Authentic Mexican Recipe- Mole Rojo

Welcome to Authentic Mexican Cooking. Our first recipe will be Mole Rojo. This recipe is from my mother-in-law in Arandas, Jalisco. This Mole differs from those you will commonly find in Mexican cookbooks, as they are mostly Mole Negro, or black sauce. We will be making a red sauce.

These recipes are translated for you here and adjusted somewhat to use ingredients available in the U.S. The measurements are not exact as the recipes have been handed down through many women, and most just use a dash or a handful of whatever. I will try my best to be as accurate as possible for this purpose however.

Mole Rojo de Jalisco

2-3 lbs. boneless pork (a fattier cut tastes better but you can use any type)
salt for water
2/3 c. flour
2/3 c. oil (traditionally corn oil, but I substitute canola sometimes)
1 large dried chile ancho
1 large dried chile guajillo
1/2 med. onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1-2 Tbs ground cumin
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
3-4 whole cloves

Cut pork into cubes, about 1-2 inches in size. Place in a dutch oven and boil with salted water about 2 hours or until pork is tender and falls apart easily. Set aside WITH THE WATER.

Next take the 2 chilies, clean out the seeds and membranes, and place them in a saucepan with the onion and garlic. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes or until chilies are tender. Place chilies, onion and garlic in a blender with the remaining spices and blend until smooth. You may want to add some of the cooking water to this to make it blend easier. It should be the consistency of cake batter.

In a large frying pan, use the oil and flour to make a roux. when the mixture is hot, add your chile mixture and blend well. Next use a ladle and add the pork water bit by bit to thin the mole, being sure to blend well before adding more. I usually add water until the mole is the consistency of a creamy soup. Then just add the pork, simmer for about 20 minutes on low to let the flavors marry and your done! Serve with fresh corn tortillas and enjoy.

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