Our Secret Mole Family Recipe From Abuelita Paz

”This is our family mole recipe,” says Naomi Rodriguez. This is actually the first time it is being shared, she explains. ”We have been asked for our mole recipe several times, but my family has always been very secretive about it, since it’s special to us. I think it’s time to share it.”

”I don’t know who showed my grandmother how to make this mole. I’m going to guess: her mother, since all of her sisters made it the same way. My earliest memories as a little girl — I think I was 3 years old? — I recall the aromas coming out of the kitchen. Filling the entire house and waking up our appetites. I later learned it was her famous mole,” says Naomi.

”Abuelita only made this mole on special occasions, such as Christmas for the tamales, tortas de camarón (shrimp) con nopal con mole for Passover, and only when asked she would make her costillas de puerco con nopales en mole—mole with pork ribs with nopales.”

”Nonetheless, we make this mole once a year, since we continue with the tamal Christmas tradition. It makes me proud that my kids LOVE this tradition and have promised to continue it to assure my grandkids experience this. It gives me so much joy that my children and grandchildren will continue to smell the mole that brings me beautiful memories as a child and it will continue to imprint generations to come.”

”We are so fortunate and blessed to have had a grandmother who instilled tradition in us,” says Naomi. ”I am sure Abuelita is very proud to know that her tradition continues and will carry on for generations to come. Thanks, Grandma. You are so missed.”

”I hope you enjoy this recipe, I tried to measure the best I can, for the ingredients, but it’s also about personal taste,” says Naomi. Let us know if you make this! P.S. We love photos.

Ready to Make Naomi’s Secret Mole Family Recipe?

Our Secret Family Mole Recipe From Abuelita Paz

Recipe by Naomi Rodriguez

4.0 from 2 votes

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings

8 to 10

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

2

hours 

30

minutes

Ingredients

• 3 pounds pork, cut into pieces, or chicken, quartered

• 10 cups water

• 1/2 onion

• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, or to taste

• 12 California chiles, also called Anaheim

• 4 mulato chiles

• 8 tomatillos

• 4 Tbsp cumin seeds (about 3/4 oz)

• 1 head garlic

• 1/2 tsp cloves, whole

• 1 Tbsp black pepper, whole

• salt, to your personal taste

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup masa harina (Naomi uses Maseca)

Directions

• In a large pan or caserola, add water, the pork or chicken, the full head of garlic, 1/2 onion, 1/2-bunch of cilantro. and salt. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 2 hours. Be sure to make and reserve plenty of broth, since you will need it for the mole. Naomi says she uses about 10 cups of water.
• Rinse and stem the chiles before boiling in a separate pan. Boil in water to cover until chiles are soft. Drain water and let cool.
• In a molcajete, grind the peeled cloves in a full head of garlic, cumin, cloves and black pepper until they turn into a paste. Roll the paste into a ball. Set aside.
• In a blender, add about 1 cup of broth from cooking the meat, chiles, tomatillos, the garlic-cumin-cloves paste, and salt. Make sure you add enough salt. You will get a beautiful deep-red mole sauce.
• Strain your mole through a colander and and set aside.
• Heat oil in a large cooking pan. Add about 3 Tbsp of Maseca masa harina. Stir while you mix in the pan, until it turns brown. Don’t let it lump.
• To the same pan, add your mole sauce and 5 to 6 cups of your pork or chicken broth. Bring to a boil, while stirring.
• If the sauce is too watery, add a little more Maseca masa harina. If it’s too thick, add more broth. Taste and make sure it has enough salt. Let your mole sauce sit and cool before handling. It‘s ready! Serve to people you love.

Notes

• This mole is wonderful for tamales, costillas de puerco con nopales, tortas de camarón, and for simple chicken mole, says Naomi.
• Be sure to salt the broth well, since that infuses a lot of flavor into the final mole.
• Note from Familia Kitchen: When we made this recipe, we roasted the tomatillos before adding to the blender.