subject: How to cure your Molcajete Pig [print this page] How to cure your Molcajete Pig How to cure your Molcajete Pig
The ever popular, mortar and pestle from Mexico is the Molcajete Pig. This is a must have for any kitchen that is looking to produce authentic flavorful Mexican food. But when you buy one you need to make sure that you cure it properly before starting to use it. To arrest some grit soaking in to your preparation, you might have to clean the molcajete pig before you use it. This gets rid of the small bits of sand. There are a few traditional ways to cure your Molcajete Pig.
Leaving it over night:
1) Clean the Molcajete Pig with a gentle soap and water, rinse well.
2) With your pestle, grind a clove of garlic up to a thick paste, then spread all over the inside of the mortar. Make sure you cover the inside completely.
3) Leave it to rest over night.
4) The next day rinse the garlic out really well from the mortar.
5) Your Molcajete Pig will be ready to use.
With Rice:
Grind up a large handful of raw rice in the molcajete Pig, grind finely into the mortar with the pestle.
Keep discarding and repeating the process until you see the rice is clean and free from excess sand.
Once you are finished, boil the Molcajete Pig for 15-30 minutes to clean it.
Baking:
Make a paste of mixed garlic, onion, and cooking oil in your Molcajete Pig. Then cover the inside of the Molcajete Pig really well ensuring that all pores on the inside are covered then place in the stove and heat at 300 degrees at least for half an hour. This will ensure that the paste completely infuses the stone. Remove from the oven and let cool well. Wash thoroughly with water. To make it much purer try using a vegetable brush to get the whole bowl clean.
There are many different ways to cure your Molcajete Pig, this is an important part of preparing your new mortar and pestle for use in making the most palatable food for your family. Whichever method you choose, make sure that you rinse well and follow all the steps. If your Molcajete Pig is still having a lot of sand coming off into your food you may not have completed the cure properly and you may have to repeat the steps again.
