Mole Verde Sauce: Green Mole

Ingredients:

• 170 g tomatillos, peeled, washed and coarsely chopped
• 170 g unhulled raw pumpkin seeds, about 2 tbsp.
• 2 cups chicken or beef broth
• 6 large sorrel leaves, rinse, cut off the stems and chop the leaves coarsely
• 4 hoja santa pepper leaves (Mexican holy pepper), stems and veins removed, coarsely chopped
• 8 large sprigs epazote (Mexican tea), 5 coarsely chopped, 3 sprigs left whole
• 4 jalapeño peppers or 6 serrano chili peppers, roughly chopped or to taste
• About 1/4 cup lard or vegetable oil, for frying

Preparation:

1. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan, shaking them occasionally to prevent burning. Set them aside to cool, then grind them into a powder in an electric grinder. Pour 1.5 cups of broth into a blender, gradually adding the tomatillos, herbs, and chili, and blend until the mixture is as smooth as possible.
2. Heat the lard in the Dutch oven you'll be using for the mole sauce and fry the chopped mixture, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent burning. Cook for about 25 minutes. Add the whole epazote leaves.
3. Mix 1/2 cup of broth with the crushed pumpkin seeds until smooth and gradually add to the sautéed mixture. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly, for another 10 minutes. Watch the pumpkin seed mixture to ensure it doesn't clump; if it does, it will clump.
4. Return the sauce to the blender and blend until smooth. Add the remaining broth and salt to taste. If the mole verde sauce is too thick, thin it with a little water.