Shredded Pork & Mole Enchiladas


For Mole Sauce:
5 cups water and/or de-fatted chicken stock, divided into 4 1/2 cups and 1/2 cup
½ cup unbleached white or whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons chicken soup base or bouillon, reduce if using stock
1 large yellow onion
2 to 3 cloves fresh garlic cloves, peeled
3 to 5 tablespoons of chile powder, preferably fresh ground from a combination of at least two of the following dried chiles; New Mexico, ancho, mulato and pasilla
¼ cup raisins
1-tablespoon best quality peanut or almond butter
2 ½ to 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon ground anise seeds
¼ teaspoon ground coriander seeds
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon cardamom – optional
¼ to ½ teaspoon salt


1. Pour 4 ½ cups cool or warm liquid (stock or water) into a 4-quart saucepan. Adding about a third of the flour at a time, rapidly whisk flour into liquid until smooth; whisk in chicken base or bouillon and set aside.

2. Using a blender or food processor, combine onion with garlic and raisins and process until fine. Add all remaining ingredients to onion raisin mixture and process 2 to 3 minutes into a smooth paste.

3. Whisk paste into liquid/flour mixture. Add ½ cup stock or water to processor or blender and process to remove remaining ingredients from container; add to sauce.

4. Cook sauce over medium heat, whisking frequently until sauce comes to a low boil and begins to thicken. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.

5. Adjust seasonings, adding more salt, chile powder or cocoa if necessary and remove from heat. Cover sauce and set aside until ready to use. As sauce cools, it has a tendency to thicken. If necessary, add a little water to thin it down. If sauce is being made in advance, cover surface with plastic wrap or wax paper to prevent skin from forming; cool to room temperature and refrigerate up to 5 days.

Note: Use a coffee grinder to grind dried whole chilies. By grinding your own chile powder, not only will it be fresher and more flavorful, but you can control how spicy it is by the kind of chiles used and the amount of chile seeds and veins ground into the mixture. The dried chiles called for in this recipe range in flavor from the mild New Mexico chile, to the mild to medium hot ancho and mulato chiles to the very hot pasilla chile.

Yield: 8 cups or 16 1/2-cup servings at approximately 45 calories each; 0.8 gram total fat; 0.2 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 9 grams carbohydrate; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1.5 grams protein; 305 milligrams sodium.

The high fat version compares at 160 calories per ½ cup serving and 11 grams fat vs. 0.8 gram total fat.

Pork Mole

  • 1 ½ lbs. pork tenderloin, trimmed of all visible fat
  • salt
  • 4 to 5 cups Mole Sauce
  • cooking spray

    1. Sprinkle tenderloins with a little salt. Lightly spray a large non-stick or stick-resistant skillet with cooking spray and preheat on medium-high. Add pork tenderloins to skillet and sear on all sides about 2 minutes on each side.

    2. Add Mole Sauce to pork tenderloins and reduce heat to low. Simmer covered, turning occasionally until tender, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

    Note: If using pork for enchiladas, remove from Mole Sauce and set aside to cool. Cover sauce left in pan until ready to use.

    Yield 8 servings with sauce each at approximately 154 calories; 2 grams total fat; 0.6 gram saturated fat; 53 milligrams cholesterol; 11 grams carbohydrate; 1 gram dietary fiber; 23 grams protein; 434 milligrams sodium.

    Shredded Pork and Mole Enchiladas

  • 1 ½ lb. pork tenderloins cooked in Mole Sauce and shredded or cut into small pieces
  • 4 to 5 cups Mole Sauce
  • 1 10-oz. package corn tortillas (12 tortillas)
  • cooking spray
  • ½ medium white onion, thinly sliced
  • ¾ cup (3 oz.) low fat feta cheese, crumbled (6 grams fat or less per 1 oz.)

    1. Prepare enchilada sauce following recipe instructions and set aside.

    2. Pour 3 cups Mole Sauce into a 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Lightly spray a stick-resistant skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium for 2 to 3 minutes. Cook tortillas in skillet one at a time, 30 to 60 seconds per side, until soft. Stack tortillas, covering with a cloth towel to keep from drying out. Do not overcook tortillas, they will become brittle. Re-spray skillet every 3 or 4 tortillas.

    3. Preheat oven to 350º F. One at a time, add tortillas to baking dish, coating both sides in sauce. Place 2/3-cup pork in center and roll up. Repeat process arranging enchiladas side by side, seam down; adding more sauce to dish as needed. When dish becomes full, dip tortillas in pan of sauce and assemble on top of other enchiladas. Pour 1 to 2 cups sauce evenly over enchiladas; cover with foil and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until sauce bubbles.

    While enchiladas are baking; re-heat remaining sauce over medium until hot. After removing enchiladas from oven, remove foil and top with a little more sauce if necessary. Top enchiladas with crumbled feta cheese and onions. Return to oven, uncovered for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with nonfat sour cream, warmed to room temperature and extra sauce.

    Yield: 12 enchiladas served with 1/3 cup sauce each at approximately 180 calories; 4 grams total fat; 1.7 grams saturated fat; 34 milligrams cholesterol; 20 grams carbohydrate; 2.3 grams dietary fiber; 16 grams protein; 387 milligrams sodium.

    NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON 432 calories and 30 grams fat per enchilada vs.180 and 4 grams fat

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