Mole Coloradito (Oaxacan — Simpler Red Mole with Chocolate)

Mole Coloradito sits between the everyday red enchilada sauce and the monumental mole negro — it is a red mole of genuine complexity but achievable within a single afternoon. Its name derives from its brick-red colour, which comes from ancho and guajillo chillies toasted and rehydrated rather than charred to blackness. The chilli base relies primarily on anchos and guajillos, with mulatos added for depth. These are toasted briefly on a dry comal — just enough to soften and release oils, not blacken — then soaked in hot water until pliable. The soaking liquid is reserved and strained, as it carries flavour that enriches the finished sauce. Tomatoes and tomatillos are charred on the comal alongside onion and garlic. A handful of raisins and a piece of plantain are fried in lard until caramelised, adding sweetness and body. Almonds and sesame seeds are toasted separately. All components are blended together with the chilli water until smooth, then strained to remove skins. The paste is fried in lard in a heavy cazuela — the paso de freír again essential — until it darkens from bright red to a deep rust. Turkey or chicken stock is added incrementally, and the sauce simmers for 45 minutes to an hour. Mexican chocolate is added toward the end, along with a small amount of Mexican cinnamon and a pinch of cumin. Coloradito is most traditionally served with chicken or pork, and its slightly sweeter, less bitter profile makes it more immediately accessible than mole negro. It is the mole many Oaxacan families make for Sunday lunch rather than for weddings — important but not ceremonial.