Wanted: taco sauce recipe

Hey Potawie are you talking about traditional American, or Mexican taco sauce? What I mean is do you want that tomato based sweet (but not too sweet) pungent taco spice flavor sauce? (American)

I'm up for any suggestions, but I guess I was thinking about a tomato based Amereican style. What chiles, spices, and herbs give it that great pungent taco spice flavor?

Ah yes. Experiment with the following:

Tomatoes (or paste)
White vinegar
chili powder (any ground chili you prefer)
Onions (or powder)
Garlic (or powder)
Ground cumin
Sugar
Salt
Fresh cracked black pepper

Things you can add to make it a bit more unique but keep the taco sauce flavor:
Fresh chilies
Lime juice

Here's a recipe I was going to try but with fresh toms and chiles. let me know what you think.

Taco Sauce

2 (28 ounce) cans canned whole tomatoes
1 small onion
1 small green bell pepper
3 teaspoons chopped jalapeno peppers
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Using a food processor, chop tomatoes, onions and peppers to a coarse consistency. Simmer them with the jalapenos, chiles and lemon juice for about one hour.

Add remaining ingredients, allowing dry ingredients to rest on top of the liquid about 15 minutes before stirring in. Simmer about 45 minutes after stirring.

Put a small amount in a dish to cool for tasting. Adjust hotness by adding cayenne.

For a thinner sauce add a little water while cooking. Refrigerate sauce until ready to use.

Makes about 3 1/2 pints.

Looks intersting Jimmy but not really what I had in mind. I want a sauce that I can eventually preserve, so the meat and beans would likely not work for this.

Potawie, that one doesn't have vinegar, you need that for the tanginess, and a little sugar to sweeten it a touch. You also wanted to preserve, so you need the vinegar for that aspect as well. Other than that, go for it.

This is a Taco sauce that I got off of my Mastercook program. I have only used it once but it was pretty good and it kept well.

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 large onions -- diced
10 medium tomatoes, peeled -- (5 pounds)
Or two 28-oz cans whole tomatoes
5 cloves garlic -- minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon leaf oregano
1 teaspoon leaf thyme
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 habanero peppers -- optional
Or 2-3 jalapeno peppers -- optional
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon wine vinegar

Place all ingredients except flour, oil, and vinegar in crock pot and stir
well.

Cover and cook on Low setting for 8 to 10 hours.

Remove cover and turn to High setting for one hour to reduce excess moisture.
Stir in flour, oil and vinegar. Allow to cool.
Force through a sieve or place in blender and puree until smooth. Note
that a sieve will remove bitter skins and seeds, and is therefore a better,
if slightly more tedious choice.

Makes about 8 cups (64 2-tablespoon servings).

It seems I completely misunderstood your question Potawie, my apologies. Post deleted.

I know this isn't a sauce but something VERY easy to make that maybe you could incorporate or elaborate on is something my friend and I like to make. We call it "plate dip". All you need is to take one of the smaller sizes of sour cream and a packet of powdered taco seasoning and mix it together. The add cooked hamburger spread all spread out on a plate. Take the sour cream you mixed up and spread it ontop of the hamburger then take some shreded cheese and put that on top of the sour cream layer and PRESTO.
Now that I am growing peppers along with other things I have thought about expanding on this. But since you were looking for a "sauce" I thought I would just mention the sour cream and powdered taco seasoning mixture. Then just add some peppers or whatever and make a dip or spread out of it. Could use it in a taco, or even use it on the outside of a hard shell and then use it as a "glue" and stick a soft shell to it.

I know its not a sauce but maybe it will appeal to you anyway for something