Fire Hot and Delicious: Chile De Arbol Salsa

It's Sunday morning.  I'm working on a goat  cheese and raspberry tart, but must simply do something with the extra stock I made yesterday as my freezer is too full (ok, both of my freezers are too full) to store yet more stock, so I'm working on a chile de arbol salsa while in the kitchen.

Back about 10 years ago, perhaps more now, I spent several weeks in Chicago at the Lakeshore Country Club studying with friend and chef Phil.  He taught me so much.  I really enjoyed that time, even though it was a tough several weeks.  A professional kitchen is an intense place.  Like many professional kitchens, everyone in the kitchen was male, and everyone except for the head chef was from Mexico.  The men in this kitchen were all from Michoacan.  After a busy day, some 11 hours on our feet, these men would cook for themselves.  I must admit that some of the best food I ate at this high class restaurant that regularly served shrimps the size of my hand and lobsters, was the food I ate with the chefs after work.  One day, Miguel, the sous chef, made this salsa, and it is one of my favorites.  It is nothing like the salsa we get here, unless of course you know the trick of asking your server for the 'hot' salsa, which most restaurants keep a secret.  I made this for my family over the holiday and everyone really loved it.  It is lovely with chips, as a salsa on simple chicken tacos, with fajitas.  The flavor is complex.  A bit smoky, but not too much.  The tomatillos are slightly sour and give the salsa a very round flavor.  Be prepared, this is some firey hot stuff.  Be sure to wash your hands well after handling the chiles.

Chile De Arbol Salsa
35 de arbol chiles
3 small onions (about 1 1/4 cup), roughly chopped)
6 garlic cloves
2 cups chicken stock
2 lbs. tomatillos, peeled and washed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
salt to taste

Directions
Put 1 t. oil in a large heavy bottomed pan (I use an enameled cast iron pot).  Add chiles, onions, and garlic.  Saute on medium heat until you begin to smell the chiles toasting, about 4 minutes.  Add chicken broth (or vegetable broth, but I promise, it won't taste the same.)  Add the tomatillos and let simmer for 45 minutes.  Transfer to a blender and carefully blend until smooth.  (When blending hot liquids, do not ever fill your blender more than half full, start on low, and have a kitchen cloth draped over the top of the blender with your hand holding down the lid.) You could alternatively use an immersion blender.   If you want the salsa to be more thick, put it back in the pot and cook to desired thickness.  Else, taste for salt.  Once the salsa is cooled, add the cilantro and enjoy.

Note:
This sauce is also excellent for huevos rancheros.  Put 1/2 cup of the salsa in the bottom of a frying pan.  Bring to a simmer.  Crack two eggs onto the salsa.  Cover and cook to desired doneness.  Serve on a fried corn tortilla (I love El Milagro, which are available in Illinois) with black beans and a bit of cotija cheese sprinkled on top.  Yum!