Rinse the dried chiles and pop the stems off. Shake out the seeds. Tear into chunks and add with chicken broth to a small pot. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer.

Meanwhile, toss the beef cubes with the masa, salt and pepper.

Heat the fat in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef and brown for about a minute. Stir and brown again on the other side.

When the peppers have simmered for about 5 minutes, pull them out and put into a blender with the garlic. Add 1 cup of water and blend until smooth or fairly smooth. Strain the remaining cooking liquid (the chicken broth) and add that to the blender.

Add the chile sauce and bay leaf to the meat and stir to deglaze the pan.

Cover and simmer about 45 minutes or 1 hour until tender, stirring every 15 minutes or so. If it begins to look dry, add a little water. Once meat is tender and sauce is thick, it’s ready!

Serve with tortillas and beans, or as a stew