Beef Cheek Mole?

[DanM]

My wife picked up these two jars of Mole,  the red and the black (queue up Blue Oyster Cult). I also have some beef checks in the freezer. Should I try to cook the cheeks in the mole? Which one? And what should I put in the dutch oven with it? 

 

Thanks for the advice. 

[jimb0]

I tend to do mole from scratch but I've often braised beef or chicken in it and it's awesome. I'm assuming these are concentrates of a sort? You should be able to cut them with a little broth and do a slow braise in it.

[gfweb]

Doesn't look like there's enough mole to fill a braising dish.

 

I might do the beef cheeks in red wine with onions and peppers and then serve in the mole.

[Eatmywords]

We've never made a mole from scratch.  I understand it to be quite the endeavor and much easier from the Mexican grocer w we are fortunate to have.   I think I paid $7 for a pint last time and it doesn't go bad for a long while.  Believe we did beef broth and dark beer (Negra Modelo in keeping w the theme) last time.  Potatoes, beans,  onions, peppers, carrots, mushrooms,  whatever you want to throw in there will be good.

Edited June 10, 2020 by Eatmywords (log)

[heidih]

13 minutes ago, gfweb said:

Doesn't look like there's enough mole to fill a braising dish.

 

I might do the beef cheeks in red wine with onions and peppers and then serve in the mole.

 

Good point. I would scoot the simmer liquid more to birria like @chardgirl cooks did.  https://forums.egullet.org/topic/78851-eg-foodblog-chardgirl-21st-century-peasant/?do=findComment&comment=1073521

 

[DanM]

2 hours ago, jimb0 said:

I tend to do mole from scratch but I've often braised beef or chicken in it and it's awesome. I'm assuming these are concentrates of a sort? You should be able to cut them with a little broth and do a slow braise in it.

 

 

1 hour ago, gfweb said:

Doesn't look like there's enough mole to fill a braising dish.

 

I might do the beef cheeks in red wine with onions and peppers and then serve in the mole.

 

As much as I would love to make mole from scratch, Mexican ingredients in Switzerland are hard to find. Fresh ingredients are even rarer. 

 

This is a concentrate. The ted's instructions call for 500g of crushed tomatoes and 750ml broth per jar, which is 500g. The black calls for 100ml per 100g of mole. 

[jimb0]

Keep in mind, too, that the cheeks will express water as they cook - so you can get away with a little bit less and not have to boil it off after the cook.  

 

I'm not against concentrates fwiw, it's how most mexicans cook mole too. But most of what gives most dark moles their flavour is dried chiles, which ship very well - if that's ever an interest.

 

But yeah I think you can totally do a braise in these and they'll probably be solid choices, especially the red. Given that the black makes less mole, I'd save it for an accent - consider doing a coffee-rubbed skirt or flank steak and slicing it thin, then serving on a generous schmear of mole on the plate.

Edited June 10, 2020 by jimb0 (log)

[rotuts]

"""   the cheeks will express water as they cook ""

 

they will, and some flavor.

 

SV the cheeks , w a light coating of the mole 

 

have two cheeks do you ?

 

two bags , a light coating of each mole , carefully labeled 

 

and then work on the sauce from the jus i9n the bag , w the same mole for 

 

two different preps.

 

Someday , Ill get some cheeks , pork or beef 

 

and be able to try this myself.

 

someday.  doesnt look good for tomorrow, or the near future 

 

but I can be very very patient,

 

 

[jimb0]

3 hours ago, rotuts said:

they will, and some flavor.

 

 

Yes? It happens in a water bath, too. Honestly braising it in a pan in the oven can get you something just as good without all the fuss. Especially for something like this. The downside is whether heating up a house is an issue.

[heidih]

I asked the wife of a Oaxacan employee for her opinion. She giggled and said the equivalent in Spanish of "y'all over complicate"

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Having read Kennedy's Oaxaca al Gusto I'm not sure cuisine could get much more complicated.

 

[heidih]

1 minute ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Having read Kennedy's Oaxaca al Gusto I'm not sure cuisine could get much more complicated.

 

No just how you come up with the ingredients around you.  Beautiful beautiful book. We almost had a Q & A but .Oh and I missed this https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/movies/story/2020-05-21/legendary-mexico-cook-diana-kennedy-documentary-nothing-fancy