Taquería el Jarocho’s pork green mole taco recipe has been a rigorously guarded secret since the Mexico City restaurant opened in 1947, but my version—fusing several recipes including Rick Bayless’ and Diana Kennedy’s—is a close approximation. Mole verde has several regional variations: Puebla has a dish called pepián that doesn’t contain as many herbs as this sauce, which is closer to the Oaxacan recipe with its complex alchemy of green herbs and pumpkin seeds. It gets its distinctive spearmint-like aroma from hoja santa (sold fresh or dried at Latin groceries), for which there is no substitute; if you can’t find it, simply leave it out.
An equal quantity of bone-in skinless chicken thighs can be used instead of pork, and a satisfying plant-based version can be made with roasted cauliflower and a rich vegetable stock. Any type of pork ribs will work.
Featured in “The Top 12 Tacos of Mexico City—And Where to Try Them” by Nicholas Gilman.
Yield: 4–6 Time: 3 hours 2 lb. pork ribs, cut into individual ribs 2 bay leaves 2 medium yellow onions, divided, one stuck with 2 whole cloves, one quartered Kosher salt 4 medium tomatillos (5 oz.), husked 6 cups packed coarsely chopped romaine lettuce (8 oz.) 2 cups loosely packed radish greens (4 oz.) 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro 1 cup loosely packed
