Mole Amarillito de Oaxaca, one of the seven moles that the state of Oaxaca is famous for. ‘Amarillito’ means ‘yellow’; ‘mole’ is the indigenous word for a multi-layered sauce formed from a complex mix of spices and herbs. This hearty dish, perfect for warming up a winter’s eve, is from my UBC Mexican cooking class with Chef Rossana Ascencio.

• the ingredients for the Mole Amarillito; the top bowl contains green beans and chayote, a Mexican squash; the next bowl tomatillos, onion, garlic and guajillo chiles. The lower right bowl contains yerba santa leaves, similar in taste to tarragon, and the lower left is lard from reduced pork belly.
  

  ingredients for Mole Amarillito

• chayote is a type of squash very popular in Mexico

chayote, a popular Mexican squash

• close-up of tomatillos, guajillo chiles and onion for the Mole Amarillito
  

  some of the Mole Amarillito ingredients

• cubed pork was simmered in water with onion and garlic. The pork was cooked until just tender, then set aside and the broth reserved.
• other ingredients included a couple of yellow potatoes, crushed toasted cumin seeds, crushed toasted cloves, and Mexican oregano.
  

  Mexican oregano is from a very different plant than regular oregano, but if you can’t find any, then regular oregano, although stronger in flavour, is the best substitute.

• after chopping the potatoes and chayote in to similar-sized chunks, they were boiled until tender, drained and set aside for adding later.

potatoes and chayote squash set aside for the Mole Amarillito

• the Guajillo chiles were toasted in a hot dry pan, which changes their colour and texture, and adds a toasted flavour. They were then deseeded and deveined. Because their skins are fairly tough, they were soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes followed by another 10 minute soak in fresh water.

boiling charred Guajillo chiles to soften the skins

• at this point they were soft enough be blended.

the softened chiles are blended

• everything was added to the pork/onion/garlic broth and then a watery masa mixture was added thicken the mole.

using a watery masa mixture to thicken the Mole

• the dimpled Chochoyotes, consisting of masa, lard, minced garlic and salt, were popped into boiling water. When they floated to the surface they were ready to add to the Mole Amarillito. More detailed images of making these dumplings on the Mole Coloradito page: http://blogs.ubc.ca/albatz/2012/12/22/mole-coloradito-a-traditional-mole-from-oaxaca/
  

  Chochoyotes, dumplings Oaxaca-style

  And when everything is ready, por fin, the Mole Amarillito!