The classic way to serve mole is to spoon the rich sauce over simply prepared chicken. But imagine what happens when something as tasty as mole teams up with the ultimate crowd pleaser; absurdly tender beef short ribs, the kind that you can dig into the spoons.
Serves 8
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, chopped
4 pounds bone-in short ribs, trimmed of excess fat
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large white onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
5 cups beef stock (low-sodium store-bought is fine)
1 cup mole (see recipe for Mole, My Way by Aaron Sanchez)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 1 /2 teaspoons whole dried oregano (preferably Mexican), crumbled
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Sesame seeds and radish matchsticks, for garnish
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat a large ovenproof pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon until it’s brown and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a large bowl.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the short ribs on all sides in the bacon fat in the pot, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer the short ribs to the bowl with the bacon and discard most of the fat in the pot.
- Add the onions and garlic to the remaining fat in the pot and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add ½ cup of the stock. Bring it to a boil, scraping up browned bits in the pot with a wooden spoon. Add back the beef, bacon, and any accumulated juiced. Stir in the mole, the rest of the stock, the vinegar, oregano, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and put it in the oven. Cook until the meat is falling off the bone, about 2 ½ hours.
- Serve it from the pot at the table, garnished with the cilantro, sesame seeds, and radish, spooning it into bowls for your guests.
