Every morning around 3am, while her husband and children sleep, Matilda wakes up and grinds the corn kernels she has left soaking in lyme water overnight. She gets on her hands and knees and rolls the mano over the metate as women have for thousands of years. She heats up her comal with reed stems from the river bank. She presses the nixtamal (hominy) into large discs and cooks them to a perfect crispness. She sets a few of the Tlayudas (large tortillas) aside along with a container of cooked black beans for her husband to take to work. Then, she wraps the remaining tlayudas in her rebozo, and walks to the market to sell them for a peso a piece. She is the indigenous Mexican woman, and the backbone of a nation.
Today I am going to share with you, my love for the food from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, particularly their Moles (pronounced Molays). After a brief introduction to Oaxaca, I will talk about preparing Mole Coloradito and Mole de Mancha Menteles.
First, to get in the mood, listen to this Oaxacan Mole Cumbia by Lila Downs
se muele la chocolate, se muele también el pan
After listening, join me below.....
UPDATE: Thank you all so much for reading, and putting this on the rec list. This is the first time for me, and I am glad that it is about Oaxaca, a place that is very dear to me.
Oaxaca is culturally and geographically diverse, and is commonly divided into seven geographic and cultural regions. This concept is beautifully portrayed by a statue in the Capital City (Oaxaca), where seven women dressed in each of the regions' traditional huipiles stand proudly. They are referred to as the seven sisters, and I think that Oaxaca has been called the "Land of the Seven Moles" in their honor.
- The Central Valley was the cradle of ancient Zapotec civilization, where the breathtaking archaeological zone of Monte Albán still towers above the modern city and attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. This system of valleys is situated at 5000-6000 feet above sea level and contains some of the best farmland in all of southern Mexico. Here you will find Zapotec women, such as Matilda, grinding corn into nixtamal (masa), and many milpa farms (Corn, Beans, and Squash). This is really the land of the seven moles, and you can find all of them here.
- La Mixteca is aptly named after the people who inhabit this area. It consists of a very high mountain range known as the Mixteca Alta, which borders the Central Valley on the north, and a lower mountain range (Mixteca Baja) that continues north into the state of Guerrero. The Mixtec people are the second largest indigenous group in Oaxaca.
- La Costa is long, hot, and tropical. It contains many different indigenous groups and languages. There are also resorts, some of the best surfing in the world, and several immigrant communities, Including, Americans, Italians, and even a community of African diaspora.
- La Cañada de Cuicatlán is a long canyon that divides the Sierra Juárez from the Mixteca. It is located in the highlands, but it is hot, and contains tropical flora and fauna because it is so deep. Many of the bananas, mangos, and other fruits come from the Cañada.
- La Sierra Juárez, also known as the Sierra Norte and Sierra Sur are high cold mountainous regions that are only accessible through winding dirt roads. They are populated mostly by Zapotec people, but there are also Mixe in large numbers. The Sierra Norte is a beautiful place, known for organic coffee collectives, trout farms, and eco-tourism. The Sierra Sur is famous for artisanal Mezcal production, a VERY important part of Oaxacan tradition. I highly recommend taking a Mezcal tasting tour.
- El Istmo or Isthmus of Tehuantepec is dominated by Zapotec speakers, but the culture is quite a bit different from the Valley or the Sierra. Here the people are ultra proud of their traditions, and don't take to strangers. It is a hot, humid, and windy place. It is known for its strong outgoing women, its beautiful cumbias, and Muxes. The food on the Istmo is also different, with fish being the staple product. However, you can always get a good Iguana or rabbit soup. Also, they make Bupu there, which is an atole with a floating foam made from the zapote flower.
- Tuxtepec is located in the NE of Oaxaca, near the Puebla/Vera Cruz borders. It is dominated by Chinanteco and Mixe people. It is lower, has more rainfall, and feels quite a bit more tropical than the other parts. This is the region known for Caldo de Piedra, or stone soup. They also make great Rum moonshine there. They call it agua ardiente (fire water).
As a student of Ancient Zapotec Civilization, I spend most of my time in the central valley. There, I have made great friends with several families, and my wife and I have had the honor to learn several of their cooking traditions. Now, I am going to share with you what I have learned about preparing just a couple of the Oaxacan Moles.
The first thing to understand is that in Oaxaca, most of the ingredients are purchased in the local markets from the people who grow them--a natural organic locally grown tradition that is cheap and has been around for millennia. If you ever go to Oaxaca, I suggest that you go to the Tlacolula market which is held every Sunday. Just explore the market, and listen to the people bartering in Zapotec---AWESOME!
ON TO THE MOLES
Of all the moles, why did I choose Coloradito and Mancha Menteles? Well, of course, I thought of Mole Negro, but that is extremely difficult to make, and requires personal assistance from a master in the kitchen. Believe me this is true. I chose these two, because they can be easily made in an American kitchen, and they are both damned good. They are also both commonly served in Oaxaca.
If you want to learn to make great Mole Negro, I suggest you book a flight to Oaxaca. Then go to the town of Teotitlán del Valle. Go to the restaurant called Tlamanalli and ask the women there if you can pay them for a class. They make the most bestest Mole negro I have ever tasted. You can find recipes and directions online or in a few cookbooks, but I warn you it is difficult. Alternatively, you purchase condensed Mole Negro in any market and just slowly add it to broth. OK, enough of that, let's get to the directions.
MOLE COLORADITO:
This is my personal favorite mole. In Oaxaca, this mole really varies from cook to cook and can be very sweet or very spicy. Unfortunately, when you get it in a restaurant, it is usually disappointingly sweet. Although Casa Oaxaca makes a pretty good version. Like Mole Negro, it is most often served with rice and chicken. However, it goes great with tender slices of pork roast.
MOLE COLORADITO INGREDIENTS
Serving Size: 6
10 ancho chiles (dried)
1 pasilla chile (dried)
4 large roma tomatoes
4 medium garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 slices day-old bread
15 almonds, blanched
1/2 cup sesame seeds
3 whole cloves
10 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 Mexican/Sri Lankan cinnamon stick ("canela") (approx 1 inch)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups chicken stock
8 pieces of chicken
1/2 medium white onion
2 garlic cloves
MOLE COLORADITO DIRECTIONS
Clean the chiles with a damp cloth. Discard seeds and stems. Roast chiles slightly on a hot, dry skillet, then transfer them to a pot of hot water. Let them soak for 20 minutes. In a separate skillet, dry-roast the tomatoes and the unpeeled garlic cloves. Remove.
Add 3 tablespoons vegetable oil to the skillet and fry the bread until pale gold. Add the blanched almonds, sesame seeds, oregano, peppercorns, and cloves.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a big pot. Blend the chiles with fresh water (just enough to be able to blend) and add to the pot. Let the chile paste fry for about 8-10 minutes. Blend the nuts and spices along with the tomatoes and garlic with some water and add to the cooking pot. Blend the cinnamon with a little water and pass through a sieve over the mole. Let it simmer until it is thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Let it cook for 15 minutes, adding salt and sugar to taste. The mole should cover the back of a spoon.
Add boiled chicken or pork. Let simmer for 10 minutes and serve with rice and tortillas.
Chicken: Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1/2 onion, 3 garlic cloves and salt. When boiling add the chicken pieces and boil until the meat is done. You can use this chicken stock in the mole.
Note: You can substitute the chicken broth by using a vegetable broth, as follows:
1/2 cup chopped celery including leaves, 1 sliced leek, 1/2 medium onion, 2 garlic cloves, 3 small tomatoes, 3 whole black peppercorns, and salt to taste. Place all the ingredients in a medium stock-pot and cover with 1.5 liters of water. Let it boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1/2 hour. Strain and discard vegetables before use.
MOLE MANCHA MENTELES: (Table Stain Mole)
This Mole is very similar to Mole Amarillo, and is usually served inside of tamales with chicken or mushrooms. It is not very spicy, and some versions of it taste similar to good tomato pastas.
Serving size: 6
5 ancho chiles (dried)
1/2 medium white onion
3 medium garlic cloves
3 med. tomatoes
5 almonds, blanched
4 black peppercorns
4 cloves
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 med. cinnamon stick (Mexican/Sri Lankan)
oil
stock water, as needed
8 pieces of chicken
1 quart of water
1 medium onion
3 medium garlic cloves
3 sprigs of parsley
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 slice fresh pineapple, chunked
2 ripe plantains, sliced
Cut the chiles open, remove the stems and seeds, and spread them flat. Roast them in a large dry frying pan until they shrivel and slightly turn color, then soak them in hot water for up to 20 minutes (not more or flavor will dissipate). In a smaller pan, dry roast the onion, unpeeled garlic, and tomatoes until they are charred. Remove the garlic cloves and peel them. In another pan add 1 tablespoon oil and fry the almonds, peppercorns, cloves, oregano, and thyme. Toast the cinnamon stick slightly to release flavor.
Transfer the chiles with enough water to a blender, process, and pass through a sieve. Meanwhile heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pan, add the chile mixture, and let it fry. Blend the rest of the roasted and fried ingredients, including the cinnamon stick. Pass through a sieve and add to the chile paste.
Simmer the mole, adding water to achieve the correct consistency: the mole should coat the back of a spoon when you dip it in the pot. Check the seasonings and add the parsley sprigs (they are taken out before serving).
Clean the chicken pieces, place them in a small stock pot with water, onion, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and poach the chicken until tender, about 30 minutes.
To finish the dish, heat the oil and butter in a skillet and saute the pineapple chunks. Remove and set aside. Saute the plantain slices until golden. Add the fruit, and chicken to the mole. Simmer for 10 minutes and serve. (The fruit can be served on the side, if you wish).
The last thing to do is prepare the Tortillas, as we all know there is nothing better to sop up the remaining Mole than a good tortilla.
If you want to make your own tortillas, you will need a tortilla press, some wax paper, and a large aluminum skillet.
Tortilla Ingredients:
Pinch of Salt
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
2 cups corn masa. (you can buy this at any supermarket)
Tortilla Directions:
Mix the masa and salt in a bowl, and add the chicken broth by sprinkling it over the masa. Add enough broth/water to make the masa clumpy, but dry enough to be worked in your hands. If it gets too sticky just add some more masa to dry it. Roll the masa into golf ball sized balls and press them flat with your hands into discs. Place some wax paper on each edge of the tortilla press, put a masa disc between the wax paper, and press. Make sure you use good pressure to get an even thickness. Place the pan on the stove and put it on maximum heat. Let the pan get really hot. (If you can purchase a ceramic comal, this is much better)
When it is really hot, place the tortillas directly on the pan. If the pan is not hot enough, they will stick. Otherwise, they will puff up a little. Let them cook on each side until they are just a little browned. Then, wrap them in cloth to keep them warm.
If you are interested in making corn tortillas from scratch, here is a tutorial from the great Mexican chef, Iliana de la Vega.
Homemade Corn Tortillas
Lastly, before you eat any Mole, you must prepare your pallet by drinking a Mezcal. First let a few drops fall to the ground, to honor the earth that all things come from. Then sip it and enjoy the smokey cactus flavor.
Now, I will leave you with a picture of some good friends in their Zapotec kitchen.