The Mexican Slow Cooker: Recipes for Mole, Enchiladas, Carnitas, Chile Verde Pork, and More Favorites (9 page)

Place all the ingredients except the chicken and chocolate in a 5-quart slow cooker. Set the chicken on top. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until the chicken is tender but not falling off the bone. Remove the chicken. If you like, you can remove the skin and bones now, or you can serve it as is, which is the traditional way. Set the chicken on a warm platter covered with aluminum foil to keep warm while you finish the mole.

Transfer contents of slow cooker to a blender. Add the chocolate and blend on high for several minutes, until perfectly smooth. Check the seasoning; moles should taste slightly underseasoned, and never salty. The mole should be thick and very smooth. For a velvety texture, pass the sauce through a food mill to remove any remaining skins and fibers. If necessary, add a little water or broth to thin the sauce to a coating consistency.

To serve, liberally ladle the mole over the chicken, then lightly dust with the sesame seeds.

In this simple mole, deep-flavored ancho chiles balance the sweetness of the fresh fruit that forms the base of the sauce. The name means “tablecloth stainer,” a tribute to both the gluttonous abandon induced by this luscious sauce and its deep red color. The recipe calls for chicken, but you can cook the sauce without the meat (using chicken broth for the best flavor) and serve it with roasted vegetables, turkey, Cornish hens, duck, tamales, or pork carnitas instead. Manchamanteles is usually served with plain white rice, dusted with sesame seeds and sprinkled with bit of ripe pineapple. The fried plantains (
tostones)
are a delicious addition.

Place all the ingredients except the chicken in a 5-quart slow cooker, and set the chicken on top. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, or until the chicken is tender but not falling off the bone. Remove the chicken. If you like, you can remove the skin and bones now, or you can serve it as is. Set the chicken on a warm platter covered with aluminum foil to keep warm while you finish the mole.

Transfer the remaining contents of the slow cooker to a blender. Blend on high for several minutes, until perfectly smooth. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little more chicken broth or water and blend again. Taste and add a pinch of salt if necessary, remembering that moles are rich and thick but are never highly seasoned. For the perfect texture, pass the sauce through a food mill, but it is perfectly acceptable straight out of the blender.

To serve, liberally ladle the mole over the chicken. Lightly dust with the sesame seeds and garnish each serving with a few pieces of pineapple and fried plantain.

For the best results, use soft, ripe plantains with black skin.

This easy recipe consists of succulent braised ribs in a light sauce that has just the right kick of smokiness and heat.
Costillos
are pork rib tips, only a couple of inches long, with plenty of juicy meat. They are similar to country-style ribs, which may be substituted. The same salsa is terrific cooked with boneless pork shoulder, pork chops, or chicken. You can add peeled cubed potatoes or zucchini to the slow cooker with the meat, or roast red potatoes with oil and salt to serve alongside this dish. If you have a second slow cooker,
Pan de Elote
would be delicious with the spicy ribs.

Cut the ribs into pieces 3 inches long and place in a 5-quart slow cooker.

In a blender, combine the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth. Pour over the ribs, cover, and cook on low for 6 hours.

Serve hot with the warm tortillas.

Asado de bodas
is definitely something special, as befits a wedding feast. Recipes with this name vary from north to south and east to west. Some use only ancho chiles, while others are made with beef instead of pork, but all incorporate that touch of sweet and sour, cloves, and cinnamon, along with just a hint of orange and chocolate, an influence from medieval convents. Toasting the whole spices and grinding them just before cooking is a simple step that adds wonderful flavor. Another small step that makes a difference is mincing the onions almost to a pulp, so that they melt into the sauce. Serve with simple white rice and warm flour tortillas.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chiles and toast on both sides, turning occasionally and pressing down with a spatula, until they soften and blister. Remove from the pan. Place in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot water over them. Soak for 15 minutes, stirring once. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the soaking liquid.

In a blender, combine the chiles and the reserved soaking liquid, garlic, and salt and puree until perfectly smooth.

In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the cumin, clove, and peppercorns until fragrant, stirring frequently so they don’t burn. Let cool completely and grind in a spice grinder.

Place the pork in the bottom of a 5-quart slow cooker and sprinkle with the ground spices. Add the onion, marjoram, bay leaf, and cinnamon. Pour the chile puree over the meat and add the water. Stir well. Cover and cook on low 6 hours, stirring once or twice, until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick and fragrant.

Remove and discard the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Stir in the vinegar, piloncillo, orange zest, and chocolate. Serve hot.