Enmolados

Tonight we experienced our first Oaxacan moles! Mole, pronounced moe-lay, is a traditional sauce used in cooking. There are over six different types - coloradito (red), negro (black) and estofado (don't know) are the three sweet ones and verde (green), amarillo (yellow) and chichilo (again, I don't know) are the savory ones. They often have many many ingredients, upwards of dozens, and are prepared over days. We have seen them sold in a paste form in lots of the markets we have been through, but we had yet to sample. Oaxaca is famous for it's moles so the time had come for us to try it out.

Under the cover of our umbrella we walked the short blocks to Los Pacos, a restaurant that guaranteed a sampler of moles on the house. The place was deserted, but we didn't let that stop us. We confessed to the waiter right away that we hadn't tried mole and he suggested that we wait for the sample before we ordered our entree. Along with the sampler we ordered an appetizer of memelitas, which we were curious about because we saw a sign outside of a restaurant requesting a woman who could make tortillas and memelitas. The moles arrived first, along with 4 piping hot tortillas. We made our way through our tour of moles, trying to comment on the flavors of each one, but mostly lost in how extremely tasty and complex they each were. Rory immediately gravitated toward the most common, negro, and we both enjoyed the savory verde. Next came the memelitas, covered in mole negro and queso (a crumbly style of cheese). Memelitas seem to be smaller and thicker than average tortillas, giving you a bit more of something to bite into. Everything was delicious and we had yet to order a main course.

After further contemplation of the menu we felt ready. I got enchilada type things called enmolados (covered in mole) negro. Each tortilla came with a different filling, one quesillo (a stringy, salty type of cheese), one with chicken, and another with picadillo (wonderfully flavorful beef, pork and chicken mix). And true to the name they were SMOTHERED in mole negro! Rory ordered chilaquiles de amarillo con tasajo. Though he was expecting something different, having ordered chilaquiles from a restaurant we like in Boston, he was not disappointed. What arrived was a plate topped with tortilla chips that kind of tasted like fritos, covered in mole amarillo, with a side of thinly sliced grilled beef. There is not much we can really say other than it was fantastic, deliciously filled with flavors we have never experienced. I was quoted as saying "there is no going back," at one point during the meal. Even Rory had to admit it was worth getting a little wet on the walk over!

Needless to say dessert was unnecessary.

Que sabroso! How flavorful!