Mole poblano

[rockhopper]

Who makes your favorite Mole poblano?

[mrbigjas]

I had a really excellent one at Plaza Garibaldi, 10th & Washington.

[cinghiale]

Jas.:

Went to PG Friday night and took yr suggestion (from CH) on chilaquiles -- beef verde ($9). They are truly excellent. The tortillas were soft but not gooey, the sauce was delightfully tangy, and the beef was nicely grilled (in contrast to my last visit). Again did the sopes ($8) and again they were outstanding. My wife had the shrimp something (spicy w/chunks of peppers) ($12), which I thought was only OK. Have you tried Rio Grande yet?

[Andrew Fenton]

I went to Rio Grande a few weeks ago and thought it was only OK. Some decent nacho-y chips instead of chips/salsa, and a decent appetizer of taquitos. But the seafood wasn't all I could ask for. My friend had octopus in mole: rubbery and not a ton of flavor. I had a seafood cocktail (can't remember the Spanish name for it) with tiny (canned?) shrimp, mussels and fish. It wasn't awful, but didn't rock my world either; and now that there are so many options in that area, I probably won't go back.

[mrbigjas]

Yeah, I had never had green chilaquiles before--it was an eye-opener.

I haven't been to Rio Grande, but Holly said they were changing their menu and it was all still coming together--have you been back, Holly?

[herbacidal]

Yeah, I had never had green chilaquiles before--it was an eye-opener.

I haven't been to Rio Grande, but Holly said they were changing their menu and it was all still coming together--have you been back, Holly?

where's rio grande?

[Andrew Fenton]

It's on Washington at 11th. (11th? yeah, that's right, I think.)

[mrbigjas]

It's on Washington at 11th.  (11th?  yeah, that's right, I think.)

Yeah, on the corner, in the same building as Nam Phuong and that new Vietnamese place, across from the new Japanese place. Anyone been there yet?

[herbacidal]

It's on Washington at 11th.  (11th?  yeah, that's right, I think.)

Yeah, on the corner, in the same building as Nam Phuong and that new Vietnamese place, across from the new Japanese place. Anyone been there yet?

Isn't that Rio Bravo, or perhaps I have the name wrong?

[mrbigjas]

No I think you're right.

[Andrew Fenton]

yeah, you're definitely right.

I gotta stop sniffing so much glue.

[KatieLoeb]

A friend of mine just told me he had a really great meal at Rio Bravo. Whole Snapper Veracruz and some other things that sounded good. But, I'm also pretty sure he hasn't tried La Lupe, Garibaldi or Tacqueria Veracruzana either. So perhaps his opinion is based on a lack of comparison of the other authentic South Philly Mexicano to be had. I usually trust his judgement, foodwise, but I also trust y'all, and so far the concensus seems to be just average for Rio Bravo.

The shrimp dish with mole sauce at La Lupe is pretty damn tasty. Herb shared it with me, so I'll let him pipe up for himself, but I thought it was delicious. Mole was quite dark, qith a complex flavor that was really hard to describe, but clearly had a lot of stuff going on in it.

[herbacidal]

yeah, you're definitely right.

I gotta stop sniffing so much glue.

switch to oven cleaner. it's so much better.

[Holly Moore]

A friend of mine just told me he had a really great meal at Rio Bravo.  Whole Snapper Veracruz and some other things that sounded good.  But, I'm also pretty sure he hasn't tried La Lupe, Garibaldi or Tacqueria Veracruzana either.  So perhaps his opinion is based on a lack of comparison of the other authentic South Philly Mexicano to be had.  I usually trust his judgement, foodwise, but I also trust y'all, and so far the concensus seems to be just average for Rio Bravo.

The shrimp dish with mole sauce at La Lupe is pretty damn tasty.  Herb shared it with me, so I'll let him pipe up for himself, but I thought it was delicious. Mole was quite dark, qith a complex flavor that was really hard to describe, but clearly had a lot of stuff going on in it.

If red snapper was on the menu, Rio Bravo has it's new menu up and running. Will have to stop by again and give it a try.

[dannyboy]

I had Chicken Mole from Las Cazuelas a while back. It was very respectable, dark, sweet but smoky and hints of nutty.

I have lurked here for quite some time and I have a lot of respect for you veterans ( I have looked to all of you for guidance pretty often), but have to chime in about Rio Bravo and my experience there.

Mi familia and I went there a while back on a Sunday at dinner time. The place was completely empty. The service was terrible; As I dug my spoon into my queso con chorizo appetizer, my soup arrived. As soon as I dug my spoon into my soup, my entree got plopped on the table. There were literally piles of plates tetering off one another. The same happened to my wife with her appetizers and entree.

 

Bogus portions; Queso con Chorizo has microscopic bits of Chorizo in it, yet the queso was swimming in grease? How?

 

Bogus preparation; Had a "shrimp cocktail", which was supposed to be like a ceviche, according to the menu. It was a bunch of frozen medium shrimp (thawed to perfection), not deveined, half still had shells, swimming in ketchup with lime and cilantro. Nasty. The no deveining doesn't bother me that much, but there were so many shells in this thing it just amplified everything else that was remotely wrong.

 

Bogus communication; I feel the need for there to be SOME English spoken by the waiter or waitress. Our waiter, who seemed to be around 14 years old, could not answer any questions like what were the ingredients in the soup. He was also riding his mountain bike around the dining area, which curiously didn't bother me that much, but it was pretty wierd. Also, they don't inform you that entrees include this Spaghettio-like soup. I ordered a soup off the menu and the next thing I know, our "complimentary" pasta-fa-zool-overcooked-Franco-Mexican-American soup arrives. Of course my 6 year old son loved it, but I was bummed out that I was now going to have 2 soups. We ordered a chocolate shake for my son, when it arrived it was actually chocolate milk. I guess that's how Mexicans do their shakes.

 

Thank God we had a 10% off coupon or else it would have been a total wash. I'll stick to Veracruzana (love their alambre [isn't there an emoticon of Homer Simpson drooling that I can insert here?]) . Tried La Lupe. The wait was ridiculous (30 minutes for some Chorizo and pork tacos!) and and their rice had a weird synthetic taste to it. I've heard some good tales about Plaza Garibaldi, though.

 

PS. Rio Bravo had no Squirt soda. How can you be a Mexican restaurant and not carry Squirt? Call me a snob, but I need my Grapefruit soda!

[mrbigjas]

I had Chicken Mole from Las Cazuelas a while back. It was very respectable, dark, sweet but smoky and hints of nutty.

I'm no expert on mole, but the stuff I've had at both Cazuelas and Garibaldi I've liked a lot. I never know if places like Garibaldi that are cheaper and more downscale just get theirs out of a jar or what--if you go to markets in Mexico, there are a hundred different jarred moles for sale, and I would never know if they just used one of them. But I really liked the mole at Garibaldi, mainly because it walked that line between spicy and bitter and sweet and smoky really well.

He was also riding his mountain bike around the dining area, which curiously didn't bother me that much, but it was pretty wierd.

Tried La Lupe.

I had a really tasty pork tamale there yesterday. The only problem I had with it was the opposite if the issue I usually have with them--too MUCH filling, not enough masa. And the carnitas taco my wife got was excelllent. Man oh man I'm hungry.

(edited to finish my thought, since apparently I decided to post in the middle of a sentence)

Edited July 28, 2003 by mrbigjas (log)

[herbacidal]

gotta swim against the general tide here.

had mole at cazuelas once, didn't find it as good as mole i've had elsewhere.

can't recall where else i've had it in town though.

also can't recall exactly what i didn't like, i think it was the consistency, but exactly what was wrong about it, cannot recall.

[Vikram]

Some expert advice needed. I've just returned (to India) from LA where I went quietly mad in Grand Central Market buying anchos, serranos and all those other types of chillies, so different from Indian chillies and which we never see here. And at one of the stands I saw these bowls of brown sauce which I was told was freshly made sauce for mole poblano (or is the sauce called mole poblano, and is so what's the whole dish that's made with it using chicken called?).

Naturally I bought some and it survived the return journey reasonably well. It tastes great - sweet and spicy and a bitter-rich chocolate taste coming through. So I've been looking for recipes on the Net on how to use it, and I've become a bit confused. None of the recipes, naturally, is catering for lazy cooks who get in the sauce readymade, but even if one adapts accordingly, I'm still confused on how to prepare the chicken. Some recipes say boil, some say fry - what's the best way to do?

Any guidance will be gratefully received and even though this is egullet, please don't tell me I have to make the sauce from fresh. Next time, I promise, this time I just want to use the stuff I bought in LA,

Vikram

[sladeums]

I usually boil the chicken.

For a couple breasts I also throw in a couple cloves of garlic and a tablespoon-ish palm full of mexican oregano. Sometimes a half of a white onion if one is on hand.

If I have leftover broth laying around I will sometimes substitute 1/2 of that for 1/2 the water.

Shred the chicken when done and add to your warmed through sauce. Use the reserved cooking liquid to thin your mole if necessary.

I also frequently use leftover baked chicken for this same application.

As long as you are not using overcooked chicken you should be fine.

edit: spelling

Edited February 18, 2004 by sladeums (log)

[sandra]

You can also roast pieces and serve whole, with the mole poured over, sprinkled with sesame seeds and some white rice and black beans on the side - this is the plated version...

[ludja]

You can also roast pieces and serve whole, with the mole poured over, sprinkled with sesame seeds and some white rice and black beans on the side - this is the plated version...

Good point! Toasted sesame seeds sprinkled on top of the plated dish adds a really nice texture and flavor. And as Sandra mentioned, rice and beans are a traditional and apt accompaniment.

I've made turkey mole and basically poached a turkey breast in water with some aromatics (onions, celery, etc). It is good not to overcook; the poultry will also get reheated in the sauce prior to serving.

(If you ever do have the ingredients on hand , it is well worth making from scratch; out of any non-Indian dish, it is probably the one that most reminds me of Indian food with the incredible layers of balanced yet intriguing spice flavors. The interesting things with these dried mexican chiles is that there are overtones of fruit in the taste).

Edited February 18, 2004 by ludja (log)

[theabroma]

In Mexico, mole is traditionally made with poached turkey breast, and now most commonly with chicken - breast to be fancy, and if you can afford it - otherwise, the whole chicken. Mole is the 'Spanishizing' of the Nahuatl (Aztec/Mexica) word 'molli' which translates roughly as 'sauce.' For example, 'guacamole', that much beloved shimmery green dip made from avocados, translates into avocado sauce 'ahuacatl' + 'molli'. But historically, and certainly since the Conquest, moles of all types have been most closely associated with turkey or chicken - so much so that your question as to whether 'mole' refers only to the sauce or to the whole thing, is a very apt one.

The chicken is put in water to cover with a clove of garlic, a slice of white onion, maybe a piece of carrot, a sprig of mint, and sometimes a little Mx oregano (Lippia graveolens or L. mexicana). The breast is retrieved and served whole, or sliced on the diagonal and fanned across the plate, the sauce being ladled over it.

It is really the chicken broth that is useful: it is the universal medium for thinning a mole paste to thin it to sauce consistency. Everyone has chicken broth hanging around most any hour of the day.

That being said, I always buy mole pastes in the markets there and bring them back with me. That way I can pick up a rotisserie chicken (no bbq flavor, please!) on the way home, dilute the appropriate amount of paste into chicken broth (ok, in a rush I'll use Swanson's!) cook it down a bit, thin it, and then pour it over the sliced roasted chicken. It's very good, and it's quick.

Once you've made mole a few times, you are in a much better position to evaluate the quality of any prepackaged mole pastes you might want to buy. In the States it's hard to find good ones - in Mexico there are areas where you wonder why anyone usese anything but the pastes sold in the markets. They are that good.

Theabroma

Edited February 18, 2004 by theabroma (log)

[ludja]

Once you've made mole a few times, you are in a much better position to evaluate the quality of any prepackaged mole pastes you might want to buy. In the States it's hard to find good ones - in Mexico there are areas where you wonder why anyone usese anything but the pastes sold in the markets. They are that good.

Theabroma

Thanks for all your guidance and extra tips Theabroma. How wonderful to be able to buy great pre-made moles.

[caroline]

Just to throw in a couple of comments.

(1) Mole is not just one thing, as many of you know. There are all kinds of moles, thick spicy sauces, and the taste and color depends of the particular ingredients.

(2) The mole pretty much stands alone. When made it is a thick, thick paste that survives without refrigeration for at least a week or two.

(3) Because of this, you don't cook the chicken, turkey or vegetables (romeritos and dried shrimp tortitas in mole is a traditional Christmas dish) in mole. They would burn.

(4) The poaching liquid is used to dilute the thick mole paste.

(5) People in Mexico often (as Theobroma says) buy prepared mole. The grocery stores have them in huge plastic buckets and in more or less good canned varieties. And every town has a street vendor who is known for her mole paste. If you do make it yourself, it's just for big celebrations.

Turns out it was five comments,

Cheers,

Rachel

[Akiko]

You have all sold me.

I've never tasted this dish, but I want to.

Does anyone have a mole recipe (or 2 or 10!) they would be gracious enough to post here?

I am imagining, smoky, earthy, chocolatey, and spicy.. is that right?