Rustic Mexican Red Mole (Mole de Rancho)
Mise en Place / Ingredients[17]
- 3 lbs Bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, cooked
- 5 cups Warm chicken broth (reserved from simmering chicken)
- 5 whole Dried Ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded (El Guapo)
- 4 whole Dried Pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 3 whole Roma tomatoes, comal-roasted
- 3 whole Medium tomatillos, husked and roasted
- 0.5 whole Medium white onion, charred on comal
- 4 cloves Garlic cloves, roasted
- 0.25 cup Raw peanuts or blanched almonds
- 2 tbsp Dark raisins
- 0.5 cup White sesame seeds, toasted (divided for sauce and garnish)
- 1 disc (3 oz) Mexican table chocolate disc (Abuelita)
- 1 stick Mexican Ceylon cinnamon stick
- 3 whole Whole cloves
- 0.5 tsp Ground cumin
- 3 tbsp Rendered pork lard or neutral oil
- 1.5 tsp Kosher salt
🛒 US Supermarket Brand Guide
Cinnamon sugar blend essential for balance. • 📍 Hispanic section.
Cooking Sequence & Checkpoints
Toast 5 ancho and 4 pasilla chiles for 30 seconds per side on a hot comal without scorching, then soak in 2 cups of the warm chicken broth. On the same comal, char 3 Roma tomatoes, 3 tomatillos, 0.5 white onion, and 4 garlic cloves.
✓ Checkpoint: Plump rehydrated chiles and blistered tomatoes.
Toast 0.5 cup sesame seeds (reserving 2 tbsp for garnish), 0.25 cup peanuts/almonds, 2 tbsp raisins, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 whole cloves, and 0.5 tsp cumin until golden and fragrant.
✓ Checkpoint: Nutty fragrance.
Blend the rehydrated chiles, roasted tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, garlic, toasted seeds/nuts/spices, and remaining 3 cups chicken broth until velvety smooth. Fry the strained mole in 3 tbsp hot pork lard in a heavy clay cazuela or Dutch oven for 15 minutes.
✓ Checkpoint: Thick simmering dark mahogany mole paste.
Stir in 1 disc Mexican chocolate and 1.5 tsp kosher salt until melted, add the 3 lbs cooked chicken pieces, and simmer 20 minutes until chicken reaches ≥165°F–185°F (74°C–85°C). Garnish with reserved toasted sesame seeds.
✓ Checkpoint: Velvety glossy mole with sesame seeds.
🔬 Why It Works:
Gentle Toasting: Lightly heating chiles on cast iron activates essential aromatic oils.
⚠️ Troubleshooting:
Bitter taste: Add 1/2 disc extra chocolate and brown sugar.