Name: Braised Rabbit in Rich Mexican Mole Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 whole rabbit (3 to 3.5 lbs), cut into 8 serving pieces; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 dried mulato chiles, stemmed and seeded; 2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded; 1 dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded; 3 Roma tomatoes, halved; 1/2 white onion, roughly chopped; 3 garlic cloves, peeled; 2 tbsp sesame seeds; 2 tbsp slivered almonds; 2 tbsp raisins; 1 small corn tortilla, torn into pieces; 3 tbsp lard or vegetable oil; 3 cups low-sodium chicken or rabbit broth; 1.5 oz Mexican chocolate (about 1/2 disc), chopped; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns; 1/2 tsp dried thyme; 1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano or marjoram; 2 bay leaves; 1 tsp granulated sugar; Salt to taste

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Conejo en Mole is a classic central-Mexican celebration dish that marries the mild, lean flavor of rabbit with a deeply complex mole built on toasted dried chiles, nuts, seeds, warm spices, and Mexican chocolate. Long, gentle braising turns the meat fork-tender while allowing it to soak up every smoky, earthy, slightly sweet nuance of the sauce. Serve with warm corn tortillas and rice for a soulful, festive meal.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time105 mins

Total Time135 mins

Servings4

Yield4 servings

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

485 kcalCalories
28 gFat
8 gSaturated Fat
22 gCarbs
6 gFiber
9 gSugar
38 gProtein
620 mgSodium
880 mgPotassium
140 mgCalcium
6 mgIron
18 mgVitamin C
145 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the rabbit

1 whole rabbit (3 to 3.5 lbs), cut into 8 serving pieces
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil

For the mole sauce

2 dried mulato chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
3 Roma tomatoes, halved
1/2 white onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp slivered almonds
2 tbsp raisins
1 small corn tortilla, torn into pieces
3 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
3 cups low-sodium chicken or rabbit broth
1.5 oz Mexican chocolate (about 1/2 disc), chopped
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano or marjoram
2 bay leaves
1 tsp granulated sugar
Salt to taste

Directions

Toast the stemmed and seeded chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20 to 30 seconds per side until fragrant, taking care not to burn them. Soak in a bowl of hot water for 20 minutes until pliable.
In the same dry skillet, toast the sesame seeds and slivered almonds over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the sesame is golden and the almonds smell toasty, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Pat the rabbit pieces very dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the rabbit on all sides in batches, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and reserve.
Pour off all but 2 tbsp of fat from the pot. Add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until charred in spots and softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the toasted sesame seeds, almonds, raisins, and torn tortilla and cook 2 minutes more.
Drain the soaked chiles and transfer to a blender along with the tomato mixture. Pour in 1 cup of the broth and blend on high until completely smooth, adding more broth as needed to keep the blades moving.
Strain the chile puree through a fine-mesh sieve into the pot, pressing firmly to extract every bit of sauce and discard the solids. Stir in the lard and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce darkens and thickens to a heavy paste.
Pour in the remaining broth, then add the chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, and sugar. Stir until the chocolate melts, return the rabbit pieces and any juices to the pot, and bring to a gentle simmer.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and braise for 60 to 75 minutes, turning the rabbit every 20 minutes, until the meat is fork-tender and beginning to pull from the bone. If the sauce reduces too much, add a splash of warm broth.
Remove and discard the bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt and sweetness. Skim any excess surface fat if desired and let the mole rest off the heat for 5 minutes before serving with warm corn tortillas, white rice, or both.

Cook’s Notes

For an even richer sauce, simmer the rabbit carcass with onion, garlic, a bay leaf, and a pinch of salt for 45 minutes and use that strained liquid as your braising broth.
Mole tastes even better on day two; refrigerate overnight, then reheat gently with a splash of broth to loosen the sauce as it thickens while sitting.
If rabbit is hard to find, this mole is excellent with bone-in chicken thighs; increase the braising time to about 50 minutes.
Watch the chiles and nuts closely while toasting; even a few seconds past fragrant can turn them bitter and ruin the whole sauce.
Toast the chiles over an open gas flame for 10 to 15 seconds per side before soaking if you want a deeper, smokier mole.

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