Beef Ribs With Mol Coloradito Recipes

MOLE COLORADITO RECIPE

Steps:

• Wipe off any dusty crevasses on the dried chiles. De-stem and de-seed the chiles, but don't worry about getting rid of every last seed.
• Roast the chile pieces for 1-2 minutes in a 400F oven. Alternatively, you can flash roast them in a skillet on the stovetop for 15-30 seconds per side. Once roasted, add them to a bowl and cover with hot tap water. Let the chiles reconstitute for 20-30 minutes. If they float to the surface you can use a small bowl or plate to keep them submerged.
• Rinse and de-stem 7-8 Roma tomatoes. Roast the tomatoes in a 400F oven for 20-30 minutes.
• Roughly chop an onion and peel 8 garlic cloves. Add a glug of oil to a skillet over medium heat and saute the onions and whole garlic cloves until lightly browned. Once cooked, add the onion-garlic mixture to the blender.
• Preheat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add 2/3 cup sesame seeds, 8 whole cloves, and 12 black peppercorns to the skillet. Toast until the sesame seeds are turning golden brown, stirring occasionally. Towards the end, add the powdered spices to the skillet (2 tablespoons cinnamon, 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano) and cook briefly. Add the mixture to a food processor or spice grinder and grind into a fine powder, setting it aside until you need it.
• By now the chiles are reconstituted. Take a taste of the chiles' soaking liquid. If you like it then you can use it to liquefy the sauce. If it tastes bitter to you then use stock to liquefy the sauce -- I used stock for this batch.
• Drain the dried chiles and add them to the blender along with a cup of stock (or soaking liquid). The onion-garlic mixture should already be in the blender. Combine well. It's worth it to take a taste at every step along the way, starting now!
• Add the roasted tomatoes to the blender and combine well. This should all fit in a single blender jar, but you may have to blend the tomatoes in batches.
• Add the finely ground spice mixture to the blender and combine well. I also added another cup of stock at this point. You'll need 3-4 cups total for the recipe -- I usually just keep track of what I add when blending and then add the rest for the simmer.
• Add 2 tablespoons raisins, 1/2 cup almonds and 1 teaspoon salt. Combine well.
• Add 2 tablespoons lard (or oil) to a large saucepan. Once heated, add the Coloradito sauce from the blender to the saucepan and simmer until heated through. Use a splatter screen if you have one, otherwise a layer of parchment paper or foil will do the job.
• Once heated through add 2 oz. chocolate (optional). I used 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use Mexican chocolate if you want.
• Once the chocolate is incorporated into the sauce take a final taste for seasoning. I added another generous pinch of salt to this batch. (So that is about 1.5 teaspoons salt total but keep in mind this will depend on which stock you use.)
• You can optionally strain the Coloradito sauce at this point. Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and use a spatula to force the sauce through the strainer. Be sure to wipe the bottom of the strainer as the sauce tends to cling to it.
• Optional serving style: warm 10-12 corn tortillas in the oven (or flash fry them). Use tongs to dredge them in the Coloradito sauce. Add Queso Fresco and finely chopped raw onion to the tortillas, then fold in half and drench them with more of the Coloradito sauce. Serve immediately with optional garnishes: toasted sesame seeds, Mexican Crema, more Queso Fresco, and freshly chopped cilantro.
• Store leftover Coloradito sauce in an airtight container in the fridge.

MOLE BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Toss ribs in 1-2 teaspoons of coarse salt, pinch of pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the flour until evenly coated.
• In a large dutch oven or braiser, heat olive oil over medium high heat and sear ribs, 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove the ribs from heat to a plate and let rest.
• Add the onion and carrot to the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until somewhat softened.
• Add garlic and saute 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant.
• Add tomato paste, cocoa powder, remaining flour, and peanut butter to the pot. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and starting to deepen color.
• Pour wine into the pot, cook 1 minute, until it has somewhat reduced. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
• Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Turn off heat and add the seared ribs back to the pot. Cover and place on a middle rack in the oven. Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until ribs are tender and falling off the bone. They should slide right off the bone when done!
• Remove ribs from sauce. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Skim fat from the sauce and using either an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender, blend until smooth. Add salt to taste.
• Drizzle ribs with sauce and garnish with fresh parsley as desired. Serve over your favorite mashed potatoes or roasted veggies!
• Turn a 5 quart slow cooker on high. Toss ribs in 1-2 teaspoons of coarse salt, pinch of pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the flour until evenly coated.
• In a large skillet, heat olive oil and sear ribs, 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove the ribs from heat to a plate and let rest.
• Add the onion and carrot to the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes, until somewhat softened. Remove from heat and add to the slow cooker.
• Whisk the rest of the ingredients into the slow cooker. Place seared ribs in the liquid.
• Cook 4-5 hours on high or 8-9 hours on low, until ribs are tender and falling off the bone. They should slide right off the bone when done!
• Remove ribs from sauce. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Skim fat from the sauce and using either an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender, blend until smooth. Add salt to taste.
• Drizzle ribs with sauce and garnish with fresh parsley as desired. Serve over your favorite mashed potatoes or roasted veggies!

BEEF RIBS WITH MOL COLORADITO

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Very generously season the ribs on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat for 1 minute. In a single layer, working in several batches if needed, brown the ribs well all over, 6 to 8 minutes a side. Transfer the ribs to a platter.
• Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until browned, 5 minutes, stirring often. Return the ribs to the pot and add the bay leaf and water to cover. Bake, tightly covered, until very tender, about 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, prepare the mole. Tear open the chilies, removing and discarding the stems and seeds. Place the chilies in a bowl with 2 cups warm water and soak until softened, 15 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent but not brown, stirring with a wooden spoon, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook for 1 minute.
• Transfer the chilies to the pan, reserving the soaking liquid. Sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the soaking liquid and all remaining ingredients. Gently simmer until the plantains and raisins are soft, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the cinnamon stick. Puree the sauce in a blender until smooth, then return it to the saucepan.
• Add 1/2 to 1 cup of the rib cooking liquid until the sauce is thick but pourable. Adjust the seasoning, adding salt, sugar, or vinegar to taste - the mole should be highly seasoned and a little sweet with just a faint hint of tartness. (The mole can be prepared up to one day ahead and reheated.)
• To serve, turn on the broiler or heat the oven to 450 degrees. Spoon half of the mole over the bottom of a baking dish just large enough to hold the ribs. Remove the ribs from their braising liquid, drain well, and place on top. Spoon the remaining mole over the ribs. Broil or bake until the mole sizzles and browns, 2 to 4 minutes on each side under the broiler, or 8 to 12 minutes in the oven.