Molcajetes are used to crush and grind spices, and to prepare salsas and guacamole. The rough surface of the basalt stone creates a superb grinding surface that maintains itself over time as tiny bubbles in the basalt are ground down, replenishing the textured surface.
Watch out for fakes.
A quality molcajete should be carved from very hard stone, usually volcanic rock. But hard stone is, well, hard to carve, so there are lots of vendors selling knock-off molcajetes made from soft stone or concrete made to look like rock. Fakes like that won’t grind your ingredients well, and the concrete can leach harmful chemicals into your food.
Be ready to ruin your manicure.
Melissa Guerra, owner of Melissa Guerra Latin Kitchen Market in San Antonio, Texas, sells handcrafted fair-trade cookware, including hundreds of molcajetes per year. This molcajete pro has a foolproof secret when it comes to shopping for a molcajete: scrape your nail across the surface of the bowl. “If the stone crumbles and pulverizes, then it is too soft for you to use for food,” Guerra advises. “Ingesting dust with your food is unpleasant and unhealthy.”
“Some molcajetes have intricate carving, which is quite charming,” Guerra says, “but soft stone is easier to carve, so be wary of molcajetes that are too pretty.” Guerra admits that beautiful molcajetes are hard not to buy; among the favorites she owns is one with an intricately carved pig head on it. Keep the fancy ones for display, not for guac-making.
“Don’t buy a molcajete you can’t pick up easily,” says Guerra, who recommends a molcajete of seven inches in diameter and four inches in height as the ideal.
Author and food historian Rachel Lauden , who has collected six of the seven distinct kinds of molcajetes made in Mexico, adds a tip about the other component of the molcajete: the pestle you use to grind your ingredients. It should feel comfortable in the hand, she says; otherwise, you won’t want to use it.
Once you’ve chosen your molcajete and brought it home, you have to cure it before you use it. That’s because small rock particles get lodged in the pores of the stone during the carving process and that grit will end up in your food.
To prevent this problem, Lauden says you’ve got to use some elbow grease. “Many Mexicans use a wire brush to get rid of any loose grit. Then they put in a handful of rice and grind it until it turns grey before discarding the rice and repeating until the rice comes out clean.” Lauden swears this is not as time-consuming or exhausting as it sounds. Bonus tip: Slightly soften (but don’t cook) the rice before use; otherwise, it will pop out of the molcajete when you try to grind it.
Guerra, who has used the brush and rice method in the past, recently discovered an even faster method to cure a molcajete: use a power washer. “Blast your new molcajete inside and out for about 10 minutes and it will be free of all loose dirt and gravel,” she said.
The Perfect Guacamole – Made from Fresh Avocados… which were once called WHAT???
FAQ
What is the Mexican version of mortar and pestle?
What is a molcajete in English?
How do you eat a molcajete?
Are molcajetes safe?
Can you make guacamole with a Pitter and masher?
If you’re making guacamole for a big crowd, this three-in-one pitter and masher is sure to be your savior. Use it to slice open your avocado, scoop out the creamy center and mash it to buttery perfection.
What is the best guacamole tool?
These are our top avocado tool picks. If you’re making guacamole in advance, a good storage vessel is just as importantas any other avocado tool. No one wants brown guac. In our tests, the ProKeeperkept guac fresh and green for two days. The secret is the lid, which is smaller than the bowl.
How to make guacamole?
How to make guacamole. 2 methods of preparation: the best-known method, prepared with a bowl and fork or made in the molcajete, a Mexican mortar and pestle. Both methods have the authentic Mexican taste. Remove the flesh of the avocados. Mash the avocados with the back of a fork. Add the other ingredients and incorporate evenly. Add salt to taste.
Can you make guacamole with a mortar & pestle?
This easy guacamole recipe is a classic that’s best made in a Mexican mortar and pestle called a molcajete, but a bowl and a potato masher or fork works fine as well. Just don’t rush to get this recipe on the table too quickly. It takes a while for the avocado to absorb all the flavors you add to it.