The misinformed refer to mole (pronounced MOH-lay) as "that Mexican chocolate sauce." Although chocolate is indeed an ingredient in some moles - if cooked properly, only a mysterious hint remains when the sauce is served over turkey, chicken, seafood, pork or roasted vegetables such as potatoes.
"We spend a lot of time explaining mole to our customers, allowing them to taste. The education is worth the effort. They quickly realize how mole turns a bland cut of meat into an exotic dish," said Jeffrey Smedstad, chef and owner of Los Sombreros Mexican Food, a Tempe AZ restaurant known for homemade moles.
Why do so few (restaurants and home chefs alike) make this treasure from scratch? The reason lies in the preparation. This sauce is an all-day process because the 30-some ingredients that need to be ground, mixed and blended by hand. There are no shortcuts or quick-fix versions, but food processors do make it less time-consuming.
Chiles must be roasted, seeds toasted. The ingredients must be carefully blended and meticulously strained to ensure a smooth and creamy sauce.
"It's a slightly athletic sauce to make, and requires a bit of blind faith that all these different ingredients work together," said Smedstad, who travels with his wife, Azucena, throughout her native Mexico tasting mole and gathering recipes.
There is no definitive mole, but rather endless versions that differ from family to family, from region to region.
"Every home cook seems to throw in his or her own secret ingredient. But make no mistake, when you encounter the real thing, the taste is beyond words," said Sandoval, a Mexico native who mixes animal cookies into his mole just like his grandmother did.
Mole, which comes from the Aztec word molli, meaning concoction or stew, is believed to have been created in the late 1600s by a nun in a convent in Puebla de los Angeles, outside Mexico City, to honor the archbishop for building a nearby convent. According to food historians, she spared no expense, using the best and most expensive ingredients to create the dark, savory sauce that grew to tantalize a nation.
Today, Oaxaca has the reputation as Mexico's best state for mole, followed by Puebla and Veracruz. The famous "seven moles of Oaxaca" compose a rainbow of earthy colors such as black, brown, brick red, yellow and green.
The region's most famous variety, mole negro, uses six kinds of chile, almonds, raisins, pumpkin seeds, tomato, garlic, onions, plantains, chocolate, spices, chile seeds, lard and more.
"This is the hardest to make because you have to bring all the ingredients to the edge of burned, without burning. It's a fine line and one that cannot be crossed," Smedstad said.
The same region also produces mole made with ancho chiles, garlic, chicken, cinnamon and oregano. Green mole is colored with tomatillos, green chiles and fresh herbs.
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