Mole Glazed Grilled Pork Loin
What is mole?
The answer varies, but the first versions of mole (pronounced MOH-leh) were based on purées of dried chiles and spices ground in a stone mortar often with seeds and nuts. As new spices were brought to the Americas, moles became more elaborate and required more complex preparation. Generally, today’s moles contain ground chiles, nuts, herbs and spices.
The ever-versatile mole
Some moles have as few as five ingredients while others have more than 30—My Mom’s Mole contains 25! Mole’s versatility comes not only from the spices and ingredients but also from a personal touch mixed with the multiple culinary worldviews that have influenced it over time. Courtesy of My Mom’s Mole
Traditional mole is a very complex sauce that takes hours to build the layers of intricate flavors. Who has time for that! Mole also uses and extensive list of ingredients which most of us home cooks do not have on hand. I was a little skeptical of a dried mole and how the flavors would come together. Mole is usually served as a sauce over grilled or roasted chicken and pork. I decided I would make a couple of recipes using My Mom’s Mole to see if I and my family would like it and if it tasted like a traditional mole sauce.
For my first recipe I decided to turn the mole into a basting glaze to make Mole Glazed Grilled Pork Loin . I butterflied a 3 pound pork loin and marinated it in a citrus marinade for a few hours. During this time I made the mole sauce. The mole was very simple to make.
TO MAKE THE MOLE:
Add a little oil to a medium pot. Add 1 cup of mole to the oil and stir for 1 -2 minutes until the mole and oil is combined and starting to brown. Whisk in 2 1/2 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. At this point the mole sauce is ready to use. I removed all but 1 cup of sauce to use later.
I simmered the remaining 1 cup mole sauce for another 10-15 minutes to reduce down to form my glaze. I grilled my pork and brushed on the mole glaze. Cooked the pork for 7-10 minutes per side basting as I turned it. I served it with some grilled vegetable and the reserved mole sauce. The mole had plenty of flavor and the subtle sweetness of the sauce worked great with the pork and the smoke of the grill. My family loved it.
Here is a bit of history about My Mom’s Mole:
Based in Watsonville, CA—the Strawberry Capital of the World, we are a Mexican culinary startup that produces & distributes a mole powder to a handful of local markets. We believe that our food can be responsibly sourced while retaining its cultural authenticity. Our goal is to do business with people who believe what we believe.
Our mole comes in powder form and is refrigerated giving it added versatility. It pairs well with meat, vegetarian, or vegan dishes. We use no animal products in it. You can simply add it as a spice for a marinade or simmer it with your favorite stock to make mole sauce. It is easy to incorporate into a variety of dishes.