Octavio Orozco can be found each Thursday at the Westchase District Farmers Market
Meet the Orozco Family
For the Orozco family, Chilesquiles is a family business. Octavio Orozco and wife Romina wanted to make the special sauce for their favorite chilaquiles one weekend morning, only to discover they didn’t have any pre-made sauce in the freezer. A trip to the grocery store revealed that while a customer could buy any number of taco sauces, enchilada sauces and picante sauces, there was no “chilaquiles” sauce to be found.
(For the uninitiated, chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican dish featuring lightly fried corn tortillas cut into strips. The sauce is poured over the tortillas, garnished with onions, avocado slices, crema or crumbled queso fresco. The name “chilaquiles” derives from the Nahuatl word that means “chilis and greens.”)
“Chilaquiles sauce is different from any other sauce,” says Octavio. “When we couldn’t find it readily available in the store, we started making our own to share with others and the business was born.”
A quick edit of the word “chilaquiles” produced the family’s brand: Chilesquiles. “We tested the market, registered the name and we’ve been selling at farmers markets ever since,” said Octavio.
They family produces five different cooking sauces: the Signature Red and Homemade Chipotle are mild, the Roasted Green is medium, and the Grill Brava and Molcajete Salsa are considered hot.
“Our sauces are more than salsas to be eaten with chips,” said Octavio. “They’re excellent cooking sauces that can be used as marinades or toppings for food. You don’t have to be a chef to use our sauces. They’re great in guacamole, scrambled eggs, pasta or steamed rice.”
The Chilesquiles sample pack offers a taste of all the Orozco family’s sauces.
More adventurous chefs would be advised to check out the Chilesquiles website at chilesquiles.com for a variety of recipes. From their signature chilaquiles (variations on the traditional recipe feature black beans, chili and beef, pork leg, sausage or turkey), to shrimp quesadillas to Roasted Whitefish Medallions with Roasted Green Sauce and White Wine, the family’s shared recipes offer something for everyone around the dining room table.
Handcrafted, Made Fresh, Made Local
Octavio and Romina have five children. The eldest, 13-year old twins, help them at the weekend farmers markets and assist with the grocery shopping. The family makes the sauces in small batches every week at a commercial kitchen in Tomball. “The kids know the business,” says Octavio proudly.
Their sauces are available in 8 oz or 16 oz jars. The product is available exclusively at farmers markets, a few specialty stores and from their online store.
You could buy online, but it’s much more fun to come out to the Westchase District Farmers Market. Octavio rarely misses a Thursday and he’s happy to share his recipes, his cooking experiences and his entrepreneurial story.
