Mole de Pata (Pig Trotter Mole)

About this recipe

Mole de pata is a festive Poblano dish featuring pig trotters slow-cooked in a thick, aromatic red mole sauce. This celebratory stew is prepared for weddings, baptisms and patron saint festivals in the villages of Puebla state. The gelatinous collagen of the trotters melts into the richness of a mole made with mulato, ancho and pasilla chillies, tomatoes, bitter chocolate and warming spices. The result is a dark, velvety broth served with rice, black beans and corn tortillas. It is a dish requiring dedication and time, but the reward is deep, complex flavours representing the best of Mexican festival cooking.

1. 1

   Clean the pig trotters thoroughly and place in a large pot with cold water, onion, garlic and salt. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone.

   💡 Skim off the foam that rises at the start of cooking.

2. 2

   Toast the mulato, ancho and pasilla chillies on a dry comal over low heat for 30 seconds per side. Deseed, soak in hot water for 25 minutes and drain.

   💡 Keep the soaking water to add more colour to the mole if needed.

3. 3

   Char the tomatoes, onion and garlic on the comal until well blackened. Set aside.

4. 4

   Toast the sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns on the dry comal until fragrant, stirring constantly.

   💡 Toast each spice separately to control doneness.

5. 5

   Blend the chillies in batches with the charred tomatoes, onion, garlic, toasted spices and chocolate until completely smooth. Use the trotter cooking broth as the blending liquid.

6. 6

   In a large casserole, heat oil and fry the blended, strained mole over high heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring constantly until it darkens and thickens.

   💡 Mole spits when frying; wear an apron and use a long spoon.

7. 7

   Add the remaining trotter broth and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Add the cooked trotters, adjust salt, and cook for a further 20 minutes so they absorb the mole.

8. 8

   Serve each portion with two trotters, generous mole, red rice and tortillas. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds at the table.

Related Articles

Beyond Guacamole: 10 Ways to Use Avocados in Mexican Cooking

A Beginner's Guide to Mole: Mexico's Most Complex Sauce

The World of Mole: Over 100 Varieties You Might Not Know