Cerdo y Pollo en Manchamanteles con Plátano Macho
Cerdo y Pollo en Manchamanteles con Plátano Macho·(mahn-chah-mahn-TEH-lehs)
El Lenguaje del Mole
Manchamanteles isn't a delicate, white-tablecloth affair; it translates to "tablecloth stainer"—a warning you'd do well to heed as this deep crimson mole bubbles and spits on the stove. The blender motor drives this Tuesday night hustle, replacing the elusive pasilla oaxaqueño with a standard pasilla, supermarket ancho chiles, and a hit of smoky chipotle; you'll fry the sauce in rendered fat until it sears, skipping the multi-day grind on a metate, and fold in a caramelized ripe plantain at the very end. Slice the pork shoulder and let the sauce stain the table.
Ingredients
- boneless pork shoulder1 lb
- boneless skinless chicken thighs1 1/2 lb
- very ripe plantain1 large
- fresh pineapple1 1/2 cup
- sweet apple1 med
- pork lard or neutral oil2 tbsp
- kosher saltto taste
- black pepperto taste
- dried ancho chiles4 med
- dried guajillo chiles2 med
- dried pasilla chiles2 med
- dried chipotle meco or morita chile1 med
- white onion1 med
- garlic cloves4 large
- Roma tomatoes3 large
- firm white bread1 slice
- raw almonds2 tbsp
- raw peanuts2 tbsp
- sesame seeds1 tbsp
- Mexican cinnamon stick1 small
- whole cloves3 small
- whole allspice berries4 small
- dried Mexican oregano1/2 tsp
- dried thyme1/4 tsp
- low-sodium chicken broth3 cup
- apple cider vinegar1 tbsp
- brown sugar1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Toast the chiles briefly in a dry skillet before soaking them in boiling water.
Press the ancho, guajillo, pasilla, and chipotle chiles flat in a dry cast-iron pan over medium heat for fifteen to thirty seconds a side until fragrant, then submerge them in boiling water for twenty minutes.
- 02
Char the vegetables and lightly toast the nuts and spices.
In the same dry skillet, roast the onion, garlic, and tomatoes until blackened in spots, then toast the almonds, peanuts, sesame seeds, and whole spices just until fragrant to wake up their oils.
- 03
Blend the soaked chiles, aromatics, and nuts into a velvety purée.
Discard the bitter chile soaking liquid, then blend the chiles, peeled garlic, roasted vegetables, nuts, spices, toasted bread, and half the chicken broth on high until completely smooth.
- 04
Aggressively sear the pork and chicken to build a crust and render fat.
Heat the lard or oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the seasoned meat in batches, removing it to a plate while leaving the precious rendered fat behind.
- 05
Fry the mole purée in the hot rendered fat until it darkens and thickens.
Pour the blended sauce directly into the hot fat—it will splatter violently, living up to its name—and fry it for several minutes; this searing is the grandmother's secret to unlocking the true depth of the mole.
- 06
Simmer the seared meats in the thinned mole sauce until tender.
Stir the remaining chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar into the thickened paste, return the meat to the pot, cover partially, and simmer gently for about forty minutes.
- 07
Caramelize the plantains and pineapple separately.
While the meat simmers, brown the plantain slices and sear the pineapple and apple chunks in a separate skillet so they retain their structure and natural sugars.
- 08
Fold the fruit into the simmering mole just before serving.
Give the caramelized fruit only the last ten minutes in the pot so they perfume the sauce with their tropical sweetness without breaking down into mush.
Notes
The diaspora chile substitution.
Finding pasilla oaxaqueño in an American grocery store is nearly impossible. Swapping it for a standard pasilla paired with a smoky chipotle morita perfectly replicates the ancestral, smoky-fruit flavor matrix of an authentic Oaxacan mole.
From Cook Oaxacan in America.