Mole Rojo Recipes

AUTHENTIC MOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• 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 dinner roll pieces and 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 toasted bread 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.

A SIMPLE MOLE ROJO RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Heat the lard in a large skillet over medium-low to medium heat.
• Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions become translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. When the onion softens enough to drape over your spatula, set the skillet aside. Reserve.
• In a high-speed blender, puree the roasted tomatoes with the peanuts or peanut butter.
• Add the Mexican oregano, cinnamon, anise seeds, peppercorns, thyme, clove, and cocoa powder and blend at high speed to make a smooth paste.
• Add the reserved sautéed onions to the blender and puree again until the mixture becomes very smooth.
• Add the raisins and soaked chiles and blend into a smooth paste.
• Pour 4 cups of chicken broth in a medium pot, and reserve 1/4 for later use.
• Whisk the masa with the reserved 1/4 cup of chicken broth to create a roux.
• Stir the roux into the pot and whisk until smooth.
• Add the pureed ingredients to the pan. Cover and simmer for 1 hour until the mole turns thick and aromatic.
• Uncover, taste, and add salt, if needed.
• Use your homemade mole as a sauce over your preferred dishes. Enjoy!

MOLE ROJO (RED MOLE SAUCE) FOR TURKEY OR CHICKEN

Steps:

• Start raisins soaking in warm water (20 minutes). Prepare the chiles: remove stems and seeds. On an ungreased cast-iron frypan (or in a 250 degree oven) dry roast them 5 minute, shake a cuple times, don't blacken them. Add water to a covered pan and simmer the roasted chiles very low for 30 minutes. Strain, cool.
• Husk tomatillos, wash tomatoes. Blacken in dry skillet or under broiler (or in gas flame on a fork) about 5 minutes. Dry-roast sesame in frypan 5 minutes until they finish popping, don't burn them. Saute almonds in the oil over medium heat until browned. Drain almonds, reserve oil.
• Puree the prepared tomatoes, tomatillos, sesame seeds, crumbled tortillas, and alonds in a blender to a fine paste. Add chiles, soaked raisins, roast garlic (peeled), stock, spices, puree all together fine. Melt chocolate in a little hot water, add to blender paste. Check the volume. Add enough water to bring it all to 5 cups during the blending process.
• Put all the oil in a high-sided pan and heat almost smoking hot. Refry the sauce over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Don't let it get too thick, add more water or stock if necessary. Strain sauce through a seive. Serve warm, not hot, over chicken or (especially) turkey.