Directions:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Bring a pot of water to boiling and then turn off heat.

Wash chiles, remove seeds and stems and rinse inside. Place chiles on baking sheet in oven for about 5 minutes, until chiles have softened to the touch (turning frequently to avoid burning).

Remove chiles and place in pot of warm water. Soak for 30 to 40 minutes until chiles are very soft. Discard any portion of chiles that is not red in color.

Drain chiles and place in blender with a portion of warm chicken broth, salt and garlic. Blend at least five minutes to achieve a very smooth texture.

Meanwhile, season meat well with salt and pepper and add a tablespoon of flour. Heat the oil in a large and deep saute pan or Dutch oven. Saute meat until brown but not fully cooked. Add remaining broth to pan and scrape bottom of pan to release browned bits.

Add smooth chile mixture to the meat. Add additional broth or water to achieve thickness of sauce you desire.

Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt. If chile flavor is too spicy for your taste, add a teaspoon of honey to slightly reduce the heat.

For vegetarian chile option, eliminate meat. Prepare a roux with flour and olive oil; add chile sauce to the roux, and substitute vegetable broth.