Mole Sauce

I have a few different sauces that I make and keep in my freezer.  Mole sauce is one of them.  If you've never had it, you might be thrown by the chocolate in the ingredient list, don't be.  This is definitely a savory sauce.  The chocolate just gives richness and depth like dark chocolate, not sweet chocolate.  It has a lot of ingredients but it is fairly easy to make.  Most grocery stores have ethnic sections now and you should be able to find all the ingredients.  The only ingredient I sometimes have a hard time finding is the Mexican chocolate.  I have substituted 70% dark chocolate on those occasions.  This sauce tastes great on chicken, beef, shrimp, and pork.  I use it to make tacos and enchiladas but it would also be great brushed on grilled meats or as a stew base.

Mole Sauce
1 dried ancho chile, seeded
1 dried pasilla chile, seeded
1/4 cup of slivered almonds
2 tablespoons of raw pepitas
3 ounces (1/2 cup) of Mexican chocolate 
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
1-14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons of pureed canned chipotles in adobo
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 (pinch) of ground clove
1 teaspoon of salt 

In a dry pan over medium heat, toast the ancho, pasilla, almonds, and pepitas until lightly browned (2-3 minutes). Remove the chilies and place them in a small bowl. Cover them with boiling water, the bowl with plastic wrap, and let them soak for 25-30 minutes.  You want to rehydrate them.  Place the almonds and pepitas in a food processor.

Next, put the chocolate in a bowl and melt in the microwave.  This should only take about 1 minute but start with 30 seconds and keep adding time if you need it. Once melted, let it sit and cool slightly.

In the food processor with the almonds and pepitas, add the onions, garlic, sesame seeds, tomatoes, raisins, vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt, chipotle, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, clove, and melted chocolate.  Drain the ancho and pasilla chilies and add them to the food processor too.  Blend until smooth.

Transfer sauce to a pan and cook on medium-low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  This sauce should be somewhat thick.  If it begins to stick to the pot, add a little bit of water.  Taste if additional salt is needed.  Let cool, place in deli containers, and freeze.

The other day I used one of my 32oz. frozen containers of mole sauce to make pork, mole tacos.  I heated my dutch oven on the stovetop with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, browned my pork loin roast on each side, added my sauce over the meat, covered the pot, and placed it in a pre-heated 325-degree oven for 2 1/2 hours.  I then shredded the meat in the sauce and served them on tortillas with all the traditional toppings.  Yum!