Mole Poblano

Serves 24

Ingredients

  • 2 oz (¼ cup) lard
  • 1 white onion, chopped & sauteéd until translucent
  • 4 cloves of garlic, roasted
  • 3 tomatoes, roasted & skins removed
  • 10 tomatillos, boiled 1 hour in salted water
  • 1½ ripe, peeled plantains, fried until golden-brown
  • ¾ cup raisins, lightly fried
  • 1 cup prunes, lightly fried
  • ¾ cup peanuts
  • ¾ cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • ¾ cup white sesame seeds, lightly toasted
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp star anise
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • salt for seasoning
  • 15 corn tortilla chips
  • 2 slices bread (white or wheat), toasted

Chiles

  • 30 chilies mulatos (dried)
  • 16 chiles anchos (dried)
  • 6 chiles pasillas (dried)
  • 2 chiles chipotles (dried)
  • 2-3 Mexican chocolate tablets (such as Abuelita)
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, roasted
  • ½ cup lard

Garnish

  • sesame seeds

How-to

Cook Spices

  1. Heat lard in large, deep saucepan over medium-high heat
  2. Add onions, garlic, tomatoes, tomatillos, ¾ cup sesame seeds, almonds, raisins, prunes, plantains, coriander, star anise, cinnamon sticks, saute 3-4 minutes
  3. Add bread, tortilla chips and 1 cup chicken stock. Season with salt
  4. Cook over low heat for 1 hour

Prepare Chiles

  1. In a dry pan over medium-high heat, warm chiles in batches, 2-3 minutes per batch
  2. While warm, tear chiles apart to remove the stems and seeds
  3. In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups of chicken broth to a boil. Remove from heat and submerge chiles to soak for 1 hour

Combine

  1. Add chiles with the chicken stock soaking liquid to the pan of cooked spices. Add chocolate tablets, brown sugar and remaining roasted garlic
  2. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and allow to cook 1 hour on low heat, stirring occasionally
  3. Heat ½ cup of lard over medium heat, and pour in blended mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally
  4. If freezing, cool before portioning small batches into air-tight containers
  5. Sauce pairs well with chicken, duck and turkey, as well as many other Mexican favorites. Garnish with sesame seeds