Molcajete Madness

A molcajete [mohl-kah-HEH-teh] has come to live with us. It comes from far and away and it has chosen to appear to us in the form of a festive pig. It was a gift from my friend Miguel, who asked his brother to bring it back the next time he went to Mexico. Miguel was annoyed that his brother brought back a painted molcajete because the painted ones are usually meant for the tourists (so says Miguel), but I'm kind of thrilled that my pig is painted, it makes him look less serious and much more inviting, maybe he's even happy.

I love the weight and feel of this little pig, I like the rough textured surface. The girl likes the texture too, although she's more interested in mouthing on it rather than just running her chubby little hands over it and touching. I love that it is both functional AND decorative. I may never use it for cooking, but I like the idea that it will always look fabulous anywhere I decide to place it. I have plans on using it though, the whole reason behind Miguel even giving this to me was because I mentioned to him that one day I'd like to own one, and now that I do, there's no way I'm going to miss a chance to use it for some homemade Mexican cooking. It’s time to break out the cookbooks, yay!

How To Season or Prepare Your Molcajete

It is necessary to season the molcajete prior to using it or you'll get grit in your food.

1. Wash and scrub the interior of the molcajete and the tejolote with water and a stiff brush. Let both objects air dry. Now proceed to steps 2 and 3. We like the combination of both methods or you may select one or the other. This process only needs to be completed one time.

2. Put a handful of uncooked rice in the molcajete. Use the tejolote ( the pestle) and grind the rice into the surface of the molcajete (bowl). Discard the pulverized rice. Repeat the process until the pulverized rice is white, rather than gray or ash colored.

3. Add 4 cloves of garlic (peeled), 1 teaspoon of cumin (comino) and 1 teaspoon salt, kosher is good, and a teaspoon of pepper. Grind the mixture evenly around the interior of the molcajete. Remove and discard the mixture. Rinse the molcajete and tejolote with clear water and allow to dry before storing. Note that these ingredients and quantities can be adjusted to your liking and for the size of your molcajete.

Maintenance: Simply wash the molcajete and tejolote in warm water after each use. Don't use detergents because the soap and any perfumes may be absorbed into the stone and taint your food.

source: GourmetSleuth

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Guacamole in a Molcajete

• 2 ripe avocados
• 6 tomatillos (little green tomatoes)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 onion
• 2 tablespoons of cilantro
• serrano chili as desired
• salt

Toast the chilis and tomatillos. Grind up the garlic in a molcajete with the salt and chilis. (A molcajete is a rough-surfaced mortar - usually made of volcanic rock - for grinding up spices and vegetables.) Once well ground, add the tomatillos, avocados and grind a little more. To garnish the guacamole, put sliced onion and chopped cilantro on top. Serve immediately.

source: Mexgrocer.com

Written by Deb on February 11, 2005 01:45 AM