Atlanta Arts category interest

Eating beef, pork, chicken, and seafood out of a hot lava-stone bowl is a thing, and you should try it. Meet molcajete. While molcajete is the term for the mortar-like cooking tool typically used to grind spices and crush vegetables to make salsas, it is also the name of this eye-catching dish. Variations of molcajete often show up on the menus of Mexican restaurants; however, the experience is unique at Amealco Mexican Kitchen. The Atlanta restaurant uses molcajetes that are custom-handcrafted in the state of Guanajuato, the center of the Mexican Republic, while the meats are cooked using traditional recipes from the neighboring state of Querétaro.

At the restaurant, located just four traffic lights from the Buford Highway Farmers Market, chef José Octaviano Arredondo Ponce serves up a hearty array of proteins and garnishes, plus salsa, perfectly arranged in a visually astonishing dish. The smoky trail of grilled carne asada spreads across the restaurant and catches the attention of those around as it makes its way from the kitchen to your table. Served with a side of handmade corn tortillas, Mexican rice, refried beans, and salad, the sizzling experience is best when shared with someone else, but no one will judge if you eat it all by yourself.

Nopales

Nopales, the leaves of a prickly pear cactus, are a fiber-loaded vegetable eaten in various forms in Mexican cuisine. Once the thorns are removed, the nopal is sliced, grilled, and placed at the bottom of the molcajete. The mild, lemony flavor of the nopal and its slight crunch add a nice kick.

Cheese

The soothing, milky, and salty grilled queso panela balances the other bold flavors in the molcajete. The cheese is not intended to melt, instead it stays firm for a perfect bite.

Steak, chicken, and seafood

Carne asada is flank steak grilled in lime juice until the meat absorbs the acidity, creating a tangy glaze on the steak. The chicken breast filets, shrimp, and octopus (pulpo) also get grilled, their flavors melding into an irresistible symphony of seasoning.

Chorizo

The highly seasoned pork sausage is grilled to a crisp and layered on top, adding a bold and spicy accent to the mix.

Salsa

Made from charred tomatoes and morita peppers, the salsa morita typical of Querétaro is the base of the dish, its smoky flavor and mild spice infusing the ingredients.

Molcajete

The empty eight-pound, five inch-tall, and seven inch-diameter bowl is placed upside down directly on the fire to warm it up, while the meat is cooked separately. Once the molcajete reaches a high temperature, it is turned upright to stand on its three legs. The salsa is the first ingredient that goes in; while it sears and smokes from the heat of the molcajete, the nopales, the meats, and the cheese are incorporated. The molcajete is delivered sizzling to the table as an all-senses experience.

Garnish/toppings

The ‘verdura,’ a garnish of chopped cilantro and onions and a half avocado, completes the molcajete.

Tortillas

The molcajete is intended to be made into tacos by picking and combining the ingredients in one of the handmade tortillas; garnishing it with some of the verdura, including the avocado, and queso panela; and topping it off with some of the salsa morita before rolling it up into a taco to enjoy. There are endless combinations.

This article appears in our September 2024 issue.