Topolobampo
October 12, 2009
Topolobampo
Topolobampo is Rick Bayless’ sister restaurant to XOCO and Frontera Grill; Frontera being the now 22-year-old acclaimed Mexican restaurant of Chicago. While Frontera opened in 1987, Topolobampo opened only 2 years later in 1989 after Bayless was awarded Food and Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chef of the Year” in 1988. Continuing to receive awards for both of the adjacent restaurants has kept Frontera Grill and Topolobampo two of Chicago’s hottest dining spots.
Bayless’ work in Mexico, while studying at the doctoral level in anthropological linguistics from the University of Michigan, initially brought him into the world of traditional and authentic Mexican cooking. At the same time, Rick was writing the now classic Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico, released in the same year as Frontera opened.
Topolobampo is the fancier sister of Frontera Grill, with many awards from local and national institutions. The restaurant features a wine list that has been on the Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence since 1990. The menu changes monthly with features of wild game, regional specialties and Mexican festival food, all prepared authentically and masterfully in one of the few Mexican fine dining restaurants in the United States.
Bayless has created an award-winning empire out of the success of Frontera and Topolobampo. He also appears on PBS in his own show “Mexico – One Plate at a Time,” as well as authoring his sixth cookbook, Mexican Everyday.
Let’s not forget XOCO which is already a hit after being open only a month. If that isn’t enough to get you to try Bayless’ famous food, a recent win as Top Chef Master on Bravo with several dishes including one made with the black mole sauce (below) that Top Chef’s judges raved about may be enough to persuade you.
Pork with Mole Negro Sauce Serves 6
You should be able to find the ingredients for this Oaxacan dish from Chicago's Topolobampo at most Mexican groceries.
Ingredients
For the pork:
3 canned chipotles in adobo,
3 tbsp. adobo sauce reserved
1⁄2 cup corn oil
1⁄2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. ancho chile powder
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. honey
3 cloves garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground
black pepper, to taste
3 lbs. pork loin, trimmed
For the mole:
1 large tomatillo, stemmed, rinsed and quartered
1 small tomato, cored and halved
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 cup corn oil
6 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
1⁄2 ripe plantain or banana, cut into 1⁄2" cubes
1⁄4 cup peanuts, plus more crushed for garnish
1⁄4 cup sesame seeds
1⁄4 cup raisins
2 1⁄2 cups chicken broth
2 oz. Mexican chocolate, chopped
1 1⁄2 tsp. oregano
1⁄2 tsp. ground canela or cinnamon
1 slice white sandwich bread, toasted and crumbled
Kosher salt, to taste
Grated piloncillo or brown sugar, to taste
6 sprigs cilantro, for garnish
Directions
Topolobampo is Rick Bayless’ sister restaurant to XOCO and Frontera Grill; Frontera being the now 22-year-old acclaimed Mexican restaurant of Chicago. While Frontera opened in 1987, Topolobampo opened only 2 years later in 1989 after Bayless was awarded Food and Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chef of the Year” in 1988. Continuing to receive awards for both of the adjacent restaurants has kept Frontera Grill and Topolobampo two of Chicago’s hottest dining spots.
Bayless’ work in Mexico, while studying at the doctoral level in anthropological linguistics from the University of Michigan, initially brought him into the world of traditional and authentic Mexican cooking. At the same time, Rick was writing the now classic Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico, released in the same year as Frontera opened.
Topolobampo is the fancier sister of Frontera Grill, with many awards from local and national institutions. The restaurant features a wine list that has been on the Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence since 1990. The menu changes monthly with features of wild game, regional specialties and Mexican festival food, all prepared authentically and masterfully in one of the few Mexican fine dining restaurants in the United States.
Bayless has created an award-winning empire out of the success of Frontera and Topolobampo. He also appears on PBS in his own show “Mexico – One Plate at a Time,” as well as authoring his sixth cookbook, Mexican Everyday.
Let’s not forget XOCO which is already a hit after being open only a month. If that isn’t enough to get you to try Bayless’ famous food, a recent win as Top Chef Master on Bravo with several dishes including one made with the black mole sauce (below) that Top Chef’s judges raved about may be enough to persuade you.
Pork with Mole Negro Sauce Serves 6
You should be able to find the ingredients for this Oaxacan dish from Chicago's Topolobampo at most Mexican groceries.
Ingredients
For the pork:
3 canned chipotles in adobo,
3 tbsp. adobo sauce reserved
1⁄2 cup corn oil
1⁄2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. ancho chile powder
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. honey
3 cloves garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground
black pepper, to taste
3 lbs. pork loin, trimmed
For the mole:
1 large tomatillo, stemmed, rinsed and quartered
1 small tomato, cored and halved
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 cup corn oil
6 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
1⁄2 ripe plantain or banana, cut into 1⁄2" cubes
1⁄4 cup peanuts, plus more crushed for garnish
1⁄4 cup sesame seeds
1⁄4 cup raisins
2 1⁄2 cups chicken broth
2 oz. Mexican chocolate, chopped
1 1⁄2 tsp. oregano
1⁄2 tsp. ground canela or cinnamon
1 slice white sandwich bread, toasted and crumbled
Kosher salt, to taste
Grated piloncillo or brown sugar, to taste
6 sprigs cilantro, for garnish
Directions
- Marinate the pork. In a blender, purée the chipotles with their reserved sauce, oil, vinegar, chile powder, oregano, honey and garlic until smooth, and season with salt and pepper. Put pork into a 1-gallon, resealable plastic bag and pour sauce over pork. Refrigerate overnight.
- Prepare the mole. Heat oven to broil and position a rack 10" from the heating element. Toss tomatillos, tomatoes and onions with 2 tbsp. oil in a bowl and transfer to an aluminum foil–lined baking sheet; broil, turning once with tongs, until soft and well browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer charred vegetables to a large bowl and set aside. Heat oven to 400˚. Transfer chiles to the aluminum foil–lined baking sheet and toast, turning once, until dark and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer toasted chiles to large bowl and cover with 3 cups boiling water; set aside to let soften for 15 minutes. Drain chiles, reserving 1⁄2 cup soaking liquid and set aside.
- Heat 3⁄4 cup oil in a 3-qt. high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add plantains (or bananas) and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, 2 minutes. Add peanuts and sesame seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, 3 minutes. Add the raisins, the tomatillo mixture and the chiles with the reserved soaking liquid, along with the chicken broth, chocolate, oregano, canela and bread. Bring the mixture to a boil and remove from heat. Working in batches, purée the chile mixture in a blender to make a smooth mole.
- Heat remaining oil in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mole and cook, whisking frequently, until it thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and piloncillo; set mole aside and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, heat oven to 400˚. Remove pork from adobo, season lightly with salt, and transfer to a rack set in a roasting pan. Discard adobo. Cook the pork, flipping once, until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pork reads 150˚, about 45 minutes. Transfer pork to a platter; let rest for 10 minutes. Slice pork into 1⁄2"-thick medallions. Divide mole between 6 plates. Arrange pork over mole and garnish with peanuts and cilantro.
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