Coat Your Short Ribs in Mole, You Won't Regret It

A taco of short rib with mole on a plate
February 8, 2024

By Miguel Guerrero

Short ribs are one of our favorite ways to show off in the kitchen: low effort, high reward. But in this case, the star of the show is the mole they get coated in. It's a sweeter, nuttier version than mole negro, and endlessly customizable. By braising the short ribs first, then coating them in the sauce, you get a super tender but still sliceable texture that's a perfect pairing for warm, chewy corn tortillas.

To change up the mole, add more chile de árbol if you like it hot, or more galletas María for extra sweetness. 

Impress someone you love with this dish that tastes so much more complex than the sum of its parts.
Short Rib Mole

Short Rib Mole

Miguel Guerrero

Ingredients

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    • 8lbs beef short ribs

    • Coarse salt and pepper

    • 1 medium onion, finely chopped

    • 1 carrot, finely chopped

    • 1 bay leaf

    • Neutral oil, such as avocado

    • Beef or chicken stock, or water, enough to cover the ribs

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    • 1 tortilla

    • 4 mulata chiles

    • 4 ancho chiles

    • 4 pasilla chiles

    • 4 chile de árbol (adjust for spiciness)

    • 1 tomato

    • ½ onion

    • ½ cup roasted peanuts

    • ½ cup roasted almonds

    • ½ cup pumpkin seeds

    • ¼ cup sesame seeds

    • 4 cloves garlic

    • 5 whole cloves

    • 5 whole black peppercorns

    • 1 block Abuelita chocolate

    • Dash of cinnamon

    • ¼ cup raisins

    • ½ pack galletas María (María cookies)

    • Neutral oil, such as avocado

    • Salt to taste

    Directions

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      1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Season the ribs generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of neutral oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the ribs on all sides, about 6 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer ribs to a plate.

      2. Cook onion and carrot in the same pot until browned, about 5 minutes. Return ribs to the pot, add bay leaf, and cover with your choice of liquid (beef or chicken stock, or water). Bake, covered tightly, for about 3 hours or until very tender.

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      1. First, remove the seeds and veins from the chiles. Then, toast the chiles on your comal or sauté pan, about 20 seconds on each side. Once toasted, set aside.

      2. Toast the tortilla until crisp and slightly charred, with some dark brown-black spots. Set aside.

      3. Toast the peanuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, cloves, and peppercorns until golden. Remove from comal and set aside.

      4. Toast the onion and garlic until fragrant and lightly charred. Set aside.

      5. Lastly, cook the tomato until charred patches appear, then remove from heat.

      6. Blend all the charred ingredients (chiles, tortilla, peanuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, cloves, peppercorns, onion, garlic, and tomato) with raisins, cookies, cinnamon, along with one cup of rib cooking liquid and add more as needed until you reach a smooth, uniform, pourable consistency.

      7. Heat a large clean pot or very deep pan to medium-low heat and add 2 tablespoons of neutral oil. Then pour the mole into the pot, simmer for 10 minutes.

      8. Break the chocolate into pieces and add to the pan with a good pinch of salt. Mix well and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, stirring every minute. The mole will thicken as it simmers. You can add more broth or water to help loosen the mole.

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      1. Spoon half of the mole into a baking dish. Place ribs on top and spoon remaining mole over ribs. Broil or bake until sizzling and browned, about 2 to 4 minutes per side under the broiler or 8 to 12 minutes in the oven.

      2. To serve, place the short rib on a freshly made tortilla and spoon some of the mole sauce on top. ¡Provecho!

      5 comments

      MASIENDA |

      Hi Steve! It’s about 3.1 ounces, roughly one round disc of Abuelita chocolate. Feel free to start with half the disc and add more to taste, depending on how chocolate-forward you want the sauce.

      STEVE |

      What is the weight or volume on the chocolate? There are lots of varieties of Abuelita chocolate, and I don’t want to overpower with chocolate or lose it in the sauce.

      ESPERANZA MICNERSKI |

      Wow, this recipe was spot on delish, packed nice flavor.

      MASIENDA |

      Hi Jared! Thanks for your question. Here is a nut-free mole recipe you can try: https://masienda.com/blogs/learn/empanadas-de-mole-amarillo

      JARED |

      These look amazing. Do you have any mole recipes for peanut and nut free?

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