# World Sauces — Mexican Sauces

> Brad's reference for Mexican sauces — salsa roja, salsa verde, mole poblano, mole negro, pico de gallo, adobo, pipián verde, and more.

### Salsa Roja
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 2:1 tomato:onion + garlic, jalapeño
- **Instructions:** Dry roast tomatoes, chiles, onion & garlic; blend with cilantro & salt.
- **Typical Uses:** Tacos, huevos rancheros, tortilla chips, grilled meats.

### Salsa Verde
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 6:1 tomatillo:onion + jalapeño, cilantro, lime
- **Instructions:** Boil or roast tomatillos & chiles; blend with onion, cilantro, lime juice & salt.
- **Typical Uses:** Enchiladas verdes, tacos, burritos, huevos rancheros.

### Pico de Gallo
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 1:1 tomato:onion + jalapeño, cilantro, lime
- **Instructions:** Chop tomato, onion, jalapeño, cilantro; mix with lime juice & salt (raw).
- **Typical Uses:** Dip for tortilla chips; topping for tacos & huevos rancheros.

### Salsa Ranchera
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 16:8:1:8 tomato:jalapeño:onion:garlic
- **Instructions:** Char tomatoes, jalapeños, onion & garlic; blend with water & salt.
- **Typical Uses:** Chips; sauce for tacos, fajitas, huevos rancheros.

### Salsa de Aguacate
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 1:0.25:1 avocado:water:lime + cilantro, garlic
- **Instructions:** Blend avocado with water, lime, cilantro, garlic & salt until smooth.
- **Typical Uses:** Drizzle on tacos (birria, carne asada), grilled meats; dip.

### Salsa Macha
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 8:2:1 dried chiles:peanuts:oil + sesame, garlic, vinegar
- **Instructions:** Fry peanuts, sesame, garlic; briefly fry chopped chiles; pulse with vinegar, leave chunky.
- **Typical Uses:** Spicy drizzle on tacos, quesadillas, meats, eggs.

### Adobo Sauce
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 13:0.5 mixed dried chiles:vinegar + garlic, cumin, oregano
- **Instructions:** Soak chiles; blend with spices & water; add vinegar for smooth paste.
- **Typical Uses:** Base for marinades & stews (birria, chorizo, adobo chicken).

### Mole Poblano
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 6:6:5 ancho:mulato:pasilla + onion, garlic, tomato, seeds, nuts, chocolate
- **Instructions:** Blend soaked chiles with roasted veg; add spices, seeds, nuts; simmer with stock, finish with chocolate.
- **Typical Uses:** Over chicken/turkey; enchiladas (enmoladas).

### Mole Negro
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 2:2:1:1 dried Oaxacan chiles:pecans:peanuts:sesame
- **Instructions:** Toast/fry chiles & seeds; grind with nuts & spices; simmer with stock; add Mexican chocolate.
- **Typical Uses:** Serve over turkey, chicken, pork or game; garnish sesame.

### Pipian Verde
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 8:4:7 pepitas:tomatillos:green chiles + onion, garlic, herbs
- **Instructions:** Char onion, garlic, chiles; blend with roasted pepitas, herbs, tomatillos & broth; simmer with lard.
- **Typical Uses:** Sauce for chicken, rabbit, fish.

### Mole Coloradito
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 4:2 dried chiles:tomatoes + sesame, almonds, raisins
- **Instructions:** Blend soaked chiles with sautéed veg; add tomatoes, spices, raisins, almonds; fry in lard, simmer; add chocolate.
- **Typical Uses:** Oaxacan enchiladas, over chicken/turkey, eggs (chilaquiles).

### Recado Rojo (Achiote Paste)
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 2:8 achiote seeds:garlic + sour orange/vinegar, spices
- **Instructions:** Grind annatto seeds & spices; blend with garlic & sour orange/vinegar into smooth paste.
- **Typical Uses:** Rub/marinade for cochinita pibil, chicken, fish.

### Mole Amarillo
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 3:16 dried chiles:tomato sauce + tomatillo, spices
- **Instructions:** Blend rehydrated chiles with charred veg & spices; cook with lard & broth; whisk masa if thicker texture desired.
- **Typical Uses:** Accompanies chicken or seafood; served with vegetables or in squash.

### Mole Almendrado
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 4:3 dried chiles:tomatoes + almonds, bread
- **Instructions:** Toast almonds; toast chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, bread; blend; simmer with broth, cinnamon, cumin.
- **Typical Uses:** Rich sauce over grilled chicken/turkey, pork, vegetables.

### Chile de Árbol Salsa
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 8:2 dried árbol chiles:tomatoes + garlic
- **Instructions:** Soak chiles; blend with tomatoes, garlic, water, salt until smooth.
- **Typical Uses:** Extra-hot salsa for chicken & breakfast tacos, soups, stews.

## Details

- **Category:** Cooking
- **Tags:** cooking, mexican, sauces, salsa, mole, pico-de-gallo, adobo, pipian, recado-rojo, chile-de-arbol, tomatillo

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