Amigos, I’ve reached a point where I find myself doing things my mom used to do — things I swore I would never do. This week, during one of the hottest weeks of the year, I prepared the warmest dish I could think of, just like my mom and many other Mexican moms would do. I nearly melted from the heat, but it was totally worth it to enjoy a delicious bowl of mole de olla.
Mole de olla is one of my favorite Mexican dishes. It’s easy to eat, delicious and very nutritious. And it’s important to note that it has absolutely nothing to do with the mole you might be thinking of, like mole poblano or Oaxacan mole.
What is mole de olla?
Mole de olla is essentially a soup made with a protein (such as beef, pork or chicken) and various vegetables. The broth is created from the meat used in the dish, along with a chili-based paste.
Every region in Mexico has its own variations on the ingredients and cooking techniques, but all mole de olla recipes include meat, chayote, carrots, potatoes, green beans, corn, xoconostle (a type of prickly pear) and a chili paste made with tomatoes and dried chiles like guajillo or chipotle. The most popular version is made with beef, particularly cuts with meat and bone like chambarete (shank) or other flavorful cuts.
Is it really a mole?
Quick answer: yes.
In a previous article, we discussed what mole is. It’s essentially a sauce or paste made from various ingredients, and the base of this particular dish is a chili paste.
Mole de olla may remind you of Spanish pucheros — traditional, hearty broths that include chickpeas, potatoes, meat and legumes. Mole de olla is an adaptation of the puchero, incorporating ingredients native to this region. Therefore, we can confidently say that mole de olla is a 100% mestizo dish.
Once you try it, you’ll never go back!
Mole de olla has a unique flavor: The broth, packed with richness, is slightly spicy due to the dried chiles. Freshness comes from the vegetables. The “substance” we refer to in Mexico comes from the tender, juicy chunks of meat.
Eating mole de olla is like having a religious experience.
Nutridelicious!
A single bowl provides vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, iron, folic acid, protein, fiber and carbohydrates. The hardest part is to have just one bowl.
Hopefully, by now I’ve convinced you that mole de olla is a true culinary gem. So here’s how to make it.
Mole de Olla (serves 6)
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Ingredients
For the broth and meat:
- 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) beef with bone (ask your butcher for chambarete or beef shank)
- 1 marrow bone (hello collagen!)
- 2 liters (8 cups) of water
- 1 medium onion
- 1 sprig of epazote
- 4 xoconostles, peeled, cored and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 ears of corn cut into chunks
For the sauce:
- 3 dried ancho chiles, roasted and seeded
- 3 dried pasilla chiles, roasted and seeded
- 1 piece of onion
- 2 garlic cloves.
For the vegetables:
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 5 zucchinis, sliced thick
- 1/2 kilo (1 lb) green beans, trimmed
- 2 chayotes, cubed
For serving:
Directions
1. Cook the meat
In a large pot, combine the meat, water, onion, epazote, xoconostles and garlic. Bring the mixture to a boil and skim off any foam. Cook the meat until tender, about 2 hours.
2. Make the chili sauce
Soak the chiles in hot water until softened, then blend them with onion and garlic until smooth. Strain the mixture and set aside.
3. Cook the vegetables
Cook the vegetables separately in salted water or add them directly to the broth, depending on their cooking times. Corn and carrots take longer, while zucchinis and green beans cook more quickly.
4. Combine ingredients
Once the meat is tender, add the strained chili sauce to the pot and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Add the vegetables and cook for 5-10 minutes more until it’s all just tender but still holds its shape.
5. Optional: chochoyones
Some versions include small masa dumplings called chochoyones. To make them, mix corn masa with a bit of lard, salt and chopped epazote. Form the mixture into small balls, make a dimple in each one with your finger and add them to the pot at the end of the cooking process.
Serve the mole de olla piping hot in deep bowls. Include a generous piece of meat, lots of the vegetables and plenty of broth in each serving.
For a complete experience, provide chopped onion, lime wedges and freshly made corn tortillas on the side.
María Meléndez is a Mexico City food blogger and influencer.
