BEER-POACHED PULLED CHICKEN MOLE

Beer-Poached Pulled Chicken Mole image

Provided by Rachael Ray : Food Network

Time 50m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

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3 medium onions
8 boneless chicken thighs
1 Mexican-style beer (recommended: Negra Modela)
4 fresh bay leaves
3 ancho chilies, seeded and stemmed
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 red chile pepper, such as Fresno or Holland
2 small stems fresh oregano or marjoram, finely chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons unsweetened Mexican cocoa powder
Pinch cinnamon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
Small corn or flour tortillas, warmed to package directions, for serving
Toasted pepitas, for garnish

Steps:

Quarter one of the onions and place in a large pot with the chicken, beer, and 2 bay leaves. Add just enough water to come up to the top of the chicken pieces. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat, and then lower the heat and simmer until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the hot liquid to a bowl and shred the meat with forks. Strain and reserve the stock.
Meanwhile, in a small pot, cover the anchos with just enough water to cover and simmer to reconstitute, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the anchos to a food processor bowl, reserving the cooking liquid.
Toast the almonds in a saucepot large enough in which to make the sauce. Remove the toasted nuts to the food processor bowl.
Slice the 2 remaining onions. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat in the same pot you toasted the nuts in. Add the onions, garlic, last 2 bay leaves, raisins, red chile, oregano, cumin, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook to soften the onions, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the crushed tomatoes and heat through. Transfer to the food processor with the reconstituted anchos and almonds. Process into a thick paste and return to the saucepot. Add a little of the chicken stock and ancho stock to thin the sauce a bit. It should remain thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the shredded chicken to the sauce then serve with warm corn or flour tortillas for wrapping. Garnish with pepitas.