Pollo en Mole Chicken Mole Sauce

Heat 1 tablespoon of lard or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Briefly toast the stemmed and seeded ancho, mulato, and pasilla chiles for 30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burnt. Immediately transfer them to a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them rehydrate for 20 minutes.

While chiles rehydrate, add tomatillos, onion, garlic, and tomatoes to the same skillet. Roast them until softened and slightly charred, about 8-10 minutes. In a separate dry pan, lightly toast the almonds, sesame seeds, raisins, and the piece of corn tortilla until fragrant. Set aside.

In a pot, combine chicken thighs with 4 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through and tender, about 20-25 minutes. Remove chicken, reserving the broth. Once cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones, shredding the meat.

Drain the rehydrated chiles and transfer them to a blender. Add the roasted tomatillos, onion, garlic, tomatoes, toasted almonds, sesame seeds, raisins, tortilla, cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns, cumin seeds, and oregano. Add 1 cup of the reserved chicken broth. Blend until very smooth, adding more broth if needed to achieve a thick, pourable consistency.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of lard or oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Carefully pour the blended mole sauce into the hot fat. Cook, stirring frequently, for at least 20-30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened considerably and darkened in color. This step is crucial for developing flavor.

Stir in the chopped Mexican chocolate and sugar into the mole sauce until completely melted and incorporated. Add the shredded cooked chicken to the mole sauce and stir to coat. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Season with salt to taste. Serve hot with rice and warm tortillas, garnished with extra sesame seeds.