PLAY WITH FIRE Toasting the chiles and charring the tomatoes before they go into the sauce concentrates their flavor and lends smoky depth.
Photo: CHELSEA KYLE FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, FOOD STYLING BY PEARL JONES, PROP STYLING BY VANESSA VAZQUEZ
The Chef: Diana Davila
Her Restaurant: Mi Tocaya Antojería, Chicago
What She’s Known For: Authentic Mexican cooking—traditional dishes and regional classics as well as her own creations—served with warmth and hospitality
THINK OF THIS as mole in minutes: tender pieces of seared steak simmered in a smoky sauce made with toasted pasilla chiles, charred tomatoes and a grating of Mexican chocolate. “It’s something you find at mercados all around Mexico,” said chef Diana Davila of her second Slow Food Fast recipe.
At her restaurant, Mi Tocaya Antojería in Chicago, Ms. Davila features classic dishes and regional favorites you don’t often see on menus stateside. Here, Mexican chocolate, aromatic with cinnamon, brings remarkable depth to the sauce. Pasilla chiles—the dried form of chilaca peppers—bring their own fruity complexity. “You get the slow-cooked flavors from the chiles and chocolate,” Ms. Davila said. “But this is quick.”
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Share your experience with this recipe. Did you make any adaptations? How did you serve it? Join the conversation below.
She recommends rounding out this meaty main with a serving of roast vegetables such as fennel or carrots, or whatever you have on hand. Black beans make a nice complement, too. Served with warm tortillas, it adds up to a sumptuous meal.
—Kitty Greenwald is a chef, food writer and the co-author of ‘Slow Fires’ (Clarkson Potter)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into 2-inch pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 pasilla chiles, toasted and stemmed
- 2 plum tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ ounce Mexican chocolate, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon epazote (optional)
- Warm corn tortillas, to serve
Directions
- Season beef with salt and pepper and set aside. Place chiles in a bowl and pour enough hot water over them to just cover. Let chiles sit until they are pliable and soft, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, set a medium heavy pan over medium-high heat and add tomatoes. Dry-roast tomatoes, turning as needed, until they blacken in spots all over, about 5 minutes. Use a blender or food processor to purée tomatoes until smooth.
- Remove chiles from soaking liquid and reserve liquid. Purée chiles to form a smooth paste, adding splashes of reserved soaking liquid as necessary.
- Transfer chile purée to a medium pan set over medium-high heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt. Cook purée until it tightens slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomato purée and stock and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until sauce reduces, about 10 minutes. Stir in grated chocolate and continue simmering to meld flavors, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and cover sauce to keep warm.
- Set a large skillet over high heat. Once hot, add meat and sear until browned on exterior and rare within, about 3 minutes. Bring sauce back to a gentle simmer and add seared meat. Simmer meat until medium-rare to medium, 3-5 minutes. Garnish with epazote, if using, and serve with black beans and tortillas.
To explore and search through all our recipes, check out the new WSJ Recipes page.
Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
