Mole in cazuela: technique of toasting, grinding and long stewing

What is it?

Mole de cazuela is the ancient technique for preparing traditional Mexican moles in glazed clay cazuela, through a precise sequence of toasting, grinding and long stewing of chillies, seeds, spices and other ingredients that can reach more than 30. It is the technique that defines Mexican mestizo baroque cuisine and especially the Oaxacan and Pueblan cuisines, both world gastronomic heritage. A well-made mole requires between 4 and 12 hours of preparation and ingredients that are worked in stages: first the dried chillies are deveined and toasted, then seeds and nuts are toasted, then they are hydrated and ground, finally they are stewed slowly in fat to concentrate the flavours. It is a living technique, passed from cook to cook for 500 years, and ranks among the most complex preparations in the world, comparable to South Asian curries or French mother sauces.

Origin and history

The mole de cazuela technique has a mestizo origin from the New Spanish baroque. Toasted and ground chilli sauces are pre-Hispanic: Sahagun (Historia general, 1577) already describes the Mexican 'mulli' or 'mole' in the 16th century, which simply meant 'sauce'. The conquest brought Asian spices (cinnamon, clove, pepper), Mediterranean nuts (almond, sesame) and European convent techniques, which fused with Mesoamerican sauces in the convents of Puebla and Oaxaca during the 16th and 17th centuries. Legend attributes to the convent of Santa Rosa de Lima in Puebla (17th century) the creation of mole poblano by Sor Andrea de la Asuncion to honour the viceroy Manuel Fernandez de Santa Cruz, although researchers such as Cristina Barros note that it is a collective evolution of hundreds of years, according to Larousse Cocina. The seven Oaxacan moles (black, red, coloradito, yellow, green, chichilo, manchamanteles) consolidated their current form in the 18th and 19th centuries. The grinding technique passed from metate to molcajetes and then to the mechanical mills of the 20th century, today coexisting with premium artisanal preparations. Mexico Desconocido documents the importance of the glazed clay cazuela, ideally from Atzompa, Oaxaca, or Capula, Michoacan, as a vessel that imparts a mineral flavour and allows controlled slow cooking.

Characteristic ingredients

The mole technique in cazuela has precise sequential phases. Phase 1 (toasting): The dried chillies (ancho, mulato, pasilla, chipotle, guajillo, chilhuacle depending on the mole) are deveined and cleaned, then toasted on a comal until they crackle slightly without burning (if they burn, they become bitter). Seeds (sesame, pumpkin seed, almonds, peanuts, walnuts) are also toasted until golden, whole spices (clove, pepper, cinnamon, aniseed), and dried fruits (raisins, plum, sliced plantain). Phase 2 (hydration and grinding): The toasted chillies are hydrated in hot water for 15 minutes. Everything is ground on metate or in a blender with a little broth until a very fine, thick paste is obtained. Phase 3 (stewing): Lard or oil is heated in a clay cazuela, the mole paste is fried until it concentrates and darkens (10 to 20 minutes). Phase 4 (long stewing): Bird or meat broth (turkey, chicken, pork) is added and cooked over low heat for 2 to 4 hours, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. Metate chocolate is added at the end if used. The texture should be like a thick cream that coats the back of a spoon. Each cook has her unique recipe; some moles use more than 30 ingredients (Oaxacan black mole) and others fewer (yellow mole).

Cultural significance

Mole de cazuela is the most complex and prestigious technique in traditional Mexican cuisine and a pillar of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (traditional Mexican cuisine, 2010). Oaxacan and Pueblan moles are considered peaks of world mestizo baroque cuisine. The technique requires months of learning and hours of work, which makes it a festive dish: no traditional mole is prepared for an everyday meal, but for weddings, baptisms, quinceaneras, Day of the Dead, Christmas. The mole economy sustains markets such as the 20 de Noviembre of Oaxaca with its corridors specialised in mole pastes, and traditional cooks such as Abigail Mendoza (Tlamanalli, Oaxaca), Mariana Orozco, and Carmen 'Titita' Ramirez (El Bajio, Mexico City) are international ambassadors. Festivals such as the Mole Festival in San Pedro Atocpan (Mexico City), the International Mole Festival in Puebla, and the Mole Fair in Chilapa, Guerrero, attract thousands of visitors. The mole technique has also been reclaimed in international fine dining by chefs such as Enrique Olvera with his mole madre (which is cooked for years, feeding a new pot with the previous one), the conceptual technique of Pujol that synthesises tradition and innovation.

Frequently asked questions

How many ingredients does a traditional mole have?

It varies greatly. An Oaxacan yellow mole may have 6 to 10 main ingredients. A classic Oaxacan or Pueblan black mole has 25 to 35 ingredients: 5 to 7 types of dried chillies, 4 to 6 types of seeds and nuts, 5 to 8 spices and aromatics, dried fruits, chocolate, bread, tortilla and broth. The most elaborate moles can exceed 40 ingredients. The quantity and proportion are what distinguish each family recipe.

Why is it cooked in a clay cazuela?

The glazed clay cazuela (ideally from Atzompa, Oaxaca or Capula, Michoacan) provides several advantages: 1) Even and constant heat due to its porosity and thickness. 2) Subtle mineral flavour imparted to the sauce. 3) Allows controlled slow cooking without the risk of burning. 4) Characteristic aroma that develops with use. 5) Cultural tradition that respects the original technique. Modern industrial pans work, but the result is slightly different.

How long does it take to prepare a mole?

A simple mole (yellow, green) can take 2 to 3 hours. A traditional Pueblan or black Oaxacan mole takes between 6 and 12 hours of preparation: 2 to 3 hours to devein and toast chillies and seeds, 1 hour of hydration, 1 to 2 hours of grinding, and 3 to 4 hours of slow stewing. That is why it is a festive dish and many families prepare large quantities to keep frozen for months. Commercial pastes are modern shortcuts.

Where does the mole technique come from?

It is of Mesoamerican origin as a pre-Hispanic technique of toasted and ground chillies called 'mulli'. It evolved into its current baroque form in the convents of Puebla and Oaxaca during the 16th to 18th centuries when it fused with Asian spices from the Manila Galleon, European nuts and colonial culinary techniques. It remains alive in the traditional kitchens of central and southern Mexico, especially in Oaxaca, Puebla, Guerrero, Tlaxcala and Mexico City.