Mole Chili con Carne
Instructions:
- From the word molli, which means “concoction,†comes mole, a favorite sauce in Mexico that is probably prepared in as many ways as there are cooks who make it. Mole is a rich-tasting, reddish brown sauce, one of whose unlikely ingredients—chocolate—contributes body without making the sauce sweet.
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 pounds boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed with press
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 11â„2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
- 1â„2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cans (15 to 19 ounces each) pink beans and/or red kidney beans
- 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 11â„2 teaspoons salt
- warm corn tortillas (optional)
- Pat pork and beef dry with paper towels. In 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Add meat in batches and cook until well browned, 5 to 6 minutes, adding more oil if necessary and using slotted spoon to transfer meat to medium bowl as it is browned. (You may need to reduce heat to medium if oil in Dutch oven begins to smoke.) Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, onions, coriander, cumin, paprika, chipotle chili powder, and cinnamon to drippings in Dutch oven, and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
- Return meat with its juices to Dutch oven. Stir in beans with their liquid, tomatoes with their juice, water, chocolate, and salt; heat to boiling over high heat, stirring until browned bits are loosened from bottom of Dutch oven.
- Cover and bake until meat is fork-tender, 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours. Skim and discard any fat. Spoon chili into bowls and serve with tortillas, if you like. Makes about 15 cups or 10 main-dish servings.