HOW TO CURE A MEXICAN MOLCAJETE

Now that you have your molcajete, you should know that it is a basic utensil in Mexican cuisine. Its origins date back to ancient Mesoamerica, where the mortar was widely used to crush foods such as grains, spices and vegetables, and prepare sauces and marinades.To grind these ingredients, a stone cylinder was used, which is still used today, called tejolote, temolote or directly molcajete stone.

WHAT ARE STONE MOLCAJETES?

The term molcajete comes from the Nahuatl words mollicaxtli and temolcaxitl, which mean "cajete for sauce" or "stone cajete for mole" .The truth is that this type of mortar has been used to prepare food since the time of the Egyptians and is even mentioned in the Old Testament, but it is in Mesoamerica, during the pre-Hispanic era, where different civilizations perfected their preparation from stone. volcanic, generally extracting basalt from the ground, to shape the utensil that allowed them to grind corn and nuts.

Without a doubt it is one of the oldest, most current and essential tools in traditional Mexican cuisine. As we say in Mexico, there is no better sauce than the one made in a good Mexican molcajete.

WHY SHOULD WE CURE THE STONE MOLCAJETE?

Being made of volcanic stone, the porous surface of the molcajete can release grit or small stone particles that, when mixed with food, can modify its flavor or produce unpleasant sensations in the mouth. Therefore, the objective of curing the stone molcajete is for it to be as smooth and clean as possible, so that when the different foods are ground they do not mix with stone and grit remains.

Do you know how to cure stone molcajete? It's not complicated, just follow these steps!

1. Wash your stone molcajete very well. Use a hard sponge, kitchen brush, or old toothbrush to make sure you remove all the grit and any particles, no matter how small, that are left between the pores of the stone.

2.Pour a good handful of rice (approximately 1/3 cup) into the molcajete and mash it with the tejolote (the stone mallet). Make sure to spread and grind the rice throughout the cavity of the molcajete, as well as on the top edge.Use the tejolote on both sides and turn it from time to time so that it also heals in contact with the rice.

3. Discard all the rice and fill the volcanic stone molcajete with water. You will see that it takes on a light gray color, as it mixes with the remains of sand and stone that you removed. Throw away the water.

4. With a cloth, dry the stone molcajete and the tejolote and repeat the grinding of rice as you did the first time. Do all the steps again: grind the rice using the tejolote on all sides, discard it, fill the molcajete with water and throw away the water.This process must be repeated until you notice that the water comes out completely clean, as it is no longer mixed with particles.

Once you're done, just let the molcajete and tejolote dry and it will be ready for you to make that delicious sauce! And remember, the molcajete is not only used for grinding, you can also use it to serve guacamole, cuts of meat drowned in sauce, grilled nopales, and grilled cheese. your creativity is the limit. Combine your stews with a delicious Mexican beer and you will be the king of the kitchen!

Bon appetit!

WHERE TO BUY A GOOD VOLCANIC STONE MOLCAJETE?

Buying a handmade volcanic stone molcajete can be a tedious but not complicated task, due to the great importance of the material with which it is made.

The stone Molcajetes from La Pachuqueña are 100% natural materials, they are a safe way to buy stone molcajete in Barcelona.

Photo 1, courtesy of Hybrid Storytellers.
Photo 2, courtesy of Mauricio Villareal.