Chile Colorado

Instructions

1. Prepare the chiles
   Toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, turning occasionally. Be careful not to burn them. Place toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with 2 cups of hot beef broth. Let them soak for 30 minutes until soft and pliable.
2. Make the chile sauce
   Transfer the soaked chiles and their soaking liquid to a blender. Add the minced garlic, ground cumin, oregano, and cinnamon. Blend until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any remaining skin or seeds, pressing with a spoon to extract all the liquid. Set aside.
3. Brown the beef
   Season the beef cubes generously with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, brown the beef on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Transfer browned beef to a plate.
4. Sauté the aromatics
   In the same pot, add the chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste.
5. Combine and simmer
   Return the browned beef to the pot. Add the chile sauce, remaining 2 cups of beef broth, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is very tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
6. Adjust seasoning
   Remove the bay leaves. Taste the Chile Colorado and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more beef broth. If it's too thin, simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes to reduce.