Ingredients
Chiles and liquid
- 2.1 oz dried mulato chiles 60 g after removing stems, seeds and tough veins
- 1.4 oz dried ancho chiles 40 g cleaned
- 1.1 oz dried pasilla chiles 30 g cleaned
- 6 1/4 cups ready-to-use chicken broth 1,500 g; plus more only if needed to adjust thickness
- 3.5 oz lard 100 g, divided
Nuts, fruit and starch
- 1.1 oz raw unsalted almonds 30 g
- 1.1 oz unsalted dry-roasted peanuts 30 g
- 1.1 oz whole unhulled sesame seeds 30 g; reserve 5 g for serving
- 1.4 oz seedless raisins 40 g
- 3.5 oz ripe plantain 100 g peeled weight, sliced
- 1.4 oz bolillo 40 g, sliced; weight before browning
- 1.1 oz corn tortilla 30 g, torn; weight before browning
Aromatics and finish
- 10.6 oz tomatoes 300 g, chopped
- 3.5 oz onion 100 g, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves 12 g, peeled
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon 2 g
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 g
- 1/4 tsp anise seeds 0.5 g
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 0.5 g
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves 0.3 g
- 2.1 oz sweetened Mexican table chocolate 60 g Abuelita tablets or equivalent; check allergens
- 2 1/2 tsp granulated sugar 10 g, optional; included in nutrition
- 1 tsp fine salt 6 g; adjust to the broth
Equipment
- Heavy pot If using earthenware, choose food-safe, lead-free cookware rated for the heat source
- Large skillet
- Blender suitable for the preparation
- Kitchen scale
- wooden spoon
Instructions
Cook in batches
- Clean and weigh the chiles. Heat 30 g of the lard over medium heat and briefly fry the chiles in batches, turning until aromatic but not blackened. Transfer to a saucepan with 600 g (about 2 1/2 cups) broth. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, then let cool enough for blending.
- Use 20 g lard to gently brown the almonds and peanuts in a skillet. Add the sesame near the end and remove before it burns; reserve 5 g for serving. Brown the bolillo and tortilla in the same fat without charring.
- With another 20 g lard, cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add tomato and plantain and cook for 10–15 minutes until softened. Stir in raisins and spices for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Blend and simmer
- Let all mixtures cool to a temperature your blender can handle. Blend the chiles with their broth in small batches. Separately blend the other cooked and toasted ingredients with another 600 g broth until fine. Follow the blender instructions for hot liquids and never overfill.
- Heat the final 30 g lard in a heavy pot. Carefully add the chile purée and stir across the bottom for 10 minutes. Add the remaining purées and final 300 g broth.
- Simmer gently for 40–50 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chocolate and salt and stir until dissolved. Taste the cooked sauce, add the optional sugar only if needed, then simmer about 15 minutes more, until the sauce coats a spoon.
- Thin with additional warm broth if necessary, or simmer uncovered a little longer if too thin. Divide into twelve portions of sauce and garnish with reserved sesame. Serve with separately cooked, hot chicken if desired; chicken is not included in the quantities or nutrition.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 sauce portion (1/12 batch)Calories: 227.5kcalFat: 14.2gCalcium: 62.4mgIron: 2.5mg
Notes
Amounts and estimates cover twelve portions of sauce only, without poultry, rice or serving tortillas. US measures are approximate; cleaned edible gram weights define the formula. The recipe contains sesame, peanuts, almonds and wheat; the specified chocolate contains soy and may carry milk or egg warnings. Check your packages.
Estimated nutrition includes 10 g optional sugar, all sesame and all lard. Sources: USDA SR Legacy, INCMNSZ 2015 mulato chile, and the Abuelita label at 100 kcal per 23 g. Protein is omitted because the label gives less than 1 g, not an exact amount; carbohydrates are omitted because source definitions differ. Other missing fields lack complete matching data and are not zero. Refrigerate promptly at 40°F or below for 3–4 days. Bring sauce to a boil when reheating; reheat leftover poultry separately to 165°F.
