Chef Juan Mondragón’s 12 Moles Of 2012

Chef Juan Mondragón is an artist in the kitchen, and this week he treated myself and Pocho.com Jefe in Chief Lalo Alcaraz to the 12 moles his restaurant is serving this year. Most of the moles were served with chicken breast, although there was one with salmon, tilapia, shrimp and filet mignon. Each was served with rice and vegetables, and is available at his restaurant in Baldwin Park, California.

Mondragón told us that the house mole is made with cactus, and that it is very healthy, includes pine seeds, sunflower seeds, poblano chile, garlic and more. He said that because it includes cactus, not only is it very healthy, but it’s also good for you. Normally this is his best seller, but he told us his recent concoction —  coffee mole — has been his top seller recently. “Everybody loves the coffee mole,” he told NewsTaco.

Mole in general is good for you, he said because it’s not supposed to include a lot of oil, rather the seeds provide natural oils. His personal favorite is the Mole Negro, which he said is the most difficult to make, with 11 chiles, many seeds, chocolate and much more. without further ado, here are the moles and reviews from Alcaraz.

1. Mole Poblano. Lalo’s Verdict: It’s really light, it’s not thick like the mole out of the can. It’s great.
2. Mole Aromas De México – guava, fruits, chiles. Lalo’s Verdict: Oh wow, it’s really citrus-ey and zingy and zesty? I’m running out of Z words.
3. Mole Manchamanteles – Chile cascabel, chile morita, chile poblando, chile ancho, chile negro. Lalo’s Verdict: It’s mancha manteles because you will make a huge mess on your tablecloth — all my food is mancha manteles. This one tastes like roasted, it’s hot, oh it’s good. I love chile.
4. Pipián Verde – jalapeño, tomatillo. Lalo’s Verdict: Oh my God. It’s like nutty and it’s really good.
5. Pipián Rojo – chile guajillo, chile puya. Lalo’s Verdict: It’s earthy and it’s also hot.
6. Coffee Mole – coffee, garlic, secret sauce, 4 chiles. Lalo’s Verdict: I’ve never tasted coffee that tastes like this or mole or anything. It’s got coffee flavor but it’s spicy. This one is really good, it’s coming at me from all angles, I don’t know how to describe it.
7. Cactus Mole – cactus. Lalo’s Verdict: You gotta taste this.
8. Mole Negro – the typical Oaxacan mole. Lalo’s Verdict: Oh wow.
9. Pistachio Mole – with salmon. Lalo’s Verdict: Wow. A delicious pistachio sauce that tastes nutty, but it’s smooth.
10. Tamarindo Mole – tamarindo, tilapia. Lalo’s Verdict: Not to mention the fish melts in my mouth, the sauce is not too spicy or sugary or salty.
11. Mole De Los Dioses – filet mignon, huitlacoche. Lalo’s Verdict: This was my favorite mole when I was emperor of Mexico, briefly in the 1980s. Wow! This makes me hate Cortez even more.
12. Velo De Novia Mole – shrimp, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, dried fruits. Lalo’s Verdict: It’s nutty, but creamy. It’s really good and fruity and I want to eat all these shrimp.

At the end of the tasting, Alcaraz gave a “gran aplauso” to Mondragón, and said “Oh my God my head is spinning.” He said that each mole was “fantastic” and they all taste healthy and light. Highlights included Mole de los Dioses, “It was really beefy tasting,” he also liked the Nopal Mole, “The Nopal one also knocked my socks off, the flavor is great.” When it came to a slightly more exotic mole, Coffee, Alcaraz said, “It doesn’t taste like any sort of coffee-derived ice cream or anything. It’s light and flavorful.”

And because Alcaraz is a chile lover, the Mancha Manteles Mole also made his top list. “The Mancha Manteles was hot — I like that. I like hot, but the spice doesn’t overpower the flavor it’s just delicious.” Overall, he rated all 12 A+. We’ve written about Mondragón’s Christmas dish and healthy cooking before.