Mexican · intermediate
Mexican Beef Brisket Braised In Oaxacan Mole Amarillo
A comforting Oaxacan yellow mole featuring tender beef brisket cubes cooked with chayote in a fragrant, masa-thickened guajillo and tomatillo sauce.
- PREP TIME
- 20 min
- COOK TIME
- 40 min
- SERVES
- 4
Good things
start in the kitchen.
LET’S MAKE IT
Step by step
- 01
Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and lightly toast the guajillo chiles for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn them. Transfer chiles to a bowl of hot water and soak for 10 minutes.
- 02
In the same dry skillet, char the tomatillos and garlic cloves until blackened in spots, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a blender along with the softened chiles, 1/2 cup of the chile soaking liquid, oregano, and ground cumin. Blend until smooth.
- 03
Heat vegetable oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the beef brisket cubes with salt and brown them on all sides for about 6 minutes. Remove excess fat if needed.
- 04
Pour the blended chili-tomatillo mixture over the seared beef. Strain in 2.5 cups of the halal beef broth and stir well. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 25 minutes until the beef begins to soften.
- 05
Whisk the masa harina into the remaining 1/2 cup of cold beef broth until smooth. Stir this slurry into the simmering stew along with the diced chayote.
- 06
Simmer uncovered for an additional 10 to 12 minutes until the chayote is tender and the mole sauce thickens to a glossy consistency. Season with salt to taste before serving hot with fresh tortillas.
A LITTLE KITCHEN KNOW-HOW
Thickening Broth with Masa Harina Slurry
Mixing corn masa harina into cool liquid before adding it to hot stew creates an aromatic, naturally gluten-free body without clumping.
Notes from the kitchen
- Toasting chiles briefly unlocks their sweet, dried-fruit notes without imparting bitterness.
- If chayote is unavailable, substitute zucchini or peeled russet potatoes cut into medium dice.
- Original home-cooking adaptation inspired by Mexican; regional versions vary.
- Use halal-certified meat, poultry, stock, sauces, cheese and other processed ingredients. Check labels and avoid cross-contamination. Recipe screening is not halal certification.
