If you’re looking for a way to celebrate Mexican Independence Day the traditional, authentic way, I would advise you to avoid Taco Bell and ground beef seasoned with an Old El Paso taco seasoning packet.  A far cry from normal Mexican food, let alone Mexican holiday food, these foods do a disservice to a cuisine that is actually fairly simple to make at home without having to resort to premixed packets of seasonings that, frankly, have the ratios all wrong.  That topic, however, is for another time.  With September 16^th upon us, you’ve only got a short amount of time to prepare for your own celebration.

You may have seen claims that people make these extravagant seafood dishes like fish or shrimp tacos made with pineapple or mango salsa.  First of all, even if this were true, it would only be true for coastal Mexico.  Second of all, even in coastal Mexico, the prices of seafood are still higher than those of, say, beef, pork, and chicken so the likelihood of a large, multi-generation household being able to afford enough seafood for twelve or more people is quite low.  So far, that rules out seasoned ground beef and seafood.  You might be wondering just what the traditional food of choice for celebrating Independence Day is, at this point.  Well, the secret is in the sauce, mole sauce, to be specific.

Mole is the quintessential special occasion dish of Mexico.  It is served on Cinco de Mayo, at weddings, quinceañeras, and is even left as an offering to the dead on Dia de los Muertos.  There are about nine different types of mole and limitless variations on them but the most popular and internationally famous type is mole poblano.  The most basic version of this recipe has about 24 ingredients, including five varieties of dried chiles, crushed almonds, crushed peanuts, chocolate, and a lengthy list of other spices and herbs.  The result is a potent, aromatic, dark brown sauce that isn’t as spicy as you might think but still has enough kick to justify keeping a pitcher of margaritas handy.

This rich, complex sauce is served with chicken parts that have been boiled or fried in lard.  I can’t speak for every household in Mexico but my family prefers boiling the chicken until it is mostly cooked through and then finishing it by simmering in prepared mole sauce.  This process allows the flavors in the sauce to permeate the chicken, resulting in a more pleasant, flavorful experience.  We also serve our mole with rice and fresh, warm tortillas.

The process of making mole may seem a bit intimidating but the fact is that the recipe simply involves a lot of simmering and blending of ingredients.  However, if you’re still feeling daunted by the task, fear not.  There are a number of companies that produce jarred mole concentrate and mole cubes that can be mixed or dissolved in water or chicken stock to make homemade tasting mole poblano.  Most notable and easy to find in America is Doña Maria.  Even we keep a few jars of it around because in many cases, it’s easier to find than some of the ingredients needed to make mole the old fashioned way.  This September 16^th, skip the ground beef and taco seasoning and spring for a jar of Doña Maria, a can of chicken stock, and a package of chicken parts.  You won’t regret it.  ¡Viva la independencia!

 Cheers,
Jarrett Melendez