I love mole. I know that it traditionally can take days and dozens of ingredients to make, but years of watching timed cooking competitions have taught me that there are ways to cheat. It won’t be like your Mexican grandmother made it, but it can still be a sauce so good it has you licking the plate. Besides, my grandmother was from Virginia and she only made me pound cake and microwaved rice, so I don’t know what I’m missing anyway.
Because this recipe is something of a fake itself, feel free to omit or swap ingredients. Austin had already cooked a pork shoulder in the Dutch oven, so I used that fat instead oil. I also know dried chilies especially can be a pain to find if you’re not near the right grocery store, but there are many ways to approximate the flavor. And for the dried fruit, I‘d normally suggest prunes, but all I had were craisins and it turned out delicious. So no judgement. Just mole.
The Recipe
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp oil (or pan drippings)
2 garlic cloves, whole
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
4 dried chipotles, softened in hot water, seeds removed
1 shallot or small onion
1/4 cup dried fruit
1 tbsp tahini
1 tsp nut butter
1 blackened tortilla (taco size)
10g 80% dark chocolate
Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large pot.
Add the tomato paste and cook until it starts to darken. Then add the whole garlic cloves, shallot, water, spices, softened chiles, and dried fruit. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, char a tortilla by heating on high heat it in a dry pan, turning occasionally until both sides have significant dark spots.
Turn off the heat and add the chocolate, nut butter, and tahini until combined.
Add the sauce to blender with the charred tortilla and blend until smooth. If the sauce is looking too thick, add water until it reaches the desired consistency.
Notes & Substitutions
Dried chiles are a little smokier and a little fruity, and that can be approximated with red pepper flake and a few drops of liquid smoke. But in a pinch, you can just use red pepper flake. It’ll still be delicious.
Add your favorite dried fruit. I think dark fruit works best, but the point is to add sweetness, so just use what you’ve got.
If you don’t have tahini, you can sub it for actual sesame seeds or more nut butter. The only caveat is that many nut butters are sweetened, and you may need to balance this out with salt if yours is. Taste it and see.
You can swap the tortilla for bread I’ve done it before, and it works great. Just make sure to get a little char!
We ate it over a plate of loaded fries—mole, pork shoulder, queso fresco, tomatoes, and cilantro. So good. So rich! And there was plenty leftover for lunch tacos this week, and a bag for the freezer. Love having freezer sauces. Future Danielle will thank me.
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