Pipian sauce, a traditional Mexican sauce, is a flavorful and versatile condiment that adds depth and richness to various dishes. Its distinctive taste comes from a combination of roasted and ground seeds, nuts, and spices, blended with a creamy broth or stock. Pipian sauce is commonly used in enchiladas, tamales, and stews, but it can also be served as a dip or marinade. With its complex and unique flavor profile, it's a beloved ingredient in many Mexican households and restaurants.
Here are our top 9 tried and tested recipes!
PIPIáN ROJO RECIPE
Looks like Mole, right? Well, is it a little similar, but it's actually a pipián rojo, a dish made with dried peppers and seeds. After all these years blogging, I don't know why, I didn't post this recipe before, a classic dish from my hometown... Surprise your family today!
Provided by Mely Martínez
Categories Main Course Pork
Time 45m
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Once the oil is hot, add the meat, and sear both sides, turning once when the meat gets a light golden color. This step will take about 5 minutes total. Add one cup of water to the saucepan and cover to simmer and cook until the meat is almost fork-tender.
- While the meat is cooking, let's prepare the sauce. Prepare a medium-size saucepan
- with 2 cups of water where you are going to be placing all the toasted ingredients. Toast the peppers over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds per side. Place in the saucepan.
- Lightly toast the seeds in a skillet or frying pan. We'll start with the larger seeds: first the peanuts, then the pumpkin seeds and finally the sesame seeds. Toasting the peanuts will take about 1-1/2 minutes, afterward remove and place in a bowl. Toast the pumpkin seeds, being careful not to burn them. Once they start to get a golden color, they will begin to jump; use a wooden spatula to stir. This step is a very quick one, and the same process applies to the sesame seeds that will be roasted in a matter of seconds. Place roasted seeds in the bowl with the water.
- Now, slightly roast cinnamon, cumin seeds, cloves and allspice berries. Place them in the bowl with water once toasted.
- Finally, roast the tomatoes, onion, and garlic, turning occasionally to obtain an even roasting. Place in the bowl with the water.
- Place the bowl's contents in the saucepan over a medium-high heat and cook for about 8 minutes; set aside to let the ingredients soften.
- Check the meat for doneness, and add more water if needed.
- Place all the sauce's ingredients in your blender pitcher and process until you have a smooth and robust sauce. Do not process it for a long period of time, just enough to blend the ingredients.
- Pour the sauce into a large skillet and turn up the heat to medium-high and slowly cook the sauce. Add the pieces of meat and stir occasionally. Keep cooking for about 10 minutes. The fats will float over the surface by now. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little chicken broth or water. Season with salt and pepper.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 4 oz, Calories 328 kcal, Carbohydrate 13 g, Protein 30 g, Fat 18 g, SaturatedFat 6 g, Cholesterol 71 mg, Sodium 502 mg, Fiber 5 g, Sugar 5 g
CHICKEN PEPIAN
Steps:
- Preheat the broiler. Remove papery outer layer from tomatillos then rinse them in warm water to remove some of their natural stickiness. Pat dry, then cut into quarters. Toss tomatillos and poblano with 2 teaspoons of the oil, place on a baking sheet and broil until charred, about 10 minutes.
- Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add pumpkin seeds, peppercorns, allspice, and cumin and toast until pumpkin seeds are fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- In same saute pan, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Place tomatillos, poblano, onions and garlic, cilantro, chicken broth, jalapeno, toasted seeds and spices and salt in a blender and blend on high until totally smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in skillet and cook the chicken until browned on both sides and nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Add pepian sauce to skillet, covering chicken pieces. Bring to a simmer and cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Serve chicken topped with sauce and garnished with cilantro and lime wedges.
- Excellent source of: Protein, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Iron, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium
- Good source of: Fiber, Vitamin A, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Copper, Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc
Nutrition Facts : Calories 440, Fat 23 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Cholesterol 95 milligrams, Sodium 400 milligrams, Carbohydrate 15 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 43 grams
PORK CHOPS IN PIPIAN
This is a recipe built on my memory of a dish I ate in a sticky-tabled Mexican restaurant in pregentrification Park Slope, Brooklyn: fried pork chops served over a thick, spicy sauce of seeds and nuts and chiles - what the cookbooks and histories of Mexican food call pipian, for the pepitas, or pumpkin seeds, used in its creation. It is hardly authentic, but it is simple to make and hugely delicious. Make sure to get a good hard sear on the pork chops before nestling them into the sauce, then serve with tortillas.
Provided by Sam Sifton
Categories main course
Time 1h
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Make the sauce: Remove the stems from the chiles de árbol, and gently roll the chiles between your fingers to remove the seeds. Discard seeds. Set a bare skillet over high heat for 5 minutes, then add the chiles. Toast until they are darkened and fragrant, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Place them in a bowl, cover with 2 cups boiling or very hot water, and set aside to soak.
- Return the skillet to high heat. Add the tomatoes, onion and garlic, and cook, turning occasionally, until charred, approximately 10 minutes. Put the vegetables on a plate, and set aside to cool, then slip the skins off the cloves of garlic.
- Return the skillet to medium-low heat. Place the pumpkin seeds, peanuts and sesame seeds in the skillet, and cook, stirring and shaking the pan continuously, until they are toasted and fragrant, approximately 2 to 4 minutes. Put the seeds and nuts in a bowl, and stir in the cinnamon, cloves and allspice.
- Put the chiles and soaking liquid in a blender with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, the nut-seed mixture and the chipotle. Purée until smooth.
- Add the oil, lard or chicken fat to a large, heavy-bottomed pot, and heat over medium heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the purée. It will sputter a lot. Lower the heat, and stir, cooking the mixture down to a thick paste. It will continue to sputter and pop. Add the broth to the paste, and stir, then season with the salt, sugar and vinegar, and cook for another 15 minutes or so, until it resembles a thick, creamy soup. Lower heat to a bare simmer.
- Make the pork chops: Season the pork chops aggressively with salt and pepper, and dust them with the flour. Add the oil to the skillet, and heat over medium-high heat until nearly smoking. Add the chops, and let them cook undisturbed, in batches if necessary, until crisp and well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Set them aside to rest for 5 minutes or so. Serve a chop per person on a generous amount of sauce, with tortillas to mop it up. Extra sauce can be used to braise chicken, lamb or more pork, or as a topping for enchiladas.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 795, UnsaturatedFat 37 grams, Carbohydrate 28 grams, Fat 53 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 56 grams, SaturatedFat 12 grams, Sodium 1161 milligrams, Sugar 11 grams, TransFat 0 grams
BEST PEANUT SAUCE
Easiest peanut sauce for Chinese style cooking
Provided by sal
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes
Time 5m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- In a small bowl, stir together peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, hot pepper sauce and garlic until well mixed. Gradually stir in water until texture is smooth and creamy.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 199.1 calories, Carbohydrate 8.2 g, Fat 16.3 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 8.6 g, SaturatedFat 3.4 g, Sodium 610.7 mg, Sugar 4.2 g
POLLO EN PIPIAN (CHICKEN IN PIPIAN SAUCE)
When I lived in Mexico this was one of my favorite dishes.
Provided by Malcolm Colcleugh
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican
Time 1h50m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- In a large saucepan, combine chicken, water, celery, bay leaf, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is cooked through and tender. Strain, reserving the broth. Skin and bone the chicken; set the meat aside.
- Toast the sesame seeds lightly in a skillet, stirring constantly, until they are fragrant. In a food processor or blender, puree the sesame seeds and almonds with1 cup of the reserved chicken broth.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Add the blended sesame seed and almond mixture, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in 1 to 2 cups reserved chicken broth and chicken bouillon. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped peppers, olives, capers, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes, and serve hot.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 522.5 calories, Carbohydrate 7.9 g, Cholesterol 127.7 mg, Fat 38.6 g, Fiber 3.3 g, Protein 36.3 g, SaturatedFat 8.9 g, Sodium 794.7 mg, Sugar 1.4 g
CHICKEN IN PIPIAN SAUCE (A TRADITIONAL MEXICAN RECIPE)
Pipián is an earthy, pureed seed sauce that is traditional in Mexican cooking. Often made using pumpkin or squash seeds this recipe uses a few different seeds but you can easily substitue any that you prefer. This recipe is a more modern version of this very typical and grand recipe! I would suggest serving this over or with rice.
Provided by sassafrasnanc
Categories < 60 Mins
Time 55m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Cook the chicken with the water, vegetables and seasonings in a large saucepan until tender.
- Strain, reserving the broth.
- Skin and bone the chicken, and set aside.
- To make the sauce, toast the sesame seeds lightly in a skillet, stirring constantly, until they are fragrant.
- Puree the sesame seeds with the almonds and 2 cups of the chicken broth.
- Heat oil or lard in a skillet, add the blended sesame-seed-almond mixture, and cook for 5 to 8 min., until thickened.
- Add 2 to 3 more cups of the broth and chicken bouillon and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Add the chiles, olives, capers and chicken.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, and serve hot.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 964.8, Fat 73.1, SaturatedFat 17.4, Cholesterol 243.9, Sodium 1639.5, Carbohydrate 12, Fiber 5.2, Sugar 2.4, Protein 65
GREEN PIPIAN
This classic Mexican pumpkin seed sauce, also known as green mole, is tangy, herbal and spicy all at the same time. Serve it with poached or pan-cooked chicken breasts, fish (it's very pretty with salmon), or shrimp. You can bathe grilled vegetables with it, or serve it with white beans and steamed or poached vegetables. Hulled untoasted pumpkin seeds are available in many whole foods stores and Mexican markets.
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Categories dips and spreads, one pot
Time 40m
Yield Makes about 1 3/4 cups
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Heat a heavy Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat and add the pumpkin seeds. Wait until you hear one pop, then stir constantly until they have puffed and popped, and smell toasty. They should not get any darker than golden or they will taste bitter. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
- Place the cooled pumpkin seeds in a blender and add the tomatillos, chiles, lettuce, onion, garlic, cilantro, and 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Cover the blender and blend the mixture until smooth, stopping the blender to stir if necessary.
- Heat the oil in the Dutch oven or heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in a bit of the pumpkin seed mixture and if it sizzles, add the rest. Cook, stirring, until the mixture darkens and thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. It will splutter, so be careful. Hold the lid of the pot above the pot to shield you and your stove from the splutters. Add the remaining chicken stock, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the sauce is thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt. For a silkier sauce, blend again in batches.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 176, UnsaturatedFat 10 grams, Carbohydrate 9 grams, Fat 13 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 8 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 416 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams, TransFat 0 grams
PIPIáN
Pumpkin seeds figure heavily in much Mexican cooking. You can buy them toasted, but toasting them is an easy enough task, and they're arguably better when toasted fresh-especially in lard or oil. (If you'd like to avoid the mess-or the lard-you can also toast the seeds on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven or in a dry skillet as you would sesame seeds, page 596.) Ancho chiles-dried poblanos-are mild and richly flavored. You can use them freely without worrying about overpowering heat. This sauce is best served over something simple, like grilled steak or chicken.
Yield makes about 2 cups
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- If the pumpkin seeds you have are already toasted, proceed to step 2. Otherwise, heat 3 tablespoons of the lard in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. A minute later, add the pumpkin seeds and cook, shaking and stirring the pan constantly for a minute or two, until the seeds start to puff. (Take care not to overcook the seeds, which will make the sauce bitter; and be prepared for flying seeds popping out of the pan.) Remove the toasted seeds with a slotted spoon and cool. (Discard any blackened seeds.) Meanwhile, warm the stock and soak the chiles in it. When they have softened, after 10 to 15 minutes, remove their stems and seeds; reserve the soaking liquid.
- Put the seeds in a food processor and process until pasty, stopping the machine and scraping down the sides if necessary. Add the garlic, chiles, and as much of the soaking liquid as you need to process until quite smooth.
- Turn the heat under the pan back to medium and add the remaining lard or oil. Reheat the sauce with enough liquid to thin to a pleasing consistency, stirring occasionally, until it just boils and thickens slightly. Remove from the heat. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed, then stir in the lime juice; serve hot or at room temperature. (This keeps well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days; bring back to room temperature or reheat before serving and always add the lime juice at the last minute.)
- In step 2, add 2 tomatoes (preferably peeled and seeded) and 2 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled, to the mix; you will need less of the reserved liquid.
- Omit the lard and toast the pumpkin seeds as you would sesame seeds (page 596). Omit the ancho chiles and puree the toasted seeds with chile powder to taste (about 1 tablespoon), at least 1/4 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade (page 160), or water, and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat and add the lime juice.
STRIPED BASS WITH PIPIAN SAUCE
From chef Robert Del Grande of Cafe Annie in Houston, this recipe for fish baked in corn husks is one of country singer Clay Walker's favorites. _Pipián_ is a classic Mayan sauce made from pumpkin seeds.
Provided by Robert del Grande
Yield Makes 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Combine poblano chile, pumpkin seeds, broth, cilantro, and hierba santa in blender; puree until smooth.
- DO AHEAD Can be made up to 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
- Soak corn husks in warm water until flexible, at least 1 hour. Drain; pat dry.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Working in batches, fry corn tortillas until light golden but still soft and pliable, about 30 seconds per side for each. Transfer to paper towels; cool.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in clean large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook spinach until just wilted. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Transfer spinach to sieve. Using back of spoon, press on spinach to remove excess liquid.
- Place tortillas on work surface. Divide spinach and cheese among tortillas. Roll up tortillas, enclosing filling.
- Place 2 corn husks in roasting pan, overlapping slightly to form base for fish. Arrange 2 filled tortillas lengthwise and seam side down on corn husks. Place 1 fish fillet over tortillas; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Overlap remaining corn husks in same pan, using 2 for each base; top with filled tortillas and fish; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place 1 tablespoon butter atop each fillet. Cover pan with foil and bake until fish is just cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, transfer sauce to small saucepan. Bring to near boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add cream; season to taste with salt and pepper. Adjust consistency, adding water by tablespoons to thin, if desired.
- Transfer 1 corn-husk base with fish and tortillas to each of 4 plates. Spoon warm sauce over fish. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
- *A fresh green chile, often called a pasilla, available at some supermarkets, Latin markets, and specialty foods stores.
- **An herb from Mexico available at Latin markets.
- ***Available at many supermarkets and at Latin markets.
Tips:
- To make the most flavorful pipian sauce, start with high-quality ingredients.
- Toast the seeds and nuts before grinding them to enhance their flavor.
- Use a variety of chiles to create a complex flavor profile.
- Don't be afraid to experiment with different spices and herbs to find your perfect combination.
- Serve pipian sauce with warm tortillas, rice, or beans.
Conclusion:
Pipian sauce is a delicious and versatile sauce that can be used in a variety of dishes. It's made with a combination of toasted seeds and nuts, chiles, spices, and herbs. The result is a rich, flavorful sauce that's perfect for adding a kick of flavor to your favorite Mexican dishes. So next time you're looking for a new and exciting sauce to try, give pipian sauce a try. You won't be disappointed.
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