Pork Chops Mole Recipes

BONE-IN PORK CHOP WITH MOLE AND TOMATO AND CORN RICE

Steps:

• For the pork chop with mole: To a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat, add the fennel seeds, cumin seeds and cinnamon. Toast, swirling the pan frequently, until fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside. Then, add the ancho, guajillo and pasilla chiles (you may have to work in batches depending on the size of the pan) in an even layer and toast on all sides, continuing to move the pan frequently, until fragrant, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• To the carafe of a spice grinder, add the toasted fennel and cumin seeds and pulse until a fine powder is formed. Remove and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush lightly with olive oil. Grill the tortillas, tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic, jalapeno and onion in batches until charred with grill marks on all sides, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the carafe of a bender.
• To the blender, add the chicken stock, peanuts, almonds, chipotle in adobo and 1 tablespoon of the fennel-cumin mixture and blend until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepot over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, chocolate, bay leaf and toasted cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Cook for at least 30 minutes, but longer is always better, so up to 2 hours. Adjust the consistency with more chicken broth if the mixture is too thick.
• For the corn and tomato rice: Coat a small saucepot with olive oil and turn the heat to medium. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock, rice, tomatoes and bay leaf and season with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the cover, fluff the rice and stir in the corn and cilantro.
• Meanwhile, season the pork chops with the remaining fennel-cumin mixture and some salt. Heat the large cast-iron pan used to toast the spices over medium-high heat and coat generously with olive oil. Sear the chops on all sides until brown (brown food tastes good!), about 6 minutes per side. Cook to medium, until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F or to desired doneness. Remove from pan and allow to rest on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes.
• To serve, ladle a spoonful of mole on the bottom of the plate, place a pork chop on top and garnish with the cilantro and rice on the side.

SLOW-COOKER MOLE PORK

Steps:

• Tear the tortillas into small pieces; toss with the chiles, sesame seeds, raisins, onion, garlic and five-spice powder in a bowl. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tortilla mixture; cook, stirring, until the sesame seeds are toasted and the onion is slightly charred, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until the liquid evaporates and the tomatoes start browning, about 6 minutes. Add the cilantro and 1 1/2 cups water; bring to a boil, scraping up the skillet. Working in batches, transfer to a blender and puree until smooth, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker.
• Season the pork all over with salt and pepper; add to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low, 8 hours.
• Before serving, pierce the sweet potatoes several times with a fork: microwave until tender, about 8 minutes. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and slice. Top with the sauce and more sesame seeds and cilantro. Serve with the sweet potatoes and tortillas.

PORK CHOPS WITH MOLE SAUCE (WW)

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium high heat place peppers and toast for 30 seconds or so on each side. Transfer to a bowl and cover with boiling water; let stand for 20 minutes or until hydrated. Drain.
• Transfer peppers and 1/2 cup broth to a blender and process until smooth. Return to bowl. Set aside.
• Sprinkle pork chops on all sides with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.
• Spray skillet with Pam and set over medium high heat.
• Add pork chops to skillet and brown on each side (3-5 minutes). Transfer pork to a plate and set aside.
• Add 1 teaspoon of oil to skillet and add garlic and onion; cook stirring for 2-5 minutes or until golden.
• Stir in tomato (or when I made these I didn't have any tomatoes, so I used some tomato juice - it gets pureed in the blender anyways - see two steps down) and cook, stirring occasionally for another 2-5 minutes.
• Stir in spices (oregano - cinnamon); cooking stirring frequently for 15 seconds.
• Spoon mixture into blender with the remaining broth (1/2 cup); process for 2 minutes or until smooth.
• Heat remaining oll (1 teaspoon) in skillet over medium heat. Add pepper mixture, tomato mixture, and the remaining salt (1/2 teaspoon); cook stirring until thickened (5-10 minutes). Stir in chocolate and cook, stirring until melted.
• Add the pork chops to skillet and turn to coat. Simmer until cooked through (5-10 minutes).

PAN-ROASTED PORK CHOPS WITH YELLOW PEPPER MOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the 1/4 cup oil in a medium saucepan over high heat until smoking. Add the tortillas and fry until crisp, about 1 minute. Remove to a plate.
• Add the pumpkin seeds to the pan and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Add the onion to the pan and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock, yellow peppers, mango, tomatillos, and raisins and boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Transfer the yellow pepper mixture, the fried tortillas, and the pumpkin seeds to a food processor and process until smooth. Strain the sauce into a clean medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat until it reaches a sauce consistency, 15 to 20 minutes. Keep warm over low heat.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan over high heat until almost smoking. Season the chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the chops in the pan and cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes; flip the chops over and place the pan in the oven. Roast until medium, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the chops from the pan and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. While the chops are resting, add the chocolate, honey, cloves, and cinnamon to the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. The mole sauce can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated. Reheat before serving.
• Ladle some of the sauce onto each of 4 large dinner plates and top with a pork chop.

OLE MOLE MEXICAN PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• In large bowl, mix together crushed tomatoes, chipotle pepper, cumin, chili powders, cocoa, oregano, beans and poblano peppers. Pour in beer and stir.
• In small skillet fry bacon until crisp: remove bacon to paper towel to drain, set aside.
• Saute chopped onions and garlic in one tablespoon of bacon fat for about three minutes, add to tomato mixture.
• Season pork chops with salt and pepper.
• Place sliced onions on bottom of crock pot; place pork chops on top of onions; this will prevent the chops from sticking.
• Add tomato mixture to crock pot.
• Cook on low for 6-7 hours (time may vary).
• Stirring is not necessary; removing the lid results in heat loss and may require extended cooking time.
• Stir in corn approximately 1 hour before serving.
• If the sauce is to thin, mix corn meal or masa harina with a little water and stir a little into the sauce until you've achieved desired thickness.
• Just before serving squeeze lime juice into pot and stir.
• To serve place pork chops on a bed of rice, spoon sauce on top and garnish with bacon bits and cilantro.

PORK CHOPS MOLE

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown pork chops in 1 tablespoon oil on both sides; remove and set aside. In the same skillet, saute the onion and green pepper in remaining oil until crisp-tender. , Add tomatoes and mole sauce; stir to combine. Return pork chops to the pan. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Serve with rice if desired.