Chili-Chocolate Mole with Pork Chops

We first thought we should make this when we read Like Water for Chocolate. Similar recipes also feature in every ‘aphrodisiac’ cookbook for lovers. Don’t let the idea of chocolate outside the dessert menu worry you. This recipe is warming, delicious and the chocolate provides a beautiful colour and depth. So good! First we will make the sauce…

Ingredients:

4 fat tomatoes (choose firm, fleshy ones)

2 red peppers

4-6 fresh green jalapeno chilies, 4-6 red (all de-seeded)

1/2 cup almonds

1/4 cup raisins

3 tbsp dry-toasted sesame/ pumpkin seeds

2 red onions, chopped

8 fat garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp freshly ground black peppercorns

1 big stick cinnamon

2 cloves

1 star anise

1/2 tsp each of ground cumin, oregano, coriander

2 tsp sweet red paprika flakes

Olive oil

Salt to taste

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 cup very dark, bitter-sweet chocolate grated (milk chocolate will not do!)

OR 4 heaped tbsp good quality dark cocoa powder dissolved in some hot water/ stock

Method:

Wash and dry tomatoes and peppers and coat them with a little olive oil. Prick them and roast on a heavy iron griddle pan (or under a grill) till the skins blacken. Put them in a glass bowl and cover and let cool. When cool, rub off the blackened skin and de-seed, saving the juices. Chop them all up roughly and put them back in the juices till needed.

Puree chilies smooth in a little olive oil, with a pinch of salt and the brown sugar, sieving it if necessary.

In a heavy bottomed pan, add some olive oil and sauté the garlic and onions. When turning translucent, add in your spices, seeds, nuts and raisins. Let this go quite nicely golden. Throw in the chili puree and let it bubble around for half a minute more. Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise and put it all, plus the roasted tomatoes, peppers and chocolate into a blender and puree till super smooth, adding just a little water/ stock if needed. The sauce should be of pouring consistency but not runny! Adjust your salt in.

N.B. Poblano chilies (dried, they’re ancho) are the authentic chili used for this mole, but they’ve sadly not made it to markets here yet. Fresh jalapenos are available and a good substitute. However, if you can’t get any, our desi-mirchi is fine. The quantities used will make this pretty hot, so you can adjust to suit your heat needs.

For the Pork Chops

We did this recipe with some tender, delicate, smoked pork chops but you can use duck, turkey, chicken (skin on, bone in) grilled sausages (try braai or go Goa for extra spicy heaven) or just fry it up with some kidney beans, hold the meat!

Ingredients:

4 meaty, pork chops prepared (or use chicken thighs with bone and skin)

2 red onions, fat sliced and ringed (optional)

4 bay leaves

1-2 sticks cinnamon

2 tbsp whole peppercorns

Salt

Splash of olive oil

2-3 cups good quality stock/water

2-3 cups Mole sauce

Couscous (or brown rice) as needed

Method:

Pat dry the pork (or meat) and rub in a little salt. Heat up a frying pan with a splash of olive oil, add in the bay leaves and spices and brown the chops nicely. Remove to a plate. Next brown the onions, remove and reserve. De-glaze your frying pan with the stock/ water, scraping all the delicious brown bits and bobs that will be invariably stuck a bit to the pan. Put your chops back in the pan and bring this to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and let simmer till cooked through. Gently does it - a longer, even cooking will yield meat that melts off the bone.  

Remove the pork to a lightly buttered casserole or baking dish (saving the pan-juices) add the onions and generously cover them up with the mole. In an oven pre-heated to 180-200 degrees C, bake this for about 30 minutes, turning the pieces over in the mole a couple of times in between. Serve piled onto a plate of warm couscous*, sprinkled with some toasted sesame. 

 *Make your couscous as per instructions (using the saved up pan-juices to add to total liquid quantities needed) and (optionally) tossed with a little butter and some fresh, chopped coriander, and toasted sesame seeds / slivered, toasted almonds.