Today we’re heading to the very heart of Mexican cuisine—where ancient Aztec traditions collide with Spanish heritage. We’re making two iconic dishes Mexico has been proud of for centuries.
🍗 Mole Poblano
The legendary Mexican sauce of chili and chocolate, lavished over chicken. Thick, dark brown, with an impossibly complex flavor—sweet, spicy, smoky, and aromatic all at once. This dish is the symbol of Puebla and all of Mexico.
Ingredients:
• Chicken thighs — 6 pcs. (about 1 kg)
• Dried ancho chiles — 3 pcs.
• Dried pasilla chiles — 2 pcs.
• Tomatoes — 3 medium
• Yellow onion — 1 large
• Garlic — 4 cloves
• Almonds — 50 g
• Raisins — 40 g
• Sesame seeds — 2 tbsp.
• Corn tortilla — 1 pc. or 30 g stale white bread
• Dark chocolate (70% cocoa) — 30 g
• Cinnamon stick — 1
• Ground coriander — 1 tsp.
• Ground cumin — ½ tsp.
• Chicken broth — 500 ml
• Vegetable oil — 3 tbsp.
• Salt — to taste
Instructions:
Step 1. Prep the chiles
Cut the stems off the dried ancho and pasilla chiles, slice lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the chiles for 30-40 seconds per side—they should become fragrant but not burn (a faint wisp of smoke is okay). Transfer to a bowl, cover with boiling water, and let sit for 20 minutes until completely softened.
Step 2. Toast the sauce ingredients
In the same dry skillet, toast the almonds for 2-3 minutes until golden and nutty. Separately, toast the sesame seeds for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned. Tear the tortilla into pieces and toast until crispy (about 2 minutes). Halve the tomatoes and char them cut-side down for 5-7 minutes until the skin blackens. Cut the onion into large wedges, leave the garlic in its skin, and roast together for 8-10 minutes until soft and blotchy.
Step 3. Make the mole sauce
Drain the softened chiles. In a blender, combine the chiles, peeled tomatoes, onion, peeled garlic, almonds, raisins, half the sesame seeds, tortilla pieces, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, and 300 ml chicken broth. Blend for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth—a thick, dark paste with no lumps.
Step 4. Simmer the sauce
Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a deep skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the blended paste (it’ll be thick and splatter) and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The sauce should darken, thicken, and pull away from the sides. Add the remaining broth, broken chocolate, and salt. Simmer on low for another 20 minutes—the sauce will turn glossy, thick as sour cream, and deep brown.
Step 5. Cook the chicken
While the sauce simmers, sear the chicken thighs in the remaining oil in a separate skillet for 5-6 minutes per side until golden. Transfer the chicken to the mole sauce, ensuring each piece is coated. Cover and braise on low for 25-30 minutes—the meat should fall off the bone, and the sauce should soak into the chicken.
Step 6. Serve
Arrange the chicken on a platter, generously drizzle with mole sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining toasted sesame seeds. Serve with steamed white rice, warm corn tortillas, and lime wedges. The sauce should be thick enough to cling to the chicken without dripping.
💡 Fact: Legend says mole poblano was invented by nuns at the Santa Rosa convent in the 17th century when the archbishop made an unexpected visit. In a panic, they threw together everything in the kitchen—chiles, spices, chocolate—and created a sauce that became Mexico’s national treasure.
🌽 Pozole Rojo
A traditional Mexican soup, vibrant red, with plump hominy kernels and tender pork. Thick, rich, with a hint of heat and smoky aroma—served with a mountain of fresh veggies and herbs for customizing to taste.
Ingredients:
• Pork shoulder — 800 g
• Hominy (canned or pre-cooked) — 400 g
• Dried guajillo chiles — 4 pcs.
• Dried ancho chiles — 2 pcs.
• Yellow onion — 1 large
• Garlic — 6 cloves
• Dried oregano — 2 tsp.
• Ground cumin — 1 tsp.
• Bay leaves — 2 pcs.
• Chicken or vegetable broth — 1.5 L
• Salt — to taste
For serving:
• Green cabbage — 200 g (thinly shredded)
• Radishes — 6 pcs. (thinly sliced)
• Lime — 2 pcs. (cut into wedges)
• Fresh cilantro — 1 bunch
• Dried oregano — for sprinkling
• Tostadas or corn chips — for serving
• Hot sauce or jalapeño peppers — optional
Instructions:
Step 1. Cook the pork
Cut the pork shoulder into 4×4 cm cubes. Quarter half the onion, crush 3 garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife. In a large pot (at least 4 L), cover the meat with cold water (about 2 L), add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam, reduce to low, and simmer covered for 1.5 hours—the meat should be tender, easily pierced with a fork, but not falling apart.
Step 2. Prep the chiles
While the meat cooks, cut the stems off the guajillo and ancho chiles, slice lengthwise, and remove the seeds and white membranes. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the chiles for 20-30 seconds per side until fragrant (don’t let them burn—it’ll turn bitter). Transfer to a bowl, cover with 400 ml boiling water, and weigh down with a plate. Let sit for 20 minutes until fully softened—the chiles should be pliable and bendy.
Step 3. Make the red sauce
Drain the chiles (reserve the soaking water). In a blender, combine the softened chiles, the remaining half onion (chopped), 3 garlic cloves, oregano, cumin, and 200 ml of the chile soaking water. Blend for 2-3 minutes on high until completely smooth—a bright red, uniform sauce with no fibers or bits.
Step 4. Fry the sauce
Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with a spoon—this removes any leftover chile skins and makes the texture silky. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a skillet over medium heat. Pour in the strained sauce (careful—it’ll splatter) and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly. The sauce should darken, thicken, and pull away from the sides—this concentrates the flavor and removes any rawness.
Step 5. Assemble the pozole
Once the pork is cooked, remove it with a slotted spoon to a plate. Strain the broth (discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaves). Return the broth to the pot, add the fried red sauce, rinsed hominy, and the pork (shredded into large chunks). Pour in 1.5 L broth or water—the liquid should cover the ingredients by 2-3 cm. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30-40 minutes—the soup will thicken, the hominy will soften, and the flavors will meld into a rich red broth.
Step 6. Final check and serving
Taste the broth—it should be well-salted, with a mild heat and smoky chile aroma. If too thick, add more broth; if too thin, simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes. Ladle the pozole into deep bowls, making sure each serving has plenty of meat and hominy. Serve with separate plates of shredded cabbage, radishes, cilantro, lime wedges, oregano, and tostadas—everyone adds what they like.
💡 Fact: Pozole was a ritual dish of the Aztecs, prepared for special ceremonies. The word pozole comes from the Nahuatl pozolli, meaning "foamy"—describing the bubbling soup as it cooks. Today, it’s the centerpiece of Mexican celebrations, especially Independence Day.