Mulato is a dried chilli made from a poblano variety that ripens brown rather than red. Darker and sweeter than ancho, with notes of chocolate and liquorice, it is one of the three chillies of mole poblano.
What it is¶
The mulato is a dried Capsicum annuum chilli from a variety of the poblano whose pods ripen from green to a very dark brown instead of red. Dried, it looks much like an ancho: broad, flat, heart-shaped and wrinkled, 10–15 cm long. The difference is colour and flavour. An ancho is mahogany and glows reddish when held up to the light; a mulato is brownish-black and stays dark. Soaked, an ancho's flesh turns brick red, a mulato's chocolate brown.
Heat is mild, roughly 1,000–3,000 SHU, sometimes a touch warmer than ancho. The mulato is used for its sweetness and depth: it is one of the three chillies, with ancho and pasilla, that make up the classic mole poblano.
The name, applied to the chilli because of its dark colour, is an old colonial-era Spanish term for a person of mixed ancestry. It has long been the standard market name in Mexico; sellers elsewhere sometimes use ancho negro or simply "dark ancho", which can cause confusion.
Origins and history¶
Poblano-type chillies have been grown around Puebla and the central Mexican highlands since before the Spanish conquest, and farmers selected dark-ripening pods alongside the red ones that became ancho. The mulato's fame is tied to mole poblano, the festive dark sauce of Puebla, whose legends place its invention in a convent kitchen in the colonial period; these stories are popular but not documented, and the sauce more likely evolved over time from older chilli sauces. Mulato production is smaller than ancho, and it can be harder to find outside Mexico, though specialist suppliers in Britain and North America now stock it. See mole and mexican cuisine.
Flavour and aroma¶
A mulato tastes deeper and sweeter than an ancho, with notes of dark chocolate, liquorice or anise, prune, coffee and tobacco, and less of the ancho's fruity brightness. The heat is mild and warm. Toasted, it smells of cocoa and dried fruit; burned, like any dried chilli, it turns acrid and bitter. In a sauce it gives a dark brown colour and a velvety richness.
In the kitchen¶
Mulato's natural home is the dark sauces of central Mexico.
- Mole poblano: mulato, ancho and pasilla, toasted and soaked, are blended with fried nuts, seeds, spices (such as cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and aniseed), tomato, dried fruit, stale bread or tortilla and a little chocolate, then simmered for hours. A typical recipe for 12–15 people uses 6–8 mulatos. See mole.
- Other moles and dark sauces: mulato is also used in some versions of Oaxacan black mole and in simpler mole rojo and mole de olla.
- Braises: a sauce of soaked mulatos, garlic, onion and tomato for beef, pork or duck.
- Enchiladas and beans: blended into a dark enchilada sauce, or a whole pod simmered with black beans.
- Rubs and sweets: ground mulato with cumin and sugar for barbecue, or a pinch in chocolate desserts.
Method: wipe, stem and deseed. Toast in a dry pan for about 10–15 seconds per side, pressing flat, until fragrant and pliable; the colour barely changes, so go by smell. Soak in hot water for 15–20 minutes and blend. See rehydrating dried chillies.
💡 Fry the paste
Like other Mexican chilli sauces, a mulato purée gains depth when "fried": pour it into a little hot lard or oil and stir for 5–10 minutes until it darkens and thickens before adding stock.
Buying and storing¶
Good mulatos are soft and pliable, like a prune, and smell sweet and chocolatey. Avoid brittle or dusty pods and any with pale mould spots. Store airtight in a cool, dark place for up to a year, or freeze. Check before buying that a pack labelled mulato really is dark all over; mixed packs of ancho and mulato are common.
Substitutes¶
- Ancho: the closest, a little brighter and fruitier; add a pinch of cocoa for the chocolate note.
- Pasilla: similar darkness, more bitter and herbal.
- A mix of ancho and pasilla, roughly equal parts.
- Guajillo will not do: it is too bright and tangy.
Pairs well with¶
Chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, aniseed, black pepper, sesame, almonds, raisins, plantain, tomato, garlic, onion, ancho, pasilla, turkey, chicken, duck, pork and black beans.
Growing your own¶
Mulato plants are grown exactly like poblanos: sow indoors in February–March at 20–25°C, grow on under cover, and plant out after frost in a warm, sunny spot or keep in a greenhouse. Plants reach 60–90 cm. The pods are green at first and can be picked and roasted like poblanos; left on the plant, they ripen slowly to dark brown, which needs a long, warm season. Dry the brown pods in a warm, airy place or a very low oven (about 50°C) until leathery. Seed is sold by specialist suppliers as mulato. See growing chillies.