Well, you could use a couple of tablespoons full for RiverRat's Chili....

Ashley likes it as a sauce for chicken.

Annie

I would open it and taste it to see if I really liked it. A lot of moles are too sweet for me. If you like it, you can use it like you would barbeque sauce for chicken or pork. I'm not a fan of most moles, but there are a few that I find tolerable or even like. It finds its way into almost every chicken or pork dish in Oaxaca, which is the main thing I do not like about Oaxaca. I used to go there every year to buy rugs that I sold in San Francisco (when I lived there), and I had a hard time finding a restaurant that I liked. Once I found one, I would keep going back. The last time I was in Oaxaca, the economy was much better and there was a bigger variety of restaurants than when I went in the late 70s and early 80s. Politics are still relatively unstable there, however.

If you need ideas, go to a Oaxacan restaurant. By the way, was it a red mole or a black mole? Moles are commonly used with tamales also.

Lars

I have a jar in my fridge, too. I bought it to make Karen's Ancho Chili, which is really good. No idea what else I'll use it for. I don't like it by itself, so doubt I would like it as a sauce for chicken or anything like that. I'll be watching this thread for other ideas.

I made a toned down, more Midwestern version of said chili yesterday. Used ground beef instead of sirloin, went easy on the chili powders, added a little more mole than called for and tossed in a can of pinto beans. It is perfect, and even Tim (Mr. Milk Toast) can tolerate it! LOL

Here is her original recipe.

Beef Chili with Ancho, Mole, and Cumin
(Posted by Riverrat)
8 servings.

Chili:
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
4 bacon slices, chopped
1 4-pound boneless chuck roast, trimmed, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
4 (or more) large garlic cloves, chopped
3 1/2 cups (or more) beef broth, divided
1/4 cup pure ancho chili powder
1/4 cup Texas-style chili powder blend (such as Gebhardt)
1 tablespoon mole paste
2 teaspoons (or more) salt
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1 to 2 tablespoons masa (corn tortilla mix)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Garnishes:
Warm, freshly cooked or drained canned black beans
Chopped white, red, and/or green onions
Grated cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, or queso fresco Sliced fresh or pickled jalapeño chiles
Sour cream Tortilla chips or oyster crackers
Toast cumin seeds in heavy small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, stirring often, 4 to 5 minutes. Cool; grind finely in spice mill or in mortar with pestle.
Sauté bacon in large pot over medium-high heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to large bowl.

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Working in 4 batches, sauté beef in drippings in pot until browned, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer beef and most drippings to bowl with bacon.

Add onion and garlic to pot. Sauté until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth to pot. Bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits. Return beef, bacon, and any accumulated juices to pot. Mix in ancho chili powder, Texas-style chili powder, mole paste, 2 teaspoons salt, vinegar, oregano, and cumin seeds. Add 3 cups broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low and simmer gently uncovered until beef is very tender, stirring occasionally and adding more broth by 1/2 cupfuls if chili is dry, about 2 1/2 hours or more. Mix in masa by teaspoonfuls to thicken chili or add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to thin. Season chili with salt, pepper, and cayenne, if desired. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cool 1 hour. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over low heat.)

Set out garnishes as desired. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.
 Bon Appétit, February 2009

Linda

Our local Mexican restaurant adds some to ground beef for nachos.
I'm with Lars, too sweet for me. The first few bites are good, but I get tired of it quickly.

Deanna

Hi. First I'd like to introduce myself and say to all that I've been lurking on this board for years. I'd like to thank all of you for the great recipes and kitchen wisdom. You all are fantastic.

Regarding mole, in south Texas we enjoy it, maybe not exactly authentically but it' still IMHO very good.

Poach some chicken (your choice) in some Kitchen Basic or homemade stock and remove when done. Pour the oil off the top of the spices. (Maybe you all know that already.)

Put the dried spices in with the stock/broth. I use a KitchenAid stick blender because it doesn't incorporate easily.

Here's a trick that was taught to me by a friend from Mexico. First add peanut butter. Maybe a tablespoon or two. Then add about 1-2 teaspoons of sugar. You would think it would sweeten it, but it really just increases the heat level. Play with the peanut butter/sugar until you get the richness/heat you desire.

Here we serve it over the chicken, with corn tortillas, saffron rice, asparagus and grilled tomatoes. It makes a pretty and delicious plate.

miele, welcome to the Cooking Forum!

So the mole you buy is actually dry spice, like cinnamon, etc? The stuff I buy here comes in a glass jar (which you can conveniently use as a juice glass when the contents are gone, LOL), but it's thick and sticky, not dry and powdery.

Or is it the same stuff?

Annie

Annie, I think miele71 is talking about the same stuff. He/she said to pour the oil off, then use the dry spice. I think he/she was referring to the thick stuff under the oil on top, not necessarily "dry".

Correct me if I am wrong miele71.

Linda

Oh pooh! Hit submit before I could add:

Welcome miele71! Glad you came out of lurkdom to join the fun!

Linda

Well, dang, then I just stirred the oily stuff on top right into the mole before I used it! I figured maybe it was like natural peanut butter and the oil should be incorporated back in.

Annie

Mole sauce?

Don't care much for it.

I prefer weasel sauce.

When I'm REALLY feeling flush, though, I'll spring for groundhog sauce.

Thanks!

I have chicken defrosted, so Miele I am definitely going to try your recipe either tonight or tomorrow. It sounds awesome. And welcome to the CF, glad to see you out of lurkdom.

And I will definitely keep Riverrats Chili for later this week.

Kframe - you might have to go to an import store, but I've heard ferret sauce is incomparable (wink).

Alexa

Annie, I stirred the oil in as well. Didn't realize you were not supposed to!

Linda

Guys, thanks for the welcome, and don't feel bad about stirring in the oil. I did that for years. I think my husband might have known better, but didn't say anything.

Then my friend from Mexico was here, and I figured I'd let her make it. When she poured off the oil, I said the same thing. Ooops. It's to seal and keep the spices fresh.

The chili Riverrat posted looks good. It going straight to the top of my 'to try' list.

I wanted to report back. I made miele's recipe for chicken with the peanut mole sauce and it was great! The guys all loved it just the way it was, but I added a little extra heat to mine. I served it with white rice and a veg side of corn, black beans, red peppers and onions and it was a great flavor combination.

Thanks again for posting the method and I will be making Karen's Chili over the next weekend.

Alexa

Mole works well as an enchilada sauce, too. Assemble per the recipe in the link, using the mole instead of the chili gravy.

You may already know this, but DO NOT substitute flour tortillas for corn when making enchiladas. The texture is all wrong and it'll be nasty. I know from experience.

~Amanda

Here is a link that might be useful: Enchiladas

Thanks Amanda! I am LOLing at the recipe..... but it sounds good and I will make it soon.

"Putting the enchiladas together is just a series of steps. And if you're the kind of cook that freaks out when the kitchen gets a little messy, you might want to consider finding a good Tex-Mex restaurant instead."

Alexa

Hey, Amanda, have I mentioned that it's so nice to see you here again? I've missed you!

I was also kind of smiling about that recipe, thanks for the link. I especially liked the chili powder instructions:

"If you know nothing whatsoever of chili powder or chiles, then my instructions to you are very simple: Buy a product called "chili powder" -- not cayenne, not crushed red pepper, not ground red pepper."

Here there's no Gebhardt's, but there is Penzey's, so I'm going to make these for Elery too. He loves cheese, he loves enchiladas and he really likes corn tortillas better than flour tortillas, so it's on the "list" of things to make.

Annie

Turkey in mole is perhaps the national dish of Mexico. I happened to be traveling in Mexico one time on Thanksgiving Day. Turkey in mole was on the menu, so I had my Thanksgiving turkey in a different style. That was fun!

Mole has a long history full of interesting stories. Apparently it was invented by nuns in the city of Puebla who were preparing a special feast for a visitor. I don't recall the details. Mole Poblano has the longest and most unusual list of ingredients of any sauce I know of. Chocolate is the ingredient which most people find strange. However, chocolate is only one of the many ingredients and it is not sweet chocolate. Turkey in mole in no way resembles a hot fudge sundae.

I am sure the commercial product sold in jars is a short-cut version. But, if that's what you have, give it a try. Sauce some poultry with it. Adjust the consistency with chicken stock if necessary to make it flow nicely. For some reason, I have an image in my mind of chicken under a blanket of mole sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Jim

Alexa, glad you enjoyed it.

I see there is some disagreement over which is best - groundhog, ferret or wiesel. I've heard that armadillo can be good, but can't vouch for it as we don't have them here. Frankly, it's just personal preference. Whichever you use, just be sure to brown it well. That's the key to tasty varmint.

Jim

Alexa-Glad you enjoyed the recipe's tongue-in-cheek.

Jim-LOL re varmits!

Annie-I'm glad to see you again, too! I'm not in school anymore and my son can feed himself, so I've got tons of time now--woo hoo! (And I missed you too.)

~Amanda