Birria De Res Tacos

02/22/2021 by Laura Leave a Comment

Birria De Res Tacos are showing up everywhere. I’m sure I would have had them at a taqueria somewhere had I dined out in the last year. Since that is not the case, most of my “new to me” food comes from the internet, blogs, or YouTube videos.

This recipe takes inspiration from a mash up. First from Food 52 and second from Views On The Road. I like the preparation of the beef used in the Food 52 recipe. From Views On The Road, I like the Spicy Chili Oil. I did make the salsas included with the Food 52 recipe. I thought they were horrible and would not add anything to the taco. I suggest not wasting your time or money on the salsas. My brave neighbors concurred, after they gave them a taste.

I love the Food 52 marinade and will use it frequently. I think it would be great with flank steak or chicken. I also think the marinated and cooked meat would make a fine enchilada! I have not tried the meat preparation as seen on Views on the Road. However, I’m willing to bet the flavors of the Food 52 recipe are more pronounced due to the 48 hour marinating time, the complexity of ingredients, and the slow cook time.

Begin by making the marinade.

Birria Marinade

¹/₂ gallon water

20 chiles guajillo (destemmed and deseeded)

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

3 whole cloves

3 whole allspice

5 cloves garlic

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano

¹/₂ cinnamon stick

¹/₂ white onion

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon sea salt

Place the 20 deseeded, destemmed chiles guajillo in a stock pot with 1/2 gallon of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and steep for 10 minutes. Add the cloves, allspice, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, cinnamon stick and sesame seed to the stock pot. Steep an additional 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic to the blender. Add all the ingredients from the stock pot and blend until smooth. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need blend in batches.

For the birria de res tacos

2 ¹/₂ pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 tablespoon sea salt

¹/₄ cup white vinegar

1-2 cups birria marinade

While the marinade is cooling, cut the chuck roast into 2 inch cubes. Once cut, rub with 2 1/2 tablespoons of seat salt. Nest massage in 1/4 cup of white vinegar. Please meat in bowl, cover with marinade. Cover bowl with saran wrap and marinade in fridge 24-48 hours.

I cooked the meat in the crockpot on high for 4 hours and low for two hours. The crock pot was very helpful in keeping the consommé warm as well. Alternately, you can cook the meat in the oven in a roasting pan at 325’ 2-4 hours. Remove the meat from the broth to a bowl, and shred using two forks.

To serve:

Corn tortillas

Reserved birria consomé

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 ounce Queso Oaxaca, shredded if you do not have Queso Oaxaca, you can substitute string cheese)

2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Diced white onion

To assemble the tacos

Heat a little oil in a heavy frying pan. Dip the tortilla in the consommé. Lay the tortilla down in the oil and cook about 10 seconds. Carefully flip the tortilla. Add meat the meat and cheese to the tortilla. Fold in half, flip and fry a little longer, until crispy.

Add the cilantro, diced onion, or picked red onion, add a little of the chili oil. Serve with rice and beans. Enjoy!

Views from the Road Chili Oil

Chili oil ingredients 4-Guajillo Chiles + 1 extra for infusing

2-Bay leaves

1/2- Tablespoon Oregano

1/2-Tablespoon Chicken Bouillon

1/2-Teaspoon Pepper Corn or 1/2-Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/4- Teaspoon Ground Clove or 2-Cloves

1/2-Teaspoon Granulated Garlic Powder

1/4-Teaspoon Sugar

1-Cup Canola or Vegetable Oil

Detailed steps to make the chili oil recipe here.

Quick and Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

02/02/2018 by Laura Leave a Comment

Can you believe it is February 2nd today? According to Punxsutawney Phil, there’s 6 more weeks of soup weather ahead of us!

January was a total blur for me. I got that ridiculous virus (flu). I really hope you have escaped it, and if you catch it, do take it seriously. I started hacking on Boxing Day; coughing so hard and uncontrollably I could not catch my breath at times. (Before you ask, YES I GOT A FLU SHOT!) I saw the Dr. on the 27th of December and was given steroids, antivirals, and inhalers. If you know me at all, you know I will do anything to avoid taking Prednisone. This time, I did not even consider putting up a fight! I would have done anything to STOP the coughing! When there were clear signs of infection a week later, I was put on antibiotics. I ran fevers of about 100′ off and on for three weeks. It was just last week that I honestly believed I would make it to Valentines Day! I’m surprised our food delivery folks haven’t called to see why the Hot and Sour soup orders have stopped! Anyway, with my absence explained, and all the crap I ordered on-line while sick; returned, I’m here to share this recipe with you!

We love chicken tortilla soup! So flavorful and satisfying. I always have a whole chicken in the freezer, and roasted tomatoes in the pantry. Onions, avocados, tortillas, and cilantro are usually restocked weekly. I discovered a frozen southwest veggie mix a couple summers ago. It is the perfect add-in to this soup. This frozen veggie combo also makes a great cold salad with a lime, cumin, cilantro vinaigrette. This veggie mix has become a staple in the freezer as well. This post is not sponsored…I’m sharing this “short cut” with you ’cause that’s what I’m all about.

For the soup

Place one whole chicken* (extra fat, skin and giblets removed), in a large stock pot.

cover the chicken with 3 quarts of fresh, cold water
season with salt and pepper

Simmer about two hours, over low heat, until chicken is done – no pink in the thighs.

Remove chicken from pot. Strain the broth into a large bowl and set aside.

Pull the chicken off the bones, removing the skin, breaking the meat into bite size pieces. Set aside.

*You could use rotisserie chicken and three quarts of chicken stock, if your prefer to not cook a whole chicken. Just start with the steps below.

1 large or 2 small jalapeno peppers, minced

1 large, sweet onion, diced

4 T. olive oil

Sauté the onion and pepper in the olive oil over medium heat in your stock pot, about 5 minutes, until tender.

Add:

1 large can diced, fire roasted tomatoes
2 T ground cumin
1 T chili powder
Salt, pepper
2 bags of southwestern style frozen vegetables

Pour the reserved stock back into the stock pot. Taste for Seasoning. Simmer about 30 minutes.

15 minutes before serving, add the reserved chicken meat to the pot. Simmer gently to warm the meat through. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

While the soup is heating, prepare the garnishes:

Cut 4-5 corn tortillas into strips. Add 4 T of oil to a sauté pan and cook them until lightly brown and crisp. Cool on a paper towel to remove any excess oil.

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

1 bunch of green onions, sliced

2-3 avocado’s diced

lime wedges – 1 per serving

grated cheese, for serving

sour cream for serving

When ready to serve, ladle soup into a serving bowl bowl. Top with tortilla strips, shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro, onion and sour cream. Add a lime wedge on the side.. This soup is fantastic leftover and also freezes well.

Make it soon, you won’t regret it!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful evening.

Laura

Garbage Day Soup!

09/27/2017 by Laura 2 Comments

It’s human nature to have many routines, whether they’re conscious or unconscious! Often, we’re not even sure how long we’ve had them or how they got started. One of mine is cleaning the fridge the night before the compost, recycling, yard waste, (garbage, if you’re not from Seattle) are collected. I’m pretty sure my mom does the same thing. However, now that I have “more time than money” I am very conscientious about the wasting of anything. It’s not that I was not conscious before, but when your unpredictable work schedule takes you away from home 3-5 days a week, you don’t always manage the larder as efficiently as possible; leftovers get tossed, planned meals don’t get cooked, and the freezer quickly fills with foil packets I call UFO’s….unidentifiable frozen objects, that are rarely interesting a month or two later!

Even with the best intentions, sometimes what’s left at week’s end, is pretty drab and has very few opportunities to be repurposed! I’d love to hear ideas for leftover lettuce based salads, as that is one item that fills my compost bucket routinely! Chicken or salmon – easily become next days sandwich with a little help of mayo, celery, bell pepper. Potatoes, vegetable and gravy – perfect set up for Shepard’s pie, or “dinner for breakfast” potato pancakes.

I got lucky this week, when I opened the produce drawer to “clean it out”. I had a few ears of corn, a half-dozen poblano peppers, a couple jalopeno peppers, cilantro and some leftover chicken. I knew immediately I would be making a corn, pepper, chicken chowder. We had onions, garlic, baby potatoes and chicken stock in the pantry, so I jumped right in. This could all be thrown together in a crock pot, but I actually made the base one day, and reheated it with cream the second day. This soup is delicious and will stay in our rotation throughout the winter, even though we will have to sub frozen corn for the fresh.

For the corn, poblano and chicken chowder

1 large sweet onion, chopped

4-6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 jalopenos , stems and seeds removed and finely chopped

5 poblano peppers, stems and seeds removed and chopped

4 ears of corn, cut away from the cob

12 tiny potatoes, quartered

1 quart chicken stock

2 cups water

2 cups cooked chicken meat in bite size pieces (from leftover chicken)

1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped – retain a few leaves for garnish

1 pint heavy cream

oil for sautéing

salt and pepper

grated cheese for serving – Mexican style

Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in the bottom of a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, peppers until soft, about 7 minutes

Add the corn cobs, chopped cilantro, potatoes and chicken stock, and allow to simmer at least an hour.

At this point, I added the chicken, simmered it about an hour more and then moved the pot to the fridge. You could easily complete the soup, but I think the extra day with the corn husks in the pot really pumped up the corn flavor! Add salt and pepper as needed.

About an hour before serving, I brought the soup to a slow simmer. I reduced the heat as much as possible and added the pint of cream.

We served this with grated cheese and fresh-baked corn bread. I really hope you’ll give it a try, whether you have the ingredients on hand or not!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great evening.

Laura

First of Fall – Pork Chili Verde

09/21/2017 by Laura Leave a Comment

Wow! Somebody flipped the “summer heat” switch to the “off” position! I am grateful for cooler, more moderate temperatures, but it seems the change was a bit extreme! There’s been at least a 20′ difference in temperatures from last week to this. We knew rain was coming, so we scrambled to get the last of the garden clean-up / harvesting / fall planting done. I ended up with a fair amount of peppers and tomatillos, which, along with the cool, rainy weekend, inspired me to make this dish. We added a few more tomatillos, poblano peppers, garlic and onion from the farmers market, and we were set.

For the Pork Chili Verde (this makes a lot, we froze half)

for the tomatillo pepper slurry

8 poblano peppers

12-15 fresh tomatillos, husked and rinsed, stem removed

2 large white onions, peeled and quartered

8 cloves of garlic, peeled

8-10 assorted peppers – jalapeno, Fresno, Serrano, based on your taste and desired heat level!

Heat your oven to 500′. Place all the peppers, tomatillos, quartered onions, and garlic on a sheet pan. Roast the vegetables until they begin to brown and are softened. This will take about 25 minutes.

Remove the stems and seeds from the roasted peppers. Place all of the roasted veggies and any juice from the roasting pan, in the large bowl of your food processor and pulse until smooth.

for the meat

4 pounds lean pork cut into 1″ cubes (I used boneless, thick cut pork loin chops)

flour, salt and pepper for dredging

neutral, high heat oil for browning

1 large, sweet onion, diced

1 can/bottle beer – an ale of your choice

2 cups fresh or frozen chopped Hatch green chili (I bought a ton directly from Hatch in August. Canned chili ok, but not as flavorful.)

2-4 cups of chicken stock

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons of cumin

Avocado slices, chopped cilantro, sliced green onion, cooked rice, charred tortillas, sour cream and shredded cheese for serving.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add 2-3 tablespoons of oil. Place 1 cup of flour, one tablespoon of salt and one tablespoon of pepper in a zip lock bag. Dredge the cubed pork, in small batches and add to the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Turn the pork to ensure all sides are browned evenly. Repeat this process until all the meat is browned, adding additional oil as needed.

In the same pan, sauté the chopped onion until golden, scraping up all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Deglaze the pan with the beer. Let simmer 5 minutes. Add the meat back to the pan, then the pureed veggies, and the chopped green chili, cilantro and cumin. If too thick, add a cup or two of the chicken stock. Stir well, cover and simmer over low heat, about 6 hours. Stir frequently and adjust the salt as needed, also adding additional stock if needed.

I also made a batch of black beans to serve along side, and a delicious, but non instagram worthy, apple pie for dessert. Ahh fall! I wish you could have all smelled the kitchen.

To plate, place a scoop of rice on a plate or bowl. Add a serving of stew. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, cilantro and green onions. I served black beans and charred tortillas along side.

I really hope you’ll give this recipe a try. It’s one of our favorites. Great left over and freezes well too.

Have a wonderful evening, and thanks for stopping by.

Laura

Chicken “Tortilla” Soup – Paleo Friendly

02/21/2015 by Laura 1 Comment

Dave and I continue to explore Paleo eating. The elimination of grains, beans, legumes, sugar, dairy and alcohol has benefited us both greatly. I mentioned earlier we had excellent blood pressure readings at our recent physical. We received our blood work results last week and they were the best in years for both of us. Dave’s were actually better than mine. I attribute that to his twice daily walks with the dogs and a lower stress life style. I intend to join him more frequently on the walks, which will help with my numbers and the stress!

We don’t feel deprived or miss much of anything eating this way. But when we were both craving Chicken Tortilla Soup, I was concerned with what I could substitute for the standard corn tortilla. I had 4 or 5 sweet potatoes sitting on the counter smiling up at me! A-ha…. I will julienne and toast them. It was a perfect solution and it worked beautifully.

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Sweet Potato Strips

inspired by this recipe from Food & Wine magazine

6 tablespoons coconut oil

1 onion, chopped

4 large cloves garlic, smashed

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 1/2 quarts chicken bone broth or homemade stock

3 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (one 28-ounce can)

2 bay leaves

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup lightly-packed cilantro leaves plus 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)

1 3/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1 avocado, cut into 1/2-inch dice

Lime wedges, for serving

Julienne 1 large sweet potato. Oil a baking sheet with coconut oil. Place the sweet potato strips on the baking sheet. Place in a 300′ oven to toast. Stir every 15-20 minutes to ensure even cooking. This process will take about an hour. Cook until the strips are dry and crunchy.

Warm 2-3 Tablespoons of coconut oil in a large heavy soup/stock pot. Reduce the heat to moderately low. Add the onion, garlic, and spices; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, cilantro leaves. Bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes; remove the bay leaves.

While the soup is simmering, prepare the chicken. Cut the chicken thighs into bite size pieces. Add a couple of teaspoons of coconut oil to a large skillet. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and sauté until they are a little brown. Set aside.

Blend the soup using an immersion blender or by transferring the contents to a blender. Add the chicken, bring the soup back to a simmer, and simmer until just cooked through, about 10 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into a bowl. Top with sliced avocado and the toasted sweet potato strips. Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro, if using, and serve with the lime wedges.

Enjoy!

For those of you who do not remember what is under the snow, here are some “first signs of spring” shots from my garden.

Chicken Enchiladas Verde and the Fentons 50th Performance Celebration

07/23/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

Two of my favorite Mexican dishes are enchiladas verde or the saucier version, enchiladas suiza. Inspired by my nephews favorite green sauce from a taco wagon in Kennewick, I decided to create a version of green sauce as close to their favorite as possible. With tomatillos, jalapenos and Anaheim chilis ripe in the garden, it was time to attempt the infamous green sauce! Of course, final confirmation on how close to their favorite this is, will need to come from them!

Laura’s Green Sauce

8-10 fresh, firm tomatillos, husk and stems removed, and rinsed (it will not taste the same if using canned tomatillos)

2 jalapeno peppers

3-4 Anaheim chilies or poblano peppers

5-6 cloves of garlic

one sweet onion, like Walla Walla

olive oil, to coat the pan

salt for seasoning

white balsamic vinegar – about 2 tablespoons (I received a sample of O Brand, and I love it!)

6-8 sprigs of fresh cilantro

Place all the tomatillos, jalapeno, Anaheim chili or poblano pepper, garlic and onion in an oiled roasting pan. Season with salt. Roast in a 350′ oven about 25 minutes. Let the chilies cool and remove the tough, outer skin, seeds and membranes. Slice the jalapenos in half and remove the seeds and membrane.

Place all the roasted vegetables in the blender and blend until smooth. Add the cilantro and two tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar. Add additional salt if needed, and blend again. To make it hotter, add additional roasted jalapenos. If you need to cool it down, add additional roasted tomatillos. If you prefer a smoother sauce, you can force it through a sieve or colander. I used the sauce as it was for the enchiladas.

to prepare the Chicken Enchiladas

Meat from one whole cooked chicken, bones and skin removed – you can use a rotisserie chicken or a fresh, poached chicken

1 chopped sweet onion, like Walla Walla

2 cups shredded cheese, like Monterey Jack

1 – 1 1/2 cups of THE Green Sauce

1 cup of sour cream

12-16 tortillas, we used flour – if using corn, soften them in a little oil in a warm skillet before assembling the enchiladas

Place the chicken, onion, cheese, green sauce and sour cream in a bowl. Mix the ingredients together.

Place 3-4 tablespoons of the mixture on the tortilla a roll up tightly.

Place enchiladas in an oiled baking dish, seam side down. Continue in this manner until the filling is used up. Pour additional sauce over the enchiladas. Add additional grated cheese. Bake covered for 25 minutes at 350′, remove cover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Serve with a little sour cream and a garnish of cilantro.

I was hoping this weeks post would solely be about our fabulous garden party and barbeque in honor of the Fenton’s 50th performance last Sunday! We worked all last week prettying up the yard, scrubbing the patio furniture and freshening up the garden. We made potato salad, black bean and corn salad, watermelon and blueberry salad. Hamburgers and hot dogs were readied to grill. The Fentons performed from 2-3pm at The Bite of Seattle. About 4pm, as I finished putting the flowers on the tables outside, and after 20 hot and dry days, the skies opened up and the rain came pouring down! Needless to say – the party moved inside and the camera was put away! I did want to share the cupcakes I made with you. The edible logo stickers are from Edible Tasty Prints. I used the design from the bands newest t-shirt, unbeknownst to Dave! Aren’t they adorable?

By the way, Monday was absolutely perfect for an outdoor party!

Be sure and visit the Fentons website and order yourself a copy of their new CD “Little Window“. My favorite new song is “Stir the Love” written by my sweetheart, Dave Keller.

Memorial Day Fiesta – Chile Relleno

05/27/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

While at the market gathering ingredients for tamales, I noticed beautiful, fresh poblano chile peppers. Right then I decided I would serve chile relleno alongside the tamales. When I can, I use fresh Hatch green chiles from New Mexico. When Hatch chiles are out of season, I use poblanos. Either way, you want to use the freshest chiles you can find.

For the Chile Relleno

8-10 fresh Hatch or Poblano Chiles

1 pound Monterey jack or pepper jack cheese

1 cup flour

salt and pepper

4 eggs, separated

oil for frying

Begin by roasting the chiles. Roast them on a very hot grill, turning about every 5 minutes, until all sides are charred. Be sure and make a small slit in each chile to allow the steam to escape, prior to roasting.

It is important to wear gloves when handling the chiles. Once the chiles are roasted, place them in a plastic bag to “steam” about 10 minutes. Remove the chiles from the bag and gently peel away the charred skin. Cut a slit in one side of the chile. Pull out the seeds as gently as possible.

Cut the cheese into rectangles that will fit into the chile. Place a piece of cheese in each chile. Close the open edge with a toothpick.

Separate the four eggs. Beat the whites to form stiff peaks. Break up the yolks with a fork. Gently fold the yokes into the whites with a spatula. Place the flour on a plate or bowl that the chile will fit into. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Heat about 1″ of oil in heavy skillet, over medium high heat.

Dredge the stuffed chile in the flour.

Dip the chile in the egg mixture. Hold the chile by the stem and let the excess egg mixture drip off.

Place the chile into the hot oil. Brown on all sides.

Place the fried chiles on a rack over a pan. When ready to serve, heat them in a 350′ oven for about 10 minutes. Serve with red enchilada style sauce Be sure to let your guests know to watch out for the toothpick!

Memorial Day Fiesta – Pork Adobada Tamales

05/26/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

I began a rainy, drizzly Memorial Day weekend with another wonderful class at The Pantry at Delancey. This time it was a tamale class, taught by Rob Tallon. Yes, I have made tamales before, and yes I have posted them before… and as much as I liked my previous tamales, I was always left thinking they could be better! I was right. The tamales we made this weekend were outstanding, amazing, delicious, and absolutely the best EVER! [Read more…]

The Great Avocado Mystery and Lo-Carb Taco Salad

01/08/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

I decided to make a low carb Taco Salad for tonight’s dinner. Pretty straightforward: lettuce, seasoned lean ground beef, low fat cheese, black beans, lite sour cream (mixed with salsa for the dressing), olives, tomatoes, ~~avocado~~ (had to sub pre-made guacamole) and green onions. We have this salad frequently, alternating between gilled chicken breast and ground beef.

While gathering up ingredients at the store today, I became obsessed with this question:

WHERE ARE THE RIPE AVACADOS!

I live in the city with many grocery stores nearby, and I shop frequently. Every 2-3 days to be exact and sometimes everyday. The avocados at the store I visited 3 days ago could have easily been used for batting practice or pool. The avocados at the same store this afternoon were in the same condition. Now, if I had purchased an avocado on my previous visit (as I should have) it would now be pretty close to being perfectly ripe. So I am very curious…. What do they do with the ripe avocados! I could go to the same store everyday this week and I know for certain, I would not find a ripe one! Are you as perplexed about this as I am? You could argue the same is true for tomatoes, melons, pineapples and bananas, but it really isn’t. These items are always available in varying stages of ripeness. That is why I am so dismayed by this whole avocado thing! (I do have a resource in the form of a day old produce market, that always has ripe avocados. I just resent making an additional trip for one ripe avocado.) To make this even more complicated, I found the same thing to be true in Hawaii and California, the home of many of the avocados we consume! Any insight you can share, is really appreciated!

Mole Sauce…A Three Day Adventure!

07/08/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

The Mexican grocer was my 4th stop in search of the chilies I needed for my Mole recipe. By the time I arrived there, I had already purchased the other 24 ingredients. The shop owner told me “I have a paste, you just add broth. It’s made in Mexico and it is really good”. I replied “I really like to cook, so I want to make it from scratch”. On the third day of my adventure in Mole Sauce, those words from the kind man, kept repeating in my head. Day 1, source and purchase the ingredients. Day 2 prepare the Mole and simmer, simmer, simmer. Day 3, cook the chicken and make the enchiladas! Ole!

I’ve made Mole 4 or 5 times. It is one of my husbands favorites. I adapted my recipe from the book, The Taste of Mexico. I follow the recipe closely, with one or two time saving steps and ingredient changes. I use high heat safflower oil, instead of lard. I roast the chilies all at once in a large pan in the oven. I use store-bought chicken stock. This is a “go big or go home” recipe, that makes about a year’s worth of sauce. I freeze it in quart jars for future enchiladas and tamales.

MOLE AND MARRYMOORE 174

Ingredients
2 – 3 cups of lard, or oil

5 large white onions

14 cloves plus one head of garlic

3 tomatoes

10 tomatillos

3/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

3/4 cup raw sesame seeds

3/4 cup raw peanuts

3/4 cup raw almonds

3/4 cup raisins

1 cup pitted prunes

2 small plantains peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices

1 teaspoon coriander seed

1 teaspoon anise

2 cinnamon sticks

1 stale croissant

2 charred tortillas

4 quarts chicken stock

30 chiles mulatos

16 chiles anchos

6 chiles pasillas

2 chiles chipotle

8 ounces Mexican chocolate tablets with cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar

Step One

Remove the husks and wash the tomatillos. Place on roasting pan with tomatoes, one head of garlic, and one onion. Roast at 375′ for approximately 20 minutes. Cool and chop onion coarsely. Squeeze garlic out of skin. Set aside.

Char the tortillas in a dry skillet. Set aside.

Step Two

Prepare the chiles. Wash chiles well to remove dust and dirt. Remove stems and seeds. Place on large baking sheet. Spray with oil. Roast chiles until softened, about 15 minutes at 375′. Remove chiles from baking pan, place in large bowl, cover with water and soak at least 20 minutes. Do not drain, leave in bowl until ready to use.

Step Three

Saute 2 1/2 chopped onions in about 1/4 cup of oil in large, heavy pot. Cook until softened and translucent. Add 8 garlic cloves and sauté a couple more minutes. Add roasted vegetables and cook until combined, about 5 minutes. Remove to bowl and set aside. Return pot to stove.

Step Four

Add enough oil to coat bottom of pot. Heat over low heat. Add sesame seed, pumpkin seed, almonds and peanuts. Sauté about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add raisins, prunes, plantains, coriander seed, anise and cinnamon. Continue to stir and sauté about 5 more minutes. Add torn tortilla and croissant. Mix well. Remove from heat and add ingredients to bowl with onions, tomatoes, tomatillos and garlic.

Step Five

Heat a quart of chicken stock on stove or in microwave. Set up your blender. Add the spice mixture to the blender with enough chicken stock to ensure mixture will blend smoothly. Blend long enough to ensure all seeds are broken down. You will need to do this in batches. Add a little oil to the bottom of the cooking pot and place on very low heat. Pour each batch back into the cooking pot.

Simmer on very low heat for about an hour. Stir frequently to avoid burning. Meanwhile, prepare the chiles.

Step Six

Chop 1 1/2 onions and 6 cloves of garlic. Place the chiles in the blender in batches adding equal amounts of onion and garlic to each batch and adding soaking liquid from the chiles, to blend smoothly. Pour the mixture into a strainer set over a bowl. Repeat this process until all chiles are blended. “Force” the mixture through the strainer with a spoon.

Add the chiles to the spice mixture in small batches, allowing about 10 minutes between each addition.

Coarsely chop the chocolate tablets add to the Mole with the 1/4 cup of sugar. Simmer on very low heat 4 – 6 hours. Since we finished this late in the day, we actually simmered the sauce overnight.

Day 3 – Make the Enchiladas!

You can use any kind of filling you choose. We like chicken with Mole sauce. I boiled a chicken, cooled it and removed the meat from the bones. I added a chopped onion and enough Mole sauce to hold the mixture together. Place a few spoonful’s of meat on each tortilla and roll up. Place seam side down in oiled baking dish.

Cover the enchiladas with additional Mole. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 375′ for about 40 minutes. Add Queso Fresco and cilantro before serving.

We served this with homemade black beans and Mexican red rice, and one very large margarita!

The History of Mole*

Most people associate mole with either with Puebla or Oaxaca , but the origin of mole poblano, the thick, rich, chocolate-tinged sauce made so famous in the colonial mountain city of Puebla, Mexico, is still disputed, and generally involves these two versions of the legend:

The first says that 16^th Century nuns from the Convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla de los Angeles, upon learning that the Archbishop was coming for a visit, went into a panic because they had nothing to serve him. The nuns started praying desperately and an angel came to inspire them. They began chopping and grinding and roasting, mixing different types of chiles together with spices, day-old bread, nuts, a little chocolate and approximately 20 other ingredients.

This concoction boiled for hours and was reduced to the thick, sweet, rich and fragrant mole sauce we know today. To serve in the mole, they killed the only meat they had, an old turkey, and the strange sauce was poured over it. The archbishop was more than happy with his banquet and the nuns saved face. Little did they know they were creating the Mexican National dish for holidays and feasts, and that today, millions of people worldwide have at least heard of mole poblano.

The other legend states that mole came from pre-Hispanic times and that Aztec king, Moctezuma, thinking the conquistadors were gods, served mole to Cortez at a banquet to receive them. This story probably gained credibility because the word mole comes from the Nahuatl word “milli” which means sauce or “concoction”. Another connection could be that chocolate was widely used in pre-Columbian Mexico, so people jumped to that conclusion.

Diana Kennedy, the famous cookbook author and television chef, adds a third, less plausible version in her book The Cuisines of Mexico, [Harper & Row:New York] 1972, (p.199-200), “This time it was Fray Pascual who was preparing the banquet at the convent where he (the archbishop) was going to eat. Turkeys were cooking in cazuelas on the fire; as Fray Pascual, scolding his assistants for their untidiness, gathered up al the spices they had been using, and putting them together on a tray, a sudden gust of wind swept across the kitchen and they spilled over the cazuelas.” Thus mixing together such an unheard-of combination of ingredients.

*From MexOnLine.com

http://www.mexonline.com/molepoblano.htm