Favorite Enchilada Sauce Recipe

When I was a kid growing up in the 50’s my folks had a rustic glazed terracotta casserole dish they bought in Mexico. Once or twice a month my dad would take the dish down to a little Mexican takeout place called Johnson’s Enchiladas and would have it filled with Johnson’s beef enchiladas. The enchiladas had a simple ground beef filling and, maybe it’s just my childhood memory, the best enchilada sauce I can remember having. This very easy sauce is the closest I have ever come to the flavor of Johnson’s sauce. The flavor can vary, as can the sauce’s spicy heat, depending on the types of ground chili pepper you use. It is very important to use pure ground chilies, not a commercial chili powder that has other spices mixed in.