membranes, and add them to the blender too. Finally, throw the
cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, and oregano into the same skillet in
which you toasted the garlic (no need to clean it). Cook quickly
until they’re fragrant—you don’t want the seeds or the oregano to
burn—and add them to the blender. Add a good splash of cider
vinegar, a big pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper and blend.
Taste! It should be very flavorful; if not, adjust with more salt and
vinegar.
Place the steaks in a resealable plastic bag, pour in the marinade,
and seal. Turn the bag a few times so the marinade distributes
evenly. Place on a platter and refrigerate until an hour or two
before you plan to cook them, then allow the steaks to come to
room temperature.
To make the sauce, once again soak the guajillos until they’re
soft, about 30 minutes. Also, toast the garlic as you did for the
marinade and, once toasted, discard the skins and set the garlic
aside. When the chilies are soft, remove the stems, seeds, and
membranes and add them to a blender with enough hot water to
make a thick puree. Strain the puree into a separate bowl.
In a large skillet (don’t use nonstick), heat a splash of oil on
medium heat and then add a ladleful of the guajillo puree. Toast it
until it begins to change color, then push it aside and add another
ladleful of puree to the hot oil, adding more oil as necessary. Keep
doing this until you’ve toasted the entire batch, being careful that
the already cooked puree doesn’t get too dark. When the whole
puree has been toasted, add enough chicken stock to thin