Start by warming a dry skillet over medium heat and toasting your dried chiles for 2–3 minutes, stirring often. Once they’re smelling bold and smoky, transfer them to a small saucepan along with the chopped onion and garlic cloves. Add enough water to fully cover everything, then bring it to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for about 10 minutes, or until the chiles are nice and soft.

Use a slotted spoon to scoop the softened chiles, onion, and garlic into a blender. Add 1 cup of the soaking liquid, plus the cumin, coriander, oregano, water and bouillon. Blend it all on high until the sauce is super smooth and velvety. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Next, cut your beef into roughly 2-inch cubes and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss the beef with a bit of flour until evenly coated. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil, and brown the beef in batches so it gets a good sear—don’t crowd the pan! Once all the beef is browned, pour off any excess oil.

Add all the browned beef back into the pot and pour in just enough of your chile sauce to cover it (you can freeze any extra for later). Toss in a couple of bay leaves, pop the lid on, and let it simmer low and slow for about 2 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and totally irresistible.

Skim any oil off the top before serving. Serve with warm tortillas, rice (like Royal® Basmati!), and all your favorite toppings.

Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer under cool water until it runs mostly clear—this helps keep it from getting sticky. Let it drain for about 5 minutes.

In a pot, Dutch oven, or braiser, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the drained rice, cumin, chili powder, garlic, and oregano. Toast everything together for a couple of minutes, stirring often, until the rice smells nutty and the spices are fragrant.

Pour in the water, add the bouillon, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, bay leaf, and a good pinch of salt. Stir well to dissolve the bouillon and bring it all to a boil. Once it starts bubbling, cover the pot, turn the heat way down to low, and let it gently simmer 12-15 minutes or until water is evaporated and rice is tender. I usually let it rest for a couple minutes before using.

That’s it—perfect Spanish rice, ready for bowls, burritos, or just straight out of the pot.