just add chicken stock gradually, as needed, simmering until it is the thickness you want
 
aargersi
aargersi July 29, 2011
Burnt Offerings I have a ranchero sauce recipe out there that we make a lot - in fact, canning some this weekend - so I volunteer to peanut-ify some of it for you!!!
 
boulangere
boulangere July 29, 2011
Before I got to your post with the reference, I was all set to offer to help with the shakedown. Looks and sounds fantastic. Thank you for asking and answering.
 
Burnt O.
Burnt O. July 29, 2011
Ha! May have answered my own foodpickle - this sounds like it might be very close because of the tomatoes, smoky flavors, and the use of cider vinegar to give it just a little bite. I may have to try it:

http://juicybits.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/smoky-peanut-mole-sauce/
 
Burnt O.
Burnt O. July 29, 2011
hardlikearmour - no, but that sure sounds awesome! This is most definitely a tomato and chile based ranchero sauce with ground peanuts added. I may start with a traditional ranchero recipe and play with it. I may also get up the nerve to go ask the chef. I'm only home for a few more days and just cannot get this sauce out of my mind!
 
hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour July 29, 2011
Does this sound similar? http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/yucatan-marinated-chicken-skewers-with-peanut-red-chile-mole-sauce-recipe/index.html
 
aargersi
aargersi July 29, 2011
no but now i WANT one!
 
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