Tex Mex Mole Recipes

Steps:

• Clean the chicken pieces and place them in a stockpot with boiling water, onion, garlic, and salt, reduce the heat and poach the chicken until tender about 30 minutes. Remove chicken and reserve broth.
• Heat 2 pots of water to boiling. Add salt. Add chayote to 1 pot and green beans to the other. Cook each to al dente. Drain. Slice chayote and set both aside.
• For the Mole: Clean the anchos and guajillos with a damp cloth, cut them open, remove the seeds and stems, and spread them flat. Roast them on a hot comal or thin skillet. Remove from the skillet and place in a bowl of hot water and soak for 20 minutes.
• On the same comal or skillet dry-roast the tomatillos, tomato, onion, and unpeeled garlic, remove the garlic when black spots appear and peel it, and leave the vegetables until blistered and soft.
• In a small skillet, lightly roast the black peppercorns, cloves, and cumin until the aroma is released.
• Transfer the reconstituted chiles to the blender with enough water to process. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in large pan and pour the chile mixture through a sieve into the hot pan, it is important that all the pieces of chile skin are blended or removed so the sauce will be smooth. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 8 minutes.
• While frying the chile mixture, blend all the roasted vegetables and roasted spices with enough water to puree. Add this mixture to the frying chile paste, let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until it is reduced. Add reserved chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Dilute masa harina in 1 cup water and add to mixture. Let it cook 10 minutes, check for salt. Add the cooked chicken, peeled and sliced chayote and green beans and cook until heated through. Add hoja santa or cilantro.
• For the rajas de chile: Make a small slit in each of the chiles, fry them in hot oil, until all sides are blistered. Remove from oil. Let them cool down and remove the skin, discard it along with seed and stems, tear in pieces, and place the strips in a serving bowl, quarter the pearl onions, and add to the chiles along with lime juice, oregano, and salt.
• Serve with white rice and hot tortillas along with the rajas de chile.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the stems, seeds and veins from the ancho and guajillo chiles. In a pan over medium-high heat, add 3 tablespoons of the oil and sauté the chiles for about 20 seconds on both sides. Transfer them to a pot with 3 quarts of very hot water. Sauté the tomatoes, tomatillo and garlic in the same pan until lightly roasted and fragrant, about 1 minute for the garlic and 2 to 3 minutes for the tomatoes and tomatillo; add them to the water with the chiles. Allow them to steep while you prepare the other ingredients, at least 30 minutes.
• Roast the pecans on a baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Allow them to cool, then process to a fine consistency in a food processor; set aside.
• Toast the bolillo in the oven directly on the rack until toasted and golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool, then tear into large pieces and process in a food processor to make fine breadcrumbs; set aside (there should be about 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs).
• Toast the sesame seeds in a small pan over medium heat, stirring, until just beginning to turn light brown, about 3 minutes. Grind in a coffee or spice grinder until finely ground; set aside.
• In an 8-quart pot, add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and set over medium heat.
• Drain the water from the chiles, tomatoes and garlic and begin blending them in a blender on high speed in batches. Add 1 cup of chicken broth to each batch, then pour into the 8-quart pot. Raise the heat to medium high and start adding the other ingredients. First, add the peanut butter and stir until it is well blended into the mixture. Next, add the ground sesame seeds and stir until you work out any lumps that may be visible in the sauce. Do the same with the finely ground pecans and chocolate tablet. Add the breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon black pepper, cumin, cocoa, sugar, chopped chocolate and bouillon. Cook, stirring and working out any lumps that may be visible in the sauce. If you think the sauce is too thick, add another cup of broth. Bring down the heat to medium low while you start to sear the chicken.
• Heat a griddle (the type you use for pancakes) or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and sear on the griddle for 6 to 8 minutes per side.
• Add the chicken to the sauce and allow to simmer until the chicken is very tender and the mole is thickened, 45 to 60 minutes. Taste occasionally for more salt or sweetness to your liking.
• I like to accompany my mole with homemade Tex-Mex rice and bolillos. Enjoy. Buen provecho!

Steps:

• Stew a chicken in salted water to cover until tender (1 1/2 hours).
• Remove chicken from broth.
• Reserve broth.
• Debone and remove skin from chicken.
• Tear into pieces with a fork (don't dice with a knife).
• In a large saucepan, over low heat, warm mole sauce from jar until almost boiling.
• Add broth, stir to make a perfectly smooth sauce, then simmer 20 minutes.
• Add tomato sauce, peanut butter, chocolate, and sugar.
• Cook and stir 20 minutes. Salt to taste.