Amarillo de Res Oaxaqueno

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg beef chuck or short rib, cut into 5 cm pieces
• 1 white onion, halved
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 6 dried chilcostle or guajillo chillies
• 2 dried ancho chillies
• 3 dried costeno amarillo chillies, or 2 extra guajillo
• 350 g tomatillos, husked
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 6 black peppercorns
• 3 whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 2 large hoja santa leaves
• 120 g fresh masa, or 100 g masa harina mixed with 130 ml water
• 200 g green beans, topped and halved
• 1 chayote, peeled and cut into wedges
• 2 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 tbsp lard
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Before you cook

• Stem and seed all the dried chillies, keeping a few seeds aside in case you want more heat later.
• Husk and rinse the tomatillos.
• Peel and cut the chayote and potatoes.
• Mix half the masa with a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of the lard, roll it into 16 small balls and press a dimple into each one with your fingertip to make the chochoyotes.

Steps

1. Put the beef, half the onion, 4 garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large pot with 2.5 litres of water.
2. Bring it to a boil, skim the surface, then cover and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the beef gives easily to a fork.
3. Lift the beef out onto a plate and strain the broth into a jug.
4. Toast the dried chillies on a dry comal over medium heat for 40 seconds a side, pressing them flat, until they smell sweet and turn pliable.
5. Tip the chillies into a bowl, cover them with boiling water and soak them for 20 minutes.
6. Roast the tomatillos, tomatoes, the remaining onion half and 4 garlic cloves on the comal for 10 minutes, turning, until blackened in patches and collapsing.
7. Toast the peppercorns, cloves, cumin and oregano on the comal for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
8. Drain the chillies and blend them with the roasted vegetables, the toasted spices and 400 ml of the beef broth until completely smooth.
9. Heat the remaining lard in the cleaned pot until it shimmers.
10. Pour the blended sauce in through a fine sieve, pressing the solids through with a ladle.
11. Fry the sauce for 12 minutes, stirring often, until it deepens in colour and a spoon leaves a clean trail across the base.
12. Pour in 1.2 litres of the remaining broth and bring it back to a simmer.
13. Whisk the rest of the masa with 150 ml cold broth until smooth and lump free.
14. Stir the masa slurry into the pot and simmer for 10 minutes, until the mole thickens to the body of pouring cream.
15. Add the potatoes and chayote and simmer for 12 minutes.
16. Add the green beans and the chochoyotes and simmer for 8 minutes, until the dumplings float and are cooked through.
17. Return the beef to the pot and tear in the hoja santa leaves.
18. Simmer for a final 5 minutes and taste for salt.
19. Ladle into deep bowls with a piece of beef, some vegetables and two chochoyotes each, and serve with lime.