MOLE DE OLLA (BEEF STEW WITH CHILES)
Mexico has innumerable beef stews: puchero, birria, puntas al albañil.
But the most universal, according to writer Pati Jinich, is mole de olla, a true one-pot dish, often made for family gatherings, with vegetables like corn, zucchini, cactus and chayote added at the last minute. If the name seems surprising, Jinich said, the word mole doesn’t refer just to the famous thickened sauces of Puebla and Oaxaca, but any kind of “saucy thing.” What makes mole de olla a stew and not a soup is the rich purée of roasted dried chiles that both thickens and seasons it.
Makes: Total time:
6 to 8 servings
2 ¼ hours
3 pounds beef stew meat or beef shank meat, cut into 1 ½-inch- to 2-inch chunks, with any bones added to the pot
½ white onion, plus ¾ cup finely chopped onion for garnish
1 large sprig fresh mint (10 to 12 leaves), or 2 sprigs fresh epazote or 1 tablespoon dried epazote
3 garlic cloves
3 bay leaves
Kosher salt or coarse sea salt 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
3 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 pound (about 4) ripe tomatoes, preferably Roma tomatoes
¼ pound tomatillo (1 large), husked (see note)
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds 2 chayote squash, peeled and cubed (about 3 cups)
3 ears fresh corn, husked and cut crosswise into thirds
1 large zucchini, cubed (about 3 cups)
¾ pound green beans, trimmed and cut into about 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
3 to 4 limes, quartered, for garnish
1. In a large heavy-bottomed
casserole or pot, place the meat, onion half, mint, garlic, bay leaves and about 1 tablespoon salt. Cover with 8 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface, then reduce the heat to low or medium-low; cover and simmer for 1 hour.
2. While the mixture simmers, place the ancho and pasilla chiles in a medium bowl, cover with boiling water and let them rehydrate for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Place the tomatoes and tomatillo in a baking dish under the broiler and cook until they are completely charred and mushy, 10 to 20 minutes.
4. In a small skillet set over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds, stirring constantly, anywhere from 1 to 2 minutes, until they start to become golden brown.
5. In a blender, place the soaked chiles and ¼ cup of their soaking liquid, plus the broiled tomatoes and tomatillos, and the toasted sesame seeds; purée until completely smooth.
6. Remove the cooked onion, mint and garlic cloves from the large casserole or pot (if some remain, it is totally fine). Pour the chile mixture in with the meat. Stir, cover again and cook for another 30 minutes.
7. Remove lid, raise heat to medium, add the cubed chayote squash and the corn and cook, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Add the zucchini and green beans and cook, partially covered, for another 10 minutes; season to taste with salt.
8. Serve in bowls, making sure that each bowl has serving of meat, corn, chayote, green beans and zucchini. Serve with finely chopped white onion, cilantro and quartered limes to dress at the table.
Note: Traditionally, this recipe uses xoconostles, which can be hard to find. Instead, tomatillos have a similar tart flavor.