Jonathan Perno's New Mexican Red Chile

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Remove stems and seed from chiles. Rinse the chiles and pat dry. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake the chiles until darkened in color, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and add warm water to cover by 1 inch. Place a plate on top to keep the chiles submerged. Let soak for 20 minutes.

Using tongs, transfer half the chiles and 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid to a blender. Process until smooth. Transfer the puree to a large pot. Process the remaining chiles with another 1/2 cup soaking liquid; transfer to the pot. Combine onion, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, salt, cocoa and another 1/2 cup soaking liquid in the blender; process until smooth. Add to the chile puree, along with bay leaf.

Bring the puree to a boil over medium-high heat. Adjust heat to maintain a lively simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until it forms a thick sauce, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.