Mole, Mole, Mole

No, that’s not the little animal that ruins people’s yards- it’s the sauce put on meat at any big event in Mexico. Last week was the going away party for Grant and Jenn, and in typical Mexican fashion, we had mole negro (black mole). I was in charge of getting all the ingredients for the 17 lbs. of sauce (that’s only counting the chilies).

So here’s the recipe: (Don’t try this at home!!!)

17 lbs. chilies anchos

2 lbs. chilies huajillos

9 lbs. sesame seeds

9 lbs. pumpkin seeds

9 lbs. peanuts

9 lbs. raisins

9 lbs. almonds

9 lbs. apples

2 lbs. garlic

22 lbs. onion

35 lbs. banana

13 lbs. chocolate

3.5 lbs. chorizo sausage

4 gallons oil

Garlic, cinnamon, oregano, cloves, salt, and pepper to taste

It took an entire day to fry and finely grind all of the ingredients then stir them together in a huge pot over an open fire to make a thick paste. The day of the party we boiled the chicken and added the broth as well to make the sauce. It was a lot of work, but it was delicious!

Cooking over a fire is the most common way for women to cook in Mexico and the ONLY acceptable way to make mole!