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    Home » Mexican Cooking 101

    So Many Ranchera Sauce Recipes -- Where's Your Sweet Spot?

    March 29, 2016 By Patrick 7 Comments

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    You know that telephone game where you whisper a message to the first person and then go around the ring to see how close the final message is to the original?

    Well, Ranchera Sauce has been around the telephone ring a few times and it's taken on all sorts of idiosyncrasies from the players.

    Taking a look at the essential traits of an authentic Ranchera Sauce will give you flexibility next time you see a dish call for it, so here are the most common iterations to have in your arsenal.

    Everyone has their own sweet spot when it comes to Ranchera Sauce, what's yours? These three variations are the ones you'll find most often on dining tables around Mexico. mexicanplease.com

    Ranchera Sauce key ingredients

    Although nobody knows exactly where it comes from, we do know what it comes from:

    Everyone has their own sweet spot when it comes to Ranchera Sauce, what's yours? These three variations are the ones you'll find most often on dining tables around Mexico. mexicanplease.com

    Tomatoes, onions and chili peppers will always be the starting point for a go-to Ranchera Sauce.  After that, it can head in a number of directions.

    If you combine the above ingredients in raw form you'll end up with the starting point for Pico de Gallo.  But once you start cooking the ingredients then you are entering the Ranchera Sauce realm.

    So, for example, putting these tomatoes in the oven for 15-20 minutes will sweeten them up and reduce the acidity.

    Ranchera Sauce Recipe and Ingredients mexicanplease.com

    Blend the roasted tomatoes with the onion, garlic, and jalapeno (or serrano) and you've got a Tomato-Jalapeno Salsa that is on the fringe of the Ranchera estate.

    The next iteration would be to saute the onion first in a dollop of oil (or even better, lard).

    Ranchera Sauce Recipe and Ingredients mexicanplease.com

    Then add the blended tomato, jalapeno, and garlic.

    Everyone has their own sweet spot when it comes to Ranchera Sauce, what's yours? These three variations are the ones you'll find most often on dining tables around Mexico. mexicanplease.comCooking the ingredients this way will reduce the sharpness of the raw ingredients and bring everything to a more uniform temp and flavor profile.

    This cooked salsa method is probably the most common incarnation of Ranchera Sauce north of the border.

    Everyone has their own sweet spot when it comes to Ranchera Sauce, what's yours? These three variations are the ones you'll find most often on dining tables around Mexico. mexicanplease.com

    A further variation of this reduces the emphasis of the tomatoes by adding additional chilis and/or thinning it out with some stock.

    Poblano peppers are the most common addition.   You can start by roasting the tomatoes and poblano.

    Ranchera Sauce Recipe and Ingredients mexicanplease.com

    These are then blended with the onion and garlic (and sometimes a jalapeno).

    Ranchera Sauce Recipe and Ingredients mexicanplease.com

    And sauteed in a dollop of oil (or lard).

    This is thinned even further by adding a cup of stock.

    Ranchera Sauce Recipe and Ingredients mexicanplease.com

    Let this simmer for 20-30 minutes, salt to taste, and the result is a mild but surprisingly flavorful Ranchera Sauce that you'll see frequently in dishes like Huevos Rancheros.

    Thinning out the sauce with stock reduces the dominance of the tomatoes and results in a quieter sauce that is less like traditional salsas.   These versions are probably more common south of the border than on the other side.

    Everyone has their own sweet spot when it comes to Ranchera Sauce, what's yours? These three variations are the ones you'll find most often on dining tables around Mexico. mexicanplease.com

    So next time someone whispers Ranchera Sauce in your ear, know that you've got lots of good options to choose from.

    You can think of it on a spectrum, with a sharp Tomato-Jalapeno Salsa using roasted tomatoes on one end, and a milder, thinned out version on the other end.

    Finding your sweet spot on the spectrum is the fun part.

    Buen Provecho.

    Our Mexican Cooking Survival Guide is only for people who are tired of greasy taco joints. All others please carry on as if you did not read this.

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Glen

      September 01, 2022 at 7:48 pm

      Good evening Patrick this is Glen again, I ran across a recipe called steak ranchero, and since I come to your website I ran across ranchero salsa, is this the same thing you put on the meat to make steak rancheros.TU 😋👑🇺🇸

      Reply
      • Patrick

        September 02, 2022 at 4:12 pm

        Hey Glen! Hmmm tough one as there is a wide range of steak ranchero out there so it kinda depends how they make it. In general though, you can pair a tomato-jalapeno mixture like ranchera sauce with steak and you'll be on the right track. You'll also frequently see the beef cooked in a chunky, unblended tomato-jalapeno mixture instead of a blended version. Maybe I will try to get up a more specific recipe for this at some point. Cheers.

        Reply
    2. Rosanne

      May 27, 2021 at 5:35 am

      I just stumbled on your site and it’s awesome! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Patrick

        May 28, 2021 at 2:16 pm

        Thanks Rosanne, I hope you find lots of keepers! Cheers.

        Reply
    3. Caroline @ Pinch Me, I'm Eating!

      April 10, 2016 at 11:54 am

      I'm not a huge fan of pico de gallo but maybe I'd like it better cooked a bit! It does look tantalizing. What else would you put it on? I bet it would be great on chicken.

      Reply
    4. Jeff @ Make It Like a Man!

      March 29, 2016 at 6:24 pm

      Very interesting! Thanks.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        April 06, 2016 at 4:11 pm

        Cheers Jeff 🙂

        Reply

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    Hey, I'm Patrick! I spent 2 years living in Cozumel and got obsessed with Mexican food. I built this site to share all the recipes and techniques I've learned along the way. Read More…

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