Black Bean Mole

🥘 Ingredients

• Roma or plum tomato
  1
• black beans
  2 c
• canola oil
• cinnamon stick
  1 small
• clove
  1
• cumin seeds
  1/4 tsp
• disk stone-ground Mexican dark chocolate
  1/4 oz
• dried New Mexico chiles
  1
• dried ancho chiles
  1
• dried pasilla chiles
  2
• fresh oregano leaves
  1 tsp
• garlic
  4 cloves
• onion
  1
• salt
• sesame seeds
  2 tsp
• tomatillos
  5
• very ripe plantain
  1
• water

🍳 Cookware

• Dutch oven
• plate
• paper towels
• large cast-iron pan
• high-speed blender
• fine-mesh strainer
• large pot
• sealed container

1. 1

   In a Dutch oven , heavy-bottomed pot, or high-sided frying pan over medium-high heat, heat about 3 inches of canola oil to 350°F. Line a plate with a few layers of paper towels and place nearby for draining.

   canola oil
2. 2

   Fry the very ripe plantain , turning occasionally, until deep golden brown, 5 to ⏱️ 7 minutes . Transfer to the plate to drain.

   very ripe plantain: 1
3. 3

   In a dry large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat, add the dehusked tomatillos , onion , Roma or plum tomato , and garlic . Toast them in the pan, turning occasionally, until mostly blacked on all sides, about ⏱️ 15 minutes . Remove from the heat and transfer to a high-speed blender and set aside.

   tomatillos: 5, onion: 1, Roma or plum tomato: 1, garlic: 4 cloves
4. 4

   Wipe out any debris from the pan. Add the sesame seeds , cinnamon stick , clove , and cumin seeds and arrange in a single layer. PLace over very low heat and toast gently, shaking the pan occasionally, until the mixture becomes fragrant, 3 to ⏱️ 5 minutes . Remove from the heat, transfer to the blender, and set aside.

   sesame seeds: 2 tsp, cinnamon stick: 1 small, clove: 1, cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp
5. 5

   Wipe out any debris from the pan. Add the cleaned, deseeded, and deveined dried pasilla chiles , dried New Mexico chiles , and dried ancho chiles to the pan. Place the pan over low heat and toast the chiles for about ⏱️ 30 seconds per side. Remove from the heat and transfer the chiles to the blender.

   dried pasilla chiles: 2, dried New Mexico chiles: 1, dried ancho chiles: 1
6. 6

   Wipe out any debris from the pan. Add the reserved veins and seeds from the dried chiles. Place the pan over medium-high heat and toast until blackened and beginning to smoke, 3 to ⏱️ 5 minutes . Remove from the heat and transfer to the blender.
7. 7

   Add the fresh oregano leaves , preferably Mexican oregano, and fried plantain to the blender and blend until very smooth.

   fresh oregano leaves: 1 tsp
8. 8

   Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large pot . Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a strong simmer, about medium heat, and cook for ⏱️ 15 minutes . Break up the disk stone-ground Mexican dark chocolate into a few pieces, add it to the pot, and continue simmering for ⏱️ 10 minutes . Add the black beans and simmer for another ⏱️ 10 minutes . Season with salt to taste and add a little water if needed to thin out the mole. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

   disk stone-ground Mexican dark chocolate: 1/4 oz, black beans: 2 c, salt, water