Main Dish Sauces

To understand moles is to understand a basic fact about the kitchen philosophy of Oaxaca as opposed to other cuisines.

At a festive French meal it’s self-evident that the main dish will be some kind of meat, poultry, or fish skillfully treated in such-and-such a manner (roasted, grilled, braised, poached, sautéed, etc.) and served with such-and-such a sauce that complements it elegantly. Oaxacans see it the other way. Meats are most often cooked in just a few ways that may at first seem monotonous to diners from other cultures. I would almost say that the meat is incidental in many famous dishes. At any rate, it tends to be a plain, understated foil to the fascinating textures and nuances of the sauces, which are the true pièce de résistance.