Mole Poblano de la Noche Buena is just one of the recipes we featured in Red and Green for the Holidays. Not only is it an excellent use for leftover turkey, it’s perfect for Christmas dinner too.
Mole Poblano de Guajolote (Turkey in Chocolate Chile Sauce)
In an 1870s cookbook from Puebla there were recipes for 44 different moles but only one, Mole Poblano de Guajolote, or turkey in mole sauce, is called the National Dish of Mexico. This mole has descended from an Aztec chilemolli dish and although it’s called poblano, it doesn’t contain any poblano chiles. In this case poblano refers to the people of Puebla, birthplace of this dish. For an authentic taste, lard is used, but if that’s offensive to you, substitute vegetable oil. Also, Mexican chocolate can be used, but if you do, be sure to eliminate the cinnamon from the recipe.