Metate y Mano - pronounced [mah -TAH-tay - EE MAH-no] (matate).
Also referred to as a "piedra de Moler", this tool is related in lineage to the
molcajete. It is used to grind corn and for mashing ingredients to make salsas and
purees, and chocolate.
|
Mayan-style metate y mano - Picture by
GourmetSleuth.com
History
and Lore
According to Deann and Rick Bayless in
their book Authentic
Mexican : Regional Cooking, the metate was "The last of the techniques that set
Mexican cooking apart is the grinding. It began millennia ago with corn crushed on a
rock slab (metate) to make the dough for tortillas. The slab proved good for
grinding rehydrated. chills, for nuts and seeds, for cacao beans and even the tender curds
of fresh cheese".
Metate
Styles
Aztec
Aztec-style Picture by
GourmetSleuth.com
The traditional Aztec metate was a slanted
slab with three short legs, similar to the one pictured below. This is the style of
metate frequently found in Mexico. Frequently the surface is more slanted than the
one shown here. The slant allows the user to work the ingredients downward into a
bowl at the end of the metate.
Mayan
The Mayan version sits flat on the ground with a slightly indented top grinding surface
(like the one shown at the top of this page).
Costa Rican Metate
Costa Rican Metate Photographer: Unknown
This metate is similar to the Aztec version with three legs but quite a bit taller. The
user would probably sit on a stool, rather than on the ground when grinding with this
tool.
Purchase a
Metate
Metates are available in limited
supply at Gourmetsleuth.com Mexican
Metate Negro - 3-leg
metate y mano negro
|
|
|
How To Season or Prepare Your Metate Before Use
It is necessary to season the metate prior to use to avoid grit in your food.
1. Submerse the metate and the mano in a basin of water and scrub with a stiff
brush. Allow to air dry.
2. Place a handful of uncooked rice on the metate. Use the mano and grind
the rice into the surface of the metate. Discard the pulverized rice. Repeat
the process until the pulverized rice is white, rather than gray or ash colored.
This process will dislodge any bits of loose sand or stone.
3. Place a mixture of 4 cloves of garlic (peeled), 1 teaspoon of cumin
(comino) and 1 teaspoon salt, kosher is good, and a teaspoon of pepper on the top of the
metate. Using the mano, grind the mixture evenly around the tope surface of the
metate. Allow this mixture to remain on the metate overnight. Remove and
discard the mixture. Rinse the metate and the mano 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 metate.
How To
Use a Metate
The metate should be seasoned prior to use (see above) using the same process used to
season a molcajete.
To use this tool place the food to be ground in the center of the metate. Roll the
mano back and forth over the food to grind it to the desired consistency.
The picture below shows a woman making chocolate using a nice large metate.
Woman making chocolate using the traditional
metate y mano. Photograph from: RCI Endless Vacation, March/April 2002. This is from an
exhibit at the Field Museum, in Chicago,
Illinois. The Metate Today
Unfortunately metates are rarely used today and have been replaced in the home by hand
corn grinders and electric blenders. Follow this link
to read more about the metate, as well as other grinding implements such as the molcajete
y tejolote (mortar and pestle).
|
