Chile Colorado

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons ground, dried Anaheim or New Mexico chile
2 cups water
2 cups tomato juice
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon salt

Warm oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until onion is limp. Mix in the flour, whisking out any lumps. Stir in the chile and then the water, a cup at a time. Add tomato juice, oregano and salt and bring the sauce just to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. The completed sauce should coat a spoon thinly and drop off it easily.

Serve warm with enchiladas, burros, chimichangas and other dishes. The sauce keeps under refrigeration for 5 to 6 days and freezes well.