Mole Verde
Jocelyn Ramirez
551 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
551
1 hour
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Make the salsa: Combine the chiles, onion, garlic and tomatoes with 1 cup water and a generous pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Set over medium-low heat and simmer until the chiles are rehydrated and the other ingredients have softened, 15 to 20 minutes.
Transfer to a blender or food processor along with the apple cider vinegar (reserve the saucepan) and blend until completely smooth. Return salsa to the saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes to marry all the flavors. Taste for salt and adjust as needed.
Meanwhile, prepare the onion: Toss the onion with the lemon juice, red-pepper flakes and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Let stand for at least 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the tortas: Combine the beans, red-pepper flakes, cumin, 1 cup water and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Once hot, carefully pour the mixture into the same blender or food processor used for the salsa (no need to wash in between uses) and blend until smooth.
Heat a broiler to medium with a rack placed 6 inches from the heat source. To warm and crisp the bread, place the bread halves on a baking sheet cut sides down and broil until warmed through and slightly crusty on the outside, 2 to 3 minutes. Assemble the dish by spreading a thick layer of salsa on each of 4 serving dishes. Place the bottom pieces of bread on the salsa cut sides up and divide the beans, onion and bread tops among them. Ladle the remaining salsa over the sandwiches until they’re completely soaked. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and lemon wedges, and serve.
Lightly char the salsa ingredients before going into the liquid. I know it's another step, but, you'll get a much better tasting salsa.
I like the versions I've had at our Mexican restaurants here in Pilsen in Chicago. The sandwich must have delicious pork and the end is submerged in a spicy broth. Thus the "drowned." If you follow this recipe you won't get the full effect. With all due respect to the vegetarians...:)
The components of this recipe were really good (I used dried Rio Zapes in place of the canned beans)and the sauce had a really good flavor, but I think I cooked down the sauce too much, so it didn't soften the torta in the way I think it is supposed to. My advice would be to watch the sauce and possibly add a little more water after you blend it so that it is thin enough to truly "drown" the torta.
This didn't work well for me. There was too much water in the bean puree so I had to add another can of beans to thicken it. (i get that it was supposed to be a drowned sandwich but this was like soup. Thin soup.) I ended up substituting dried chipotle peppers because they were all I could find, and I can see where that was a mistake, the salsa was too one-note, and too spicy for our weak palates besides. Definitely needed the mushrooms.
A resident of Guadalajara, Mexico, would not recognize this torta. It is always filled with pork.
I can see this on a flour tortilla, too!!
Lightly char the salsa ingredients before going into the liquid. I know it's another step, but, you'll get a much better tasting salsa.
I like the versions I've had at our Mexican restaurants here in Pilsen in Chicago. The sandwich must have delicious pork and the end is submerged in a spicy broth. Thus the "drowned." If you follow this recipe you won't get the full effect. With all due respect to the vegetarians...:)
The components of this recipe were really good (I used dried Rio Zapes in place of the canned beans)and the sauce had a really good flavor, but I think I cooked down the sauce too much, so it didn't soften the torta in the way I think it is supposed to. My advice would be to watch the sauce and possibly add a little more water after you blend it so that it is thin enough to truly "drown" the torta.
This didn't work well for me. There was too much water in the bean puree so I had to add another can of beans to thicken it. (i get that it was supposed to be a drowned sandwich but this was like soup. Thin soup.) I ended up substituting dried chipotle peppers because they were all I could find, and I can see where that was a mistake, the salsa was too one-note, and too spicy for our weak palates besides. Definitely needed the mushrooms.
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