When selecting dried chiles, they should be slightly soft and pliable. Chiles that are hard and brittle may be old and may not render as much flavor.
Using scissors, snip the tops of the chiles off and shake out the seeds.
Rinse the trimmed and seeded chiles in cool water and place in a large pot. Cover with 1-2 quarts of water. Add garlic cloves, quartered onion and bay leaves to the pot.
Bring chiles and aromatics to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chiles are soft and plump. About 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Remove the bay leaves and discard.
If using a large blender such as a Vitamix, place the chiles and aromatics in the blender along with the cumin, salt and oregano. Taste the liquid from the pot. If it does not taste bitter add 2 cups of this liquid to the blender. If it does taste bitter, use two cups of plain water. Blend until completely smooth. Add more liquid if mixture appears to be too thick.
If using a smaller blender, blend in two batches. Place 1/2 of the chiles and aromatics in the blender along with 1 cup of the liquid from the pot or water. Add 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano and blend until completely smooth. Add more liquid if mixture appears to be too thick.
If the chile sauce appears grainy, strain the mixture. Some blenders are able to mix until smooth, others may not be able to blend the chile skins enough to process until smooth.
Pour mixture into quart-sized containers. Leave a minimum of a 1/4 inch from the top of the container to allow for expansion. Freeze for future use. May be kept in the freezer for up to 3-months.
Scroll down for instruction on turning this Red Chile Sauce into Enchilada Sauce.