Mole de Olla
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. beef shank or bone-in ribs plus marrowy bones cook meat until fork tender; the marrowy bones come usually from the spine or the legs.
- 6 - 8 cups broth where you cooked the meat
- 2 units dried bay leaves
- 4 dried guajillo chiles
- 2 dried pasilla or ancho chiles
- 2 - 3 dried árbol chiles optional, if you desire extra spiciness
- 1 unit small white onion
- 4 units garlic cloves
- 1 unit xoconostle quartered and cooked (optional)
- 3 units corn ears cut in 1.5" rounds and cooked
- 3 units zucchinis cut in 1" rounds and cooked
- 2 cups green beans trimmed, cut in half and cooked
- 2 cups baby carrots cooked
- 2 units chayote squash quartered and cooked (optional)
- lemon juice optional
- warm soft corn tortillas to accompany the Mole de Olla
Instructions
- In a large pot, over medium heat, place the cooked meat with its broth, add the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Soak the dried chiles in some of the boiling broth for 10 minutes, until the chiles are soft. Transfer the dried chilies to a blender with the soaking broth, onion and garlic cloves and process until smooth.
- Pour the chile mix, passing it through a strainer, into the pot with the meat and broth. Mix well. Drop the quartered xoconostle if you are using it. Let everything boil together for 15 - 20 minutes. If you don't mind your vegetables turning too soft, mix meat and vegetables in the meat pot and boil together until heated through.
- Otherwise, keep your vegetables warm in separate pots. Discard the bay leaves and the xoconostle before serving. When ready to serve pour some meat with broth into individual bowls and add the desired warm vegetables. You can also squeeze a dash of lemon juice in your bowl. Enjoy with warm soft corn tortillas!
Notes
Cook your vegetables separately from the meat. I cook zucchinis and green beans in one pot, as soon as they are an al dente (still crunchy but cooked texture, 5 - 7 minutes into boiling) I rapidly drain the boiling water and soak them into ice water. Guaranteed: your green veggies will be a brilliant green and look oh-so-nice when you serve!
You can cook the other vegetables (carrots, chayote and corn) in a different pot but check frequently that they don't turn too soft.