Roast Pork Loin with Red Chile Peanut Mole - a weekend recipe

In my new book now titled Pagan Bones, Buck McDivit is involved with a murder investigation, cattle theft and a mysterious shape-shifting black panther. He also becomes the only male participant in a pagan spring revel.

In the book, Buck enlists the help of his best friend, Trey Calderham. Trey is an agent for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, a private agency that has the authority to make arrests in both Texas and Oklahoma. Yes, there really is such an agency.

Trey’s new lady love, Beth O’Hara, is one of Buck’s old flames. Beth owns a restaurant, the Azure Pendant, in the eclectic Paseo District of Oklahoma City. When Buck pays them a visit, she cooks an amazing New Mexican dinner.

Here is a recipe for the excellent dish that I found on the web at www.SantaFeSchoolofCooking.com. What is mole? Check out the very interesting website and find out. I’m still working on the cover, but here is a mock-up until I get there. My good friend Dave Beatty is working on a full moon picture for me.

Roast Pork Loin with Red Chile Peanut Mole

2 teaspoons black peppercorns
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons freshly toasted cumin seeds
2 teaspoons freshly toasted coriander seeds
4 to 5 pound boneless, center-cut pork loin
3 tablespoons olive oil

Grind all spices in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Rub the spice mixture over the surface of the pork loin. Wrap the loin in plastic and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sear the pork on all sides until browned. Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet and roast in the oven until the internal temperature reads 160°, about 1-1/2 hours. Allow the pork to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.

Red Chile-Peanut Mole

12 dried Ancho chiles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 unpeeled garlic cloves, roasted, then peeled
4 large, ripe tomatoes, roasted, then peeled
3/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds
1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds, ground to a powder in a spice grinder
1 or 2 teaspoons espresso powder, or to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons each freshly ground cumin, coriander, canela and allspice, or to taste
4 tablespoons lard or olive oil
Salt to taste
Chipotle chile powder to taste

1. In a preheated skillet over medium, press the chiles, 3 or 4 at a time, onto the bottom of the pan until fragrant and pliable. Be careful not to burn them. Remove the stems and tear the softened flesh into large pieces, removing the seeds that stick to the flesh. Soak the chile pieces in hot water for 30 minutes, until softened.
2. In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a small skillet and sauté the onion until softened. Place the sautéed onion, the garlic cloves and the tomatoes in a blender and puree. Pour mixture into a bowl and set aside. Return 1 cup of this mixture to the blender and add the peanuts, almonds and sesame seed powder. Puree, adding a little of the tomato liquid, if necessary. Combine the puréed tomato mixture and the peanut mixture, and add the espresso powder and spices.

3. Drain the chiles, reserving the soaking liquid. Place the chile pieces in a blender and add 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid, or more if needed. Puree until thoroughly blended. Add the chile puree to the other purees and stir to combine thoroughly.

4. In a large saucepan, heat the lard. When it is hot, add the puree all at once. You may want to use the lid of the pan as a shield, as the liquid will splatter. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, season with salt and chipotle chile powder, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you have a sauce with the consistency of thick cream.

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Black Panther in Bones of Skeleton Creek

A mysterious black panther is a principal element in my new novel in progress, Bones of Skeleton Creek. It seems impossible that a large black cat, an animal not native to North America, is prowling rural Logan County, Oklahoma. Buck McDivit learns the impossible is true, and that the supernatural may be involved. Here is a short, largely unedited excerpt from murder mystery Bones of Skeleton Creek.

By now, the rain and wind had reached storm levels. If Buck could have found a way through the fence to the lease line road, he would have taken it back to Clayton’s ranch. He could not. His only recourse was to find shelter beneath the leafy overhang that roofed Skeleton Creek.

Central Oklahoma soils that provide such firm footing when the weather is dry quickly become treacherously slick when rains begin. Buck realized as much as he started the ATV and tracked his path back to Skeleton Creek. The creek’s formerly gentle flow had riverted to a swirling torrent of rushing water. Only a few feet of earth remained above the flow on either side of water turned suddenly violent.

ATVs are sure-footed vehicles, the one Buck drove no exception. Still, when he pointed the front wheels down the slope, he knew instantly that he had made a mistake. The front end slipped sideways, out of control, then flipped over, dumping Buck unceremoniously into the slick mud.

The work someone had done to lessen the slope into the creek had also compromised its integrity. Water poured down the opening, washing away any traction that may have existed. For Buck, it didn’t matter as he tumbled toward roaring water, the heavy ATV tumbling on top of him.

The weight of the ATV carried him into the roaring waters of Skeleton Creek, its rushing force propelling Buck rapidly downstream. He had swallowed lots of water and his muscles felt like warm putty when he finally grabbed a log, lodged against the bank, and pull himself up the slippery slope and out of the water.

Rain continued but the brunt of the rapidly moving storm had already passed over. Buck lay in the mud for a while, spitting up water and trying to catch his breath. When some of his strength finely returned, he found he had another problem.

Mud was so slick that it sucked one of his boots right off of his foot. When he tried to stand, his feet came out from under him and he plunged back into the muck.

Buck’s struggle continued for the better part of an hour. When he finally reached the relative stability of a red sandstone boulder, he stretched out on his back and drew an exhausted breath.

Rain had finally ceased but now it was replaced by darkness, the creek bed almost like the inside of a cave. Using roots and rock, he finally managed to work himself above the rushing water. What he found was a game trail, established by decades, maybe centuries, of wild animals.

Supported by rock and roots, the narrow pathway provided Buck’s first sure footing since he exited the oil lease. Still, all was not well. He was drenched, his cap gone, along with one of his favorite boots, and he had to pick his way along the trail because it was too dark to see. He also had the uneasy feeling that something was tracking him.

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