Here is Chili Gravy from the Tex Mex Cookbook - by Robb Walsh (REC inside)
I haven't tried this mistral, but so far everything I have tried in this book has been wonderful.
Per his text the lifeblood of old-fashioned Tex-Mex, chili gravy is a cross between Anglo brown gravy and Mexican chile sauce. It was invented in Anglo-owned Mexican restaurants like The Original Mexican Restaurant in Fort Worth.
Chili Gravy:
1/4 c lard or vegetable oil
1/4 c flour
1/2 t ground black pepper
1 1/2 t powdered garlic
2 t ground cumin
1/2 t Mexican oregano
2 T chili powder, Gebhardt's or make your own *
2 cups chicken broth
Makes 2 cups. Heat the lard in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and continue stirring for 3-4 minutes, until it makes a light brown roux. Add all the dry ingredients and continue to cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring and blending the ingredients. Add the chicken broth, mixing and stirring until the sauce thickens. Turn heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 15 minutes. Add water to adjust thickness.
Homemade Chili Powder
The restaurant used to use only Gebhardt's Chili Powder but now they grind their own:
Make 1/4 cup
5 whole ancho chile pods (approx 2 oz), stemmed and seeded
1 t dried Mexican oregano
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t ground cumin
Spread the chile pods out flat and toast in a comal or cast iron skillet over medium heat until they become aromatic, then remove and cool. Cut the chiles into small strips with scissors. In a spice grinder, grind the strips in several batches until powdered. Combine the powdered chile, oregano, garlic powder and cumin and grind this powder in batches for an additional 2 minutes until you have a smooth powder. Store in a jar until ready to use.
