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Mexican mole rests in a cast iron skillet.

Upland Mole

Jack Hennessy
A sauce with layers of flavor, mole is an excellent vehicle to cook upland game in.
4.50 from 2 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 2 people
Calories 970 kcal

Equipment

  • Steel China Cap Strainer

Ingredients
  

  • 1 to 1 1/4 pound upland game meat
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 1/2 tbsp salted butter
  • 3/4 cup red Irish ale
  • 3/4 cup beef stock
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 2 tbsp morello cherry preserves
  • 2 tsp freshly minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds toasted and blended
  • 2 tbsp almonds toasted and blended
  • 1 oz Mexican chocolate
  • Peanut oil
  • 6-inch tortillas
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh cracked black pepper

Chili paste made from the following:

  • 8 oz dried guajillo chiles
  • 8 oz dried morita chiles
  • 8 oz dried chipotle chiles
  • 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch slurry

Garnish

  • Queso fresco or cotija cheese
  • Cilantro minced
  • Avocado sliced

Instructions
 

Chili Paste

  • To make chili paste, add all dried peppers to large pot and cover with water. Bring to a low boil for 15 minutes to rehydrate peppers.
  • Once rehydrated, strain. Once strained, scoop a large portion and put into steel China cap strainer.
  • Use a durable steel spoon to mash peppers so pulp comes through sieve. Have a bowl below to catch paste
  • Get as much as you can with each scoop of rehydrated peppers then discard, add next scoop until you’ve mashed all peppers through sieve.
  • Use a plastic scraper/rubber spatula to scrape off pulp from outer edges of sieve into bowl. You should get a cup from all of this effort.

Other prep

  • Butcher your upland game as you see fit. I personally used a whole pheasant, butchered into breasts (and tenderloins), which I diced, then bone-in thighs, legs, and thighs. (I cooked bone-in pieces whole then pulled shredded meat from bones, tossed bones.)
  • In a large cast-iron skillet, add a thin layer of peanut oil followed by diced onion. During this process pull butchered upland bird from the fridge and lightly salt and pepper all sides and leave out at room temperature.
  • Lightly salt and pepper diced onion in skillet. Sear on medium-high heat then turn to medium-low and allow the onion to caramelize. Once caramelized, add 1/2 tbsp salted butter to deglaze. Also add 2 tsp of freshly minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes Scrape onion and minced garlic from skillet and set aside.
  • In same skillet, add upland bird meat but be careful not to crowd pan (crowding pan will prevent a good sear). You may need to sear the bird in phases to avoid crowding pan. Sear all sides, then remove and set aside.
  • Add everything back to the skillet along with 1 cup chili paste, 3/4 cup Irish ale, and 3/4 cup beef stock. Stir together thoroughly to coat all the meat and leave at a simmer on low heat for 1 hour, stirring often.
  • To blend almond, pumpkin seeds, and chocolate, first toast almond and pumpkin seeds at 400 degrees Fahrenheit in the oven for 4-5 minutes until fragrant then add to food processor with 1 oz of Mexican chocolate and blend thoroughly.
  • After 1 hour simmering, add 2 tbsp of morello cherry preserves, 1/2 tsp each of cumin and coriander, along with onion and garlic mix. Simmer for another hour, stirring often. If it looks like it’s starting to dry out, add a bit of beer and beef stock, no more than a 1/4 cup at a time to keep moist. Check every half hour to hour to make sure meat remains mostly covered and moist.
  • After another hour, add blended mix of almond, pumpkin seed, and chocolate. Simmer for one more hour stirring often and making sure liquids mostly cover meat.
  • After 3 hours, the meat should be tender and easily pulled off bone if you cooked bone-in. If not tender, low simmer for another half hour, or until tender. Continue to make sure liquids mostly cover meat.
  • Salt to taste.
  • Serve with warm tortillas and garnish with your choice of Mexican cheese or sour cream, freshly minced cilantro, and slices of avocado Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 970kcalCarbohydrates: 100gProtein: 46gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 407mgPotassium: 811mgFiber: 37gSugar: 54gVitamin A: 295IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 94mgIron: 5mg
Keyword upland game birds
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