How do you make molcajete at home?
Here’s all you need to get started: Start by roasting the tomatoes. I usually put them in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Finely chop the 1/2 onion, 1/2 jalapeno, and single garlic clove and add them to the molcajete along with a pinch of salt. Use the weight of the temolote to grind them into a paste-like substance.
What is a molcajete?
A molcajete is a traditional Mexican version of a mortar and pestle made from volcanic rock. First used by Aztec people several thousand years ago, this ancient cookware is still a popular tool in Mexican kitchens. It’s perfect for crushing and combining ingredients to make Mexican salsa.
What kind of salsa can you make with a molcajete?
A roasted Tomato Jalapeno Salsa is the perfect starting recipe for your new favorite kitchen tool. It’s a classic red salsa that will instantly prove to you the benefits of making your salsa in a molcajete. Here’s all you need to get started:
What seafood options do you have at molcajete?
We have many different Mexican seafood options, including our Molcajete Camarones. This dish comes with a full half-pound of shrimp simmered in our delicious tomato sauce. If you are craving a larger variety of seafood ingredients, this dish is sure to satisfy.
What do you put in a molcajete?
To cure a new molcajete, add a few tablespoons of rock salt or dry white rice. Use your pestle or “mano” to grind it thoroughly. As you grind, the salt or rice will turn gray and you will notice some grit. Discard the ground mixture and then add a few more tablespoons of salt or rice and grind again.
What can I do with a brand new molcajete?
1:405:27How To Cure & Season A Molcajete | How To Prep A Mexican Mortar ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe first thing you want to do when you get your molcajete is to give it a good high-pressure rinseMoreThe first thing you want to do when you get your molcajete is to give it a good high-pressure rinse and soap. I did this in my sink.
Can you use a molcajete as a mortar and pestle?
Molcajete is the pre-Hispanic version of mortar and pestle often used in Mexican cuisine. They are basically the same tool with minor differences in terms of material and shape. Molcajetes are usually made from volcanic rocks and the rough and rugged surface they provide makes grinding easier.
How do you clean molcajete after use?
Warm Water: After each use, thoroughly rinse your mortar and pestle with warm water. Repeat a couple of times. Never, Ever Use Soap: You know how you should never use soap to clean a cast-iron skillet? The same applies to this type of mortar and pestle.
How can you tell if a molcajete is real?
Press the pestle or hand against the molcajete/metate and make a few grinding movements. If either the mortar or the pestle smell like cement, or wet masonry mortar, it's a dead giveaway of the counterfeit origin.
Are granite molcajetes good?
Granite is a favorable material for molcajetes because of its durability. The smooth, polished surface of granite is ideal for crushing spices and foods. Chefs also like the weight of the granite molcajete because it does not slide around against the pressure of the tejolote.
Do you have to cure a granite molcajete?
If you have an unseasoned mortar and pestle, or one made out of granite/stone, then you need to season it before using. This is because the porous surface can release particles of stone and grit into your food upon first use. Seasoning preps the surface and removes any of these particles.
What is the difference between a molcajete and mortar and pestle?
Differences between Molcajete and Mortar and pestle A molcajete refers to a traditional Mexican tool used to grind food ingredients. On the other hand, a mortar and pestle is a kitchen tool used to grind and crush ingredients into powder or fine paste.
How do you season a new molcajete?
To season a molcajete first: Wash really well with water and a stiff brush. Pour a handful of uncooked rice and grind to a powder using your pestle (tejolote). Make sure to use the whole circumference of the molcajete bowl, not just the center.
How do you clean and season a new molcajete?
1:082:10Molcajete How to Clean or Season Mortar and pestles - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo how do you season the molcajete you just kind of use some thyme some rice a little bit of bread.MoreSo how do you season the molcajete you just kind of use some thyme some rice a little bit of bread. And grind into you don't get any more of those black little bits of sand.
How long does it take to cure a molcajete?
Curing a Molcajete through Baking Make sure to cover all the pores on the inner mortar. Bake the molcajete at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.
Do you have to cure a granite molcajete?
If you have an unseasoned mortar and pestle, or one made out of granite/stone, then you need to season it before using. This is because the porous surface can release particles of stone and grit into your food upon first use. Seasoning preps the surface and removes any of these particles.
What Is a Molcajete?
In Mexican cooking, a molcajete is a pre-Hispanic mortar and pestle made from volcanic stone. Molcajetes have two pieces: the basin/mortar and the tejolote, or grinder/pestle. Ingredients are ground by pressing and twisting with the tejolote, an action that releases the essential oils of the foods and adds depth of flavor.
5 Advantages of Using a Molcajete
When it comes to countertop cooking tools, the molcajete comes in handy for any number of recipes. Even if a cookbook calls for a more modern appliance, there are advantages to preparing foods in a handcrafted molcajete. There are plenty of reasons to use a molcajete:
How to Prepare a Molcajete for Use
Before you use a new molcajete for the first time, it needs to be cured—i.e. scrubbed of excess debris and sediment from inside the mortar. Basalt molcajetes can crumble due to the composition of the natural volcanic stone. Smooth out the inside by placing coarse rock salt or white rice inside the mortar and grinding it with the pestle.
How to Use a Molcajete
Whether you’re whipping up some Mexican food or just need to prepare pesto sauce for a pasta dish, there are a few basic steps to using a molcajete:
How to Clean a Molcajete
To clean a molcajete, hand wash it under warm water. Don’t use soap, as the grooves of the stone can trap soapy residue. Use a kitchen brush to scrub any food that gets caught in the grooves of the lava stone mortar and tejolote. Wipe excess water off of the surface and let the molcajete air dry.
What is the origin of the molcajete bowl?
The molcajete is nothing more than a mortar made of stone, mainly volcanic, carved in a concave shape and in which spices, grains, and vegetables are crushed or ground in small quantities.
A Mexican handicraft
More than just a simple grinding tool, the molcajete has given a unique touch to Mexican food.
How to cure a new molcajete
If you have already decided to buy your first volcanic stone molcajete dish, you must take certain measures before using it.
Comonfort Guanajuato, another place where molcajetes are also protagonists
Another of the cradles of the molcajete is Comonfort Guanajuato, recognized as a Magical Town in recent years.
Why Use a Molcajete Instead of a Blender?
The grinding action of the molcajete releases the essential oils of the ingredients you are processing which adds depth of flavor to your food. Preparing food in a blender chops the food instead of grinding it which releases less flavor and gives it a different texture.
Are they Hard to Use?
Molcajetes are simple to use but do require more physical effort than blenders or food processors. You may think, “I don’t want to make any extra effort when I cook. Cooking is enough effort.” But, I promise you the extra effort is worth it.
How to Use a Molcajete
Chop any ingredients that you plan on preparing in the molcajete. It makes processing easier and gives your food a more uniform texture. The finer you chop the ingredients before adding them the smoother your food will be.
How to Choose
Molcajetes come in many sizes or shapes. The smaller sizes are used to make portions for one or two people and the larger ones to make family-sized portions.
Readying Your Molcajete for Its First Use
Most new molcajetes need to be “cured” before you use them. Curing doesn’t mean oiling it and heating it the oven like you would with a cast-iron skillet. Curing means smoothing out the interior and removing and grit.
How to Clean
Molcajetes are easy to clean. Just scrape out any remaining food and then rinse it under hot running water. Use a kitchen brush to remove any food that is stuck. Add a couple of drops of dish soap and then scrub some more with your kitchen brush. Rinse again thoroughly with hot water to ensure no soap residue remains.
Buy a Molcajete
You can get a great molcajete from our friends at HERNÁN. They are hand-carved in Mexico from 100% volcanic stone. Your molcajete can also be used to serve pre-prepared salsas and dips. Sure to be a conversation starter around any party table.
Place in Mexican Culture
It’s not uncommon for a molcajete to be handed down through the generations in a Mexican home. “Utilizing a molcajete when appropriate is important for me in my kitchen, says Mexican-American Chef Claudette Zepeda. It “reminds me why I chose to go all in with my country and culture,” she muses.
How to Buy and Use
When selecting a molcajete, Roberto Santibañez suggests in his book, “If you’re lucky enough to find a relatively smooth, grit-free, charcoal molcajete made entirely of high-quality volcanic rock, buy it immediately.” (Ahem: Ours is !) “If you can only find the light-colored, white-speckled ones sold throughout the United States,” he warns, go with marble.
Care and Maintenance
Claudette (and most other Mexican chefs) strongly suggest you season your molcajete before use.
Molcajete Camarones
Camarones, the Spanish word for shrimp, are a staple on any mariscos menu. We have many different Mexican seafood options, including our Molcajete Camarones. This dish comes with a full half-pound of shrimp simmered in our delicious tomato sauce.
Molcajete Mariscos
If you are craving a larger variety of seafood ingredients, this dish is sure to satisfy. It features grilled scallops, shrimp, and fish. All of these are combined in our tomato and cheese sauce with bell peppers and onions. We also add some freshly squeezed lemon to intensify the flavor. This option brings all the tastes of the ocean to Tucson.
Grilled Chicken or Steak
If you prefer a more traditional option, we offer a bowl of sliced grilled steak or chicken marinated in our mild chili sauce with tomatoes and cheese. The flavors of these meats pair with the grilled vegetables to create an unforgettable combination. As always, we use only the freshest ingredients for this dish.
Molcajete Ultimo
Our Molcajete Ultimo is the perfect mix of all the flavors of land and sea. It features piping hot shrimp, grilled chicken, and steak slices mixed with peppers and onions and topped with our delicious tomato and cheese sauce. This is the perfect menu item for when you simply can’t choose between all of our delicious offerings.
What is a Molcajete?
A molcajete is a Mexican version of the mortar and pestle. It’s a 3-legged bowl that looks sort of like a squat animal carved from basalt, a volcanic rock. Sometimes it even sports a head like a pig to enhance the animal effect. You may have seen them in Mexican restaurants.
How to Cure or Season a Molcajete
If you’re lucky and have had a molcajete passed down to you from a previous generation, you won’t need to season your molcajete.
You can also Boil your Molcajete
Fill it with water, vinegar and salt, then bring it to a boil directly over your burner or on a grill burner. Boil out the liquids completely and allow to cool. Grind in dry, uncooked rice to cover any leftover pores.
Personal note
Most of these instructions are based on the instructions from the manufacturer of the molcajete. I have found that it is better to repeat the process a few times to really cure the tool. It does take extra time for you, but it will be worth it in the long run.
Using Your Molcajete
Use your molcajete for crushing and grinding spices, making salsas and guacamole, sauces and more. Simply grind down the ingredients in the mortar with the pestle to the consistency you want to achieve and transfer them to a serving bowl, or serve them directly from the molcajete for effect.
