This is my version of the classic Mexican turkey mole. It's not strictly speaking a mole poblano, but it's similar. I simmer the turkey in the finished mole only until it's just barely cooked through, which keeps the meat tender and moist.
3small corn tortillas, or 1 large,slightly charred
1/2teaspoonblack pepper
8cloves, about 1/2 teaspoon ground
1teaspooncinnamon
1large tomato, charred under a broiler
1/2cuproasted and pureed tomatillos, about 3 large ones
1quart chicken or turkey broth
2poundsturkey breast
Instructions
Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles. Flatten them out as best you can and toast them on a comal or cast iron pan set over high heat. You'll want a spatula to hold them down. You'll only need to toast the chiles for a few seconds on either side; watch for blistering, and when you see it, you're good.
Toss the toasted dried chiles into some warm water to soak, and, when they're soft, puree in a blender with some turkey or chicken broth. You want a consistency like thick BBQ sauce. Set aside.
In a large, dry pan, toast - one at a time - the sesame seeds, pepitas, pecans and coriander seeds. Set them all in a bowl to cool, then grind into a paste in a spice grinder. Set aside.
Put the 1/4 cup of lard into a large, heavy pot like a Dutch oven. Set the heat to medium-high and sauté the onions until they begin to brown a bit. Add the garlic and raisins, then sauté another minute. Turn off the heat and let this mixture cool a bit, then put it in the blender.
Smash up the charred tortillas and put them in the blender. Add the ground nuts, seeds and coriander to the blender. Add the black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, charred tomato and tomatillos to the blender, and turn it on. Add enough turkey stock to make the blades work, and puree this mixture. It should be thick, but pourable.
Pour this into the Dutch oven. Add a little more broth to the blender to get all the stray sauce sticking to its sides and pour that in the pot. Add the Mexican chocolate and all the pureed chiles, too, mix well and bring to a bare simmer. You want the mole to have the consistency of melted ice cream. Add salt to taste.
Simmer this mole for 20 minutes. As this is happening, salt the turkey breast well. After 20 minutes has elapsed, submerge the turkey breast in the mole. Simmer gently until it's done. I do this by sticking a meat thermometer into the fattest part of the turkey breast, and I pull the meat when it hits 150°F.
Remove the turkey from the mole and scrape most of the sauce back into the pot. Slice against the grain, then serve with the mole, some cilantro and sesame seeds as garnish.
Notes
NOTE: This recipe makes a lot more mole sauce than you need for one sitting, but it keeps well in the fridge and freezes, too. Use leftover mole for enmoladasor in tacos.
Keys to Success
Put some music on and settle in for a fairly long series of steps when making mole. It's not hard, but you do need to pay attention to detail to make a great mole. Don't make it when rushed.
All the toasting and charring steps really matter. Don't skip them.
Other meats that work well with this sauce would be chicken, rabbit, pork, squirrel, pheasant or partridge.