Mexico | Mole Negro

Cooking authentic Mexican mole negro is what inspired this project after I watched Mexican chef Enrique Olvera talk about the meal's importance to Mexican culture. He says, "Mole is composed of several ingredients from all over the world, but when used together, it makes sense. It embodies Mexican culture in every way." The origin of the sauce is not entirely confirmed and because of that, a rivalry among regions in Mexico formed. The regions Puebla, Oaxaca, and Tlaxcala claim to be the first, but the states with the best known moles are Puebla and Oaxaca. Mole is a sauce that is made up primarily of ancho, chipotle, and guajillo peppers, an assortment of spices, and dark chocolate. Families and friends will cook this sacred dish for any and every special occasion.

There are many different styles of mole; the most common in American kitchens being the "Negro" style followed by mole Rojo, Coloradito ( translates to “a shade of red”), Amarillo, Verde, Chichilo, and Manchamantel. More information on these types of mole can be found here: http://www.foodrepublic.com/2012/08/15/the-7-moles-of-oaxaca/

I personally fell in love with this sauce. You can truly taste each individual ingredient and see that it works together in a way not many foods do. It is an acquired taste, and a taste not many outside of Mexico can probably say they have experienced, but when you do, it becomes a household staple.  

Ingredients Needed:

2 cups chicken broth

2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded

2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded

3 dried chipotle chiles, stemmed and seeded

2 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips

2 tomatoes, cut in half crosswise

5 tomatillos, cut in half crosswise

1 tablespoon lard

1 onion, halved and thinly sliced

1/2 head garlic, peeled and sliced

1/3 cup chopped peanuts

1/4 cup raisins

2 tablespoons cumin seeds

1 tablespoon dried thyme

3 cinnamon sticks

5 whole cloves

6 whole allspice berries

5 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Prep         Cook        Ready In
20 m         30 m             1 h

Toast guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, and chipotle chiles in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until warm and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the blender with chicken broth. 

Heat 2 cups chicken broth in a saucepan until it begins to simmer, about 5 minutes. Pour broth into a blender. 

Toast tortilla strips in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the blender with chicken broth and chiles 

Allow the chiles and tortillas to soak, fully submerged, in the chicken broth until softened, about 10 minutes. Blend the mixture until smooth. 

Cook tomatoes and tomatillos in a dry skillet on medium-high heat until soft and blackened, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place tomatoes in the blender with the chile puree.  

Melt lard in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, peanuts, raisins, cumin seeds, thyme, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice berries; cook and stir until onions are soft and golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and other whole spices; add onion mixture to the blender with the chile-tomato mixture and blend until smooth. 

Pour chile puree into a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in chocolate chicken broth, sugar, and salt. Bring mixture to a simmer; stir until chocolate is melted and sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, 10 to 15 minutes.