Caldo de Res ...or is it Mole de Olla!? {Red Chile Beef Soup w/ Vegetables}

Caldo de Res and Mole de Olla are not necessarily the same thing.  But since dishes vary from region to region, sometimes they can overlap.  The recipe that I based this Caldo de Res on was actually labeled Mole de Olla.  But mi esposo and local Mexican friends tell me NO!  It's not Mole de Olla, it's Caldo de Res.  Confused much?  I asked hubby just what the difference is...and he says he doesn't really know.  I tried researching it a bit, but when I find pictures or descriptions of one or the other, they somewhat overlap.  Perhaps some regions leave the chiles out of their Caldo de Res?*  Perhaps some leave it out of their Olla de Mole?  After a few hours of hair pulling and trying to figure out here from there, I just gave in and decided it could be either-or.  I really do think it boils down to who is making it.  Methods seems to vary from region to region, city to city, family to family, and cook to cook.

When I talked about the different types of moles the other day, I mentioned that although not a sauce, Mole de Olla still qualifies as a mole in the broader sense of its original meaning of stew or sauce.  Looking at the meaning of the terms...Olla is actually the name of the pot that something is (traditionally) cooked in ...a tall, narrow earthenware pot.  So, originally...a soupy mole that simmered in an olla.  A caldo is basically a soup or broth.  So...a meaty broth in this case, if you will.

Yeah.  I'm still not any closer to deciphering the two.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on either.  If you've tried them.  If you make them.  What is your version, or the version you know you like?  And if you know the region of Mexico your version came from, I'd love to know that as well.  No matter the name, this is a rich, brothy soup laden with meat, chile, and veggies that is sure to satisfy.

Caldo de Res (or Mole de Olla)

Red Chile Beef Soup w/ Vegetables

inspired by & adapted from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen

yield: ~3 quarts

1 lb. boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1½" chunks

1½ lb. oxtails, in 2" pcs.

~1 tsp. sea salt

2 small white onions, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 bay leaves

¼ tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

⅛ tsp. ground cloves

~¾ oz. dried guajillo chiles, seeded & stemmed

~¾ oz. dried ancho chiles, seeded & stemmed

1 medium, very ripe tomato

small handful cilantro (or 5 sprigs epazote)

2 large carrots, sliced ¼" thick

2 medium zucchini, ½" dice

2 ears corn, husked & cut into 1" sections

4 oz. fresh green beans, snipped & halved

for serving:

white onion, finely diced

lime wedges

Place the meat in a large (should hold at least 6 quarts) soup pot or Dutch oven with 3 quarts of cold water.  Bring to a bowl, skimming of any gray scum/foam that rises to the top (these are the impurities and you don't want them in your soup).  Once the water is boiling, put heat on medium-low.  After the scum has all been skimmed off add salt, onion, garlic, bay leaves, cumin, pepper, and cloves to the pot.  Partially cover the pot and simmer it for ~1½ hours.  

While the broth is gently bubbling, rip the chiles open and toast them on a heavy skillet over medium heat for just a few seconds per side.  Place in a bowl and cover with very hot water.  Put a plate on top to keep the chiles submerged and let them sit for ~30 minutes.   Add chiles to the jar of a blender along with the tomato and 3 Tbs. of water.  Process until very smooth.  Strain through a medium-mesh sieve into a small bowl and set aside.

After the hour and a half is up, skim as much fat from the top of the broth as you can.  Stir in the chile puree and the cilantro (or epazote).  Partially cover again and simmer gently for another 30 minutes.

Uncover the pot and turn up the heat to medium-high.  Add the veggies and cook until just tender, ~10 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Ladle the soup into bowls, making sure to put some of everything in each bowl.  Pass the diced onion and lime wedges for everybody to add to their bowls as they like.

*Update: ...and yes, I'm told that Caldos usually are just the broth, without chile.  When you add chiles, it turns into the Mole.  Although, I'm guessing it has evolved over generations, like in my hubby's (and many others) family.  He grew up with chiles in his Caldo de Res.  But I do believe to be technically correct, without chile equals caldo and with equals mole. 

Today is the 3 year anniversary of Souper Sundays which is hosted weekly by my friend Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.  Be sure to head over there this evening and check out all of the wonderful soups (plus salads and sandwiches) she's rounding up for this celebration!

I am sharing this post with:

"On" Mole + Mole Amarillo {she made, ella hace}

I can probably say without a shadow of a doubt that mole is in my top 5 favorite dishes of all time.  The thing is, there's more than one type of mole.  The situation is a bit like my tortilla soup situation was a year and a half ago.  The first type I ever made is so mesmerizing to the senses that I've never really felt the need to try another.  The variety I adore is classified as mole rojo or mole poblano, although it is so silky, luxurious, and dark that I think it could qualify as a mole negro.  Over time, I let some of my convictions mellow a bit...like the one where I say "my" mole is the best mole in the universe.  Maybe further.  I'm going to embark on a personal quest to try all of the varieties.  I'm not really making it an open quest like I did for the tortilla soup.  At least not yet.  I may change my mind over time, but since there are just so many varieties out there and I really want to experience the unique qualities and characteristics of each one, it may take me a while.  Although, I'm always open to suggestions and pointers on good recipes.  Plus, I may even try some of the pre-made pastes (If I can find them in bulk like they have in Mexico...not so sure about the stuff in jars).  So.  That said, let's talk mole.

photo credits (clockwise from top left):  Mexico Cooks, Alejandro Linares Garcia, Comida con Pablo, TravelPod 

Mole originates from the Nahuatl word molli, meaning "sauce" or "concoction".  I've heard that it is considered the National dish of Mexico, which makes me wonder if there's an "original" version that qualifies or if it can be any mole.  Moles run the gamut from the deep, complex sauces made up of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, garlic, tomatoes and tomatillos, tortillas or bread, chiles, and chocolate resulting in a deep red, almost black color with a glossy sheen and an intoxicating scent to amarillo (which is actually orange...go figure), verde (I have tried this, and liked it), bright red and fruity to thin and brothier like a mole de olla.  In other words, my beloved mole rojo (or mole poblano) is just one of the many sauces, stews, or concoctions surviving today from ancient times that carry the name mole.

In the spirit of my new adventure, I decided I would try Mole Amarillo for the first time.  I suppose one benefit of making "the other" types of mole is that they don't take as long (upwards of a whole day) to make as mole poblano does.  Mole Amarillo is one of the seven Oaxan moles.  It uses the light red guajillo chiles and is thickened with masa...which I love.  It's fantastic with chicken (stuffed into an empanada like I did), but I think it would be perfect with a "meaty" variety of white fish.

Mole Amarillo

adapted from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen

yield: ~3 c.

4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled

8 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed & seeded

2 small, ripe tomatoes

4 medium tomatillos, husked

1 small white onion, peeled & quartered

¼ tsp. ground cloves

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbs. bacon grease or lard

2 c. chicken broth, divided

¼ c. masa harina

~2 tsp. sea salt

~1½ tsp. sugar 

Roast the unpeeled garlic cloves on a heavy,  ungreased skillet or comal over medium heat until soft and blackened in spots, ~15 minutes.  Open up the chiles and toast them on the same skillet for a few seconds per side, until they start to change color a bit and smell toasty (not burnt).  Transfer the chiles to a bowl, cover with the hottest tap water, weigh down with a small plate, and let soak for ~30 minutes.  Peel garlic cloves when cool enough to handle.  Place tomatoes, tomatillos, and onions on a piece of foil or a sheet pan and broil, turning from time to time until soft, dark, and blistery, ~10-12 minutes total.  

Drain water from the chiles then place them in the jar of a blender along with the peeled garlic.  Peel the skin from the tomatoes (it should just slip off) and add them to the blender along with the tomatillos, onions, and any accumulated juices from broiling.  Add cloves and pepper and blend until very smooth.  Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl.

Heat fat over medium-high heat in a heavy bottomed pot.  Carefully pour in the puree (it spits...watch out) and cook for ~5 minutes.  It will darken a bit and become concentrated.  I recommend using a spatter-guard and an enameled cast-iron pot or a cazuela.  Stir in 1½ cups of the broth, partially cover, and simmer for ~30 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

Whisk together the remaining chicken broth and the masa harina.  Whisk into pot and cook for another minute or so.  Turn off heat.  Season with salt and sugar.

Combine some with cooked, shredded chicken and use it as a taco or empanada filling, along with a sprig of hoja santa or cilantro.  Or like I said earlier, I think it would pair very nicely with some firm, white fish.

Check out the other types of mole I've already tried, like my favorite Mole Rojo (Mole Poblano), which I make a big batch of at least once a year, usually right before Thanksgiving to give away and use throughout the next month and a half.  Or the Mole Verde Queretano which I made for my hubby or my Mole de Olla.

*This is my post for the series She Made, Ella Hace this month (topic: mole)!  Please head on over to visit my friend Leslie from La Cocina de Leslie to see what she has to say and share about mole today!*

What happens when two American girls who are both married to Mexican guys find out that although one of them lives in the U.S. and one of them lives in Mexico, they both love eating the same food?  Well, naturally they decide to get "together" the only way they can and cook up the same dishes.  Or perhaps take the same ingredients and talking about them in their own voice or using them in their own way. 

Leslie and I have teamed up to occasionally cook/bake/make a our own versions of the same food.  We want to see how similar (or how different) they turn out.  Other times we will pick an ingredient and use it however we choose...or maybe just talk about it.  Good food knows no borders and we hope to share the food we love with you.  It's not a competition, it's a showcase.  We will post on the same day as each other and would love to hear your thoughts on what we've made and how you make it. 

Join me (here at girlichef) and Leslie in her kitchen (at La Cocina de Leslie) for some delicious food.

I am also sharing this post with:


*sources: Authentic Mexican & Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen by Rick Bayless - Wikipedia

Mole Verde Queretano para la celebración Bicentenaria de Independencia

It is midnight...el Presidente rings the bell...shouts ring out in the dark...  ¡Viva Pancho Villa!  ¡Viva Zapata!  ¡Viva Libertad!  ¡Viva México!  Music starts to play...and doesn't stop for close to two days.  The whole town comes to the square with tables and food.  The kids are playing, everybody is dancing or eating, or shouting...some are dressed up like Pancho Villa.    Family, neighbors, friends...every which way you turn.

You grab a plate and make your way to the lady with the masa.  She's slappin' out tortillas faster by hand than a machine could do...not that that seems odd to you- because it is everyday life.  You take your steaming hot tortillas to the table with the carné...load 'em up...head over to the table with the huge vats of molé verde.  The woman who made this slathers it over your plate and automatically sidehands some toasted ajonjoli in a steady sprinkling across the top.  The tastes you love.  The music you sing along with.  The faces that bring you comfort.  The atmosphere that...as a child...a teenager...a young adult...you think will never end, suddenly does.

Perhaps you don't realize it for a couple of years.  You've gone out on your own...to a new country...to a whole new way of life.  Independence day hides backstage in your mind as you become acclaimated with this strange new land and its traditions...its culture.  As the years pass, and you've seen the celebrations of this new country's independence celebrated here, in July you begin to feel a hole.  For a few years, you're not really sure why.  What is it...this aching that resonates from a place so deep inside?  While you love your family...the one you created as an adult, as opposed to the one you were born into and embrace the traditions that your esposa grew up with in this new country in which you live, you realize how much you miss the traditions you grew up with.  The ones you thought would never end. 

Lucky for you, you married a girl who loves to cook.  And eat.  And Mexican food is her favorite.  And she embraces the culture in which you grew up, as well as her own.  She yearns for her own children to know, love, embrace both sides...and you know that one day, when you have enough money, she'll be the first one on that plane or perhaps in that car, on that bus, on that train with her bags packed, her camera charged and her pencil and paper ready as you head back to the place of your birth to celebrate in the tradition of old México.

Tamales!

Tamales are a celebration food! They are typical fiesta fare. Simply the tamale making process is an event in and of itself. In Mexican culture, tamales are made for any number of celebrations, Christmas probably the biggest time of year for gathering in the kitchen and putting a huge batch together. But I decided that I was going to make it a New Year ritual at Casa González. I mean, I'm not gonna deny anybody tamales if they want them for, saaaaaaay, Secretary's Day...but...you know. So along with my molé, I made tamales using said molé to ring in 2010. We just made a small batch, ~3 dozen...just mexi & I in the kitchen. But it is a load of fun to gather ingredients...family members, friends, neighbors, strangers walking their dogs...and make a tamalada (tamale making ritual...party before the party) of it!

Tamales 

...just the process, not an actual recipe

Gather:

Corn husks (or banana leaves)

Prepared Masa (recipe to come, sometime in the future)

Filling (this time I used chicken w/ molé)

Tamale pot/steamer (either one made for it or a big pot fitted w/ raised rack)

Process:

Pick through and soak your corn husks (in hot water) until pliable, ~4 hours. Cover with a plate to keep them submerged.

Put your prepared masa in one large bowl.

 Put your prepared filling in another large bowl.

Give yourself a good amount of space. Divide the tasks into stations if you're doing it tamalada style. Oh yeah, and while you're getting everything prepared, take a few of the corn husks and rip them right down the grain into thin ribbons for tying your tamales. 

Now, arrange your drained corn husks first, masa second, filling third and tying station last. Lay one husk flat, tapered end closest to you. Put ~1/4 c. of masa onto husk and spread it into a fairly thin layer, ~1/4" thickness. Be sure to leave a good amount of space (~1 1/2")at the bottom for "sealing" and ~1/2 - 3/4" on the other sides. Spoon a good heaping Tbs. of filling down the center. Fold one side over and then fold the other side over that. Fold up the bottom and tie gently with strip of husk or string.Arrange the tamales, open side up, on the rack inside the pot. Oh yeah, don't forget to fill the bottom of the pot with water first. Repeat, passing down the line, if it applies, until you are out of ingredients. 

If there is still space inside the pot, just wad up a bit of tin foil and stick it in this space. This will keep the tamales from falling over (a tip I learned from the Master...you all know who that is by now. Right!?).Turn on the water until it begins to boil. Turn down and let it steam, with the lid on, for ~45 minutes.

 You will be able to tell they are done when the husk pulls away from the masa easily. Let cool and refrigerate to hold. 

 Reheat by steaming or microwaving...or fry some up on the comal...that'll give 'em crisp outsides...YUM! I love them that way. Course, I like 'em any way!  I am in the tamale making mood...so get ready for more tamales in the hopefully near future!

**UPDATE: I am submitting this to Joan at Foodalogue who is starting her 2010 Culinary Tour South of the Border....in Mexico! Be sure to check out all of the wonderful foods brought to her round-up as she posts it!**

Wishing you Mole and a Happy New Year!

 What a surprising thing blogging has been to me. Last year at this time, if somebody asked me what a blog was...I would have just given a shrug...the kind that includes raised eyebrows and wide eyes. I had just begun to see the term around, but hadn't yet sit down to investigate what it was all about. I'm sure I probably started by googling the word blog...and wouldja look at me now. Here I am, sitting in front of my computer, trying to put together one last post of the year. A post with my favorite meal...or food...or maybe flavor...whatever it is, it's my absolute favorite above all others...this year or any year.

I started making mole about 10 years ago. Actually, I think it was exactly 10 years ago this holiday season! Did you know that red molé is actually the national dish of Mexico? Even though, it is actually a sauce. A sauce, that is delicious with anything from poultry to carnitas to vegetables! And in Mexico, families (and family members) each have their own special molé ingredients and proportions. In ritual, they gather the most beautiful dried chiles...the kind that are still pliable...spices, dried nuts and fruits...and another star (usually homemade, too), Mexican chocolate. Yes, this is the sauce that some people call the "chile and chocolate sauce." But don't let that fool you, because it is SOOOOOO much more. Yes, they both add to the fabulous, earthen complexity of the sauce...but they are not alone. Look for dried chiles that are supple and pliable...you want them to bend. You want the warm smell to envelope you when you get near them. If they are hard and brittle...and you can't smell them...then why use them? I am fortunate enough to have homemade Mexican chocolate from a friends mami in Mexico, but the kind you can find at the market are very, very close in quality. Plump tomatillos and sticky raisins...thick bread...and the nuttiness of almonds and sesame seeds are more of the ingredients in this mole. Round it out with some piloncillo (or brown sugar if you can't find any) and some warm spices (freshly ground in w/ a mortar & pestle or in a spice grinder) and you're on your way. Molé takes a good day to make correctly. And you want to make it correctly! It'll show. I originally learned from the master and have tweaked and adapted over the years in order to make this molé mine, but I owe so much to Rick Bayless and his welcoming, instructional method of teaching through both his books and his tv show. Make your first batch from a trusted recipe, and then adapt from there. Mexicans themselves ask me how I learned to make this. They swoon just as much as I do. Just as the hubs...otherwise referred to as mexi...he'll tell you it's true. I can't even tell you the number of times I've been told... "You can get married now!" Good to know ;) This is what they tell a girl/woman in Mexico once she can truly cook.

Well. But, any occasion is a special occasion if you add mole...so, I'm adding mole to this New Year's Eve. 

Mole Rojo / Mole Poblano

adapted from Mexico One Plate at a Time

yield ~1½ gallons (yes, it's a lot...but you'll want to share it and eat it for a while)

7 medium tomatillos

⅔ c. sesame seeds, toasted then cooled and whizzed in a spice grinder

½ c. vegetable oil or good rendered pork lard

6 oz. mulato chiles, seeded & stemmed & ripped in half

3 oz. ancho chiles, seeded & stemmed & ripped in half

3 oz. pasilla chiles, seeded & stemmed & ripped in half

9 garlic cloves, peeled

1 c. (~4½ oz.) whole, skin on almonds

1 c. raisins

1 tsp. freshly ground cinnamon

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp. freshly ground anise

¼ tsp. freshly ground cloves

2 slices thick, firm country bread, toasted dark

1 tablet of Mexican chocolate (~3 oz.)

~½ c. piloncillo or brown sugar

salt

Begin by gathering your mise en place...you'll be glad you did. Seed & stem your chiles...wipe 'em free of any loose dirt if necessary. Husk your tomatillos and rinse them. Toast your sesame seeds and grind them. Peel your garlic cloves, darkly toast your bread, and measure out all of your other ingredients. This is going to take either one very large pot or two pretty large ones (I usually use two 5-quart pots). Just start everything in one pot and do the dividing once you have the puree made. Also, go ahead and roast your tomatillos under the broiler until blackened and soft. Add those to a large bowl with the ground sesame seeds.

Next, heat your oil in the pot and quickly fry your cleaned chiles, in batches. It'll only take ~20-30 seconds total per batch. Remove them to a separate large bowl. Once they are all fried, cover with hot tap water and cover with a plate (to submerge them). Let sit to "plump" for ~30 minutes. Make sure to remove any stray seeds from the oil. In the same hot oil, fry the garlic cloves and almonds until they both turn golden and smell out of this world. Remove them to the bowl with the tomatillos and sesame seeds. Add the raisins and sauté until they plump up...and they will puff right up, it's pretty cool to watch. Remove them to the tomatillo bowl. Add the toast, chocolate (broken up a bit) and ground spices to the bowl with the tomatillos.

Transfer the chiles to a blender (in batches) and add a total of 5-6 c. of the soaking liquid to help them blend up. Transfer to a food mill, set over a bowl and turn the mill to release all of the liquid and leave the skins behind. I did this for years actually pushing through a strainer...it worked, but I'd be sweating by the time I was done...a food mill is a breeze!

At this point, turn the heat back on under your pot(s). They should still have a thin coat of oil on the bottom, if not, add a little. Once it is really hot, add the chile puree and lower heat a bit...cook down until it is the consistency of tomato paste, ~15 minutes. Watch out! This splatters like crazy! And it's messy. Very, very messy.

While this is going on, add the contents of the tomatillo bowl (in batches) to your blender (no need to clean jar) along with a couple cups of water, as needed. Once it is all ground up, pass it through the food mill, back into the bowl. Add this puree to the pot once the chiles have cooked down. Stir & let cook back down to the consistency of tomato paste, ~10 minutes more. I recommend grease splatter-guards or a face mask to guard from splatters. Add 3 quarts of water to the pot(s) and bring to a boil. Partially cover and lower to a gentle simmer. Simmer for ~1 hour, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (napé). You can always thin it out with a little water if necessary. Add the piloncillo and ~3 tsp. of salt. Taste...it should be spicy and slightly sweet and earthy and rich...and perfectly silky...all at the same time. Adjust seasoning as necessary. I let it cool down and then transfer to jars or containers for storing or sharing.

Now, use as you wish...one thing I like to do is to brown some chicken or turkey...but this time chicken (4 1/2 lbs. thighs & legs). Drain fat from pan, then pour a quart of mole over the chicken, cover and finish cooking. I then shred it all up and eat it with rice and queso fresco and cilantro...

 ...wrapped in tortillas.

 But, if you want to know my honest to goodness favorite way to eat mole...it is basically, as is. I toast some tortillas and stuff them with queso fresco &/or avocado slices, then dip them in hot molé. It is sheer ecstasy!!!

Another surprise...all of the amazing people I've met out here in blog-land!! I am so happy to have met and worked with so many wonderful souls...and to have made some genuine friends along the way. Thank you for such an amazing first year here in the world of blogging. I wish you all a safe, healthy and blessed New Year!!