Chocolate de Metate Conventual Poblano

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Volcanic stone metate and metlapil
• •Dry comal de barro or cast iron comal
• •Clay chocolatera or small heavy saucepan
• •Carved wooden molinillo
• •Parchment-lined tray or dry wooden tablet mold

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the metate

   Wipe the metate and metlapil clean and set a parchment-lined tray beside you for the tablets. Warm the stone slightly by rubbing it with a hot dry towel. Do not put a cold metate over a flame. You want the cacao to release its own fat as you grind. Water does not belong in the tablet paste.

2. 2

   Toast the cacao

   Heat a dry comal over medium-low. Toast the whole cacao beans for 18 to 22 minutes, moving them constantly, until the husks crack and the kitchen smells deep and nutty. Split one bean. It should be brown through the center, not pale and not black. If using cacao nibs, toast them for 6 to 8 minutes only. Burned cacao turns harsh, and no sugar can save it.

   A comal de barro is beautiful here, but cast iron works. Keep the heat moderate. Cacao asks for patience, not drama.
3. 3

   Peel the cacao

   While the beans are still warm enough to handle, rub them between your palms or in a clean towel to loosen the husks. Blow or shake away the papery skins. Pick through the cacao carefully and discard any blackened pieces. You need about 12 ounces of clean toasted cacao. Husks left in the paste make the drink taste like wet paper. Pregúntale a las señoras del mercado. They will tell you the same.

4. 4

   Toast almonds and canela

   On the same dry comal, toast the almonds until they show pale gold spots and smell sweet, about 4 minutes. Move them to a plate. Toast the canela pieces for 30 to 45 seconds, just until fragrant. Mexican canela is delicate. If you treat it like hard cassia, you will burn it.

5. 5

   Grind the cacao

   Work the warm cacao on the metate in small handfuls, pushing and pulling with the metlapil, then scraping the paste back toward the center. At first it will look like dry crumbs. Keep going. The sound changes from scratching to a soft drag as the cacao butter releases and the paste turns glossy. This takes 30 to 40 minutes by hand. This is why it is called chocolate de metate. No me vengas con atajos.

6. 6

   Add almonds and canela

   Grind the toasted almonds into the cacao a spoonful at a time, then grind in the toasted canela. Do not dump everything on the stone at once. The almonds need to disappear into the cacao paste, not sit there as little white bits. The paste should be thick, fragrant, and oily enough to hold together when pressed.

7. 7

   Work in sugar

   Sprinkle the cane sugar over the paste in three additions, grinding after each one. The paste will stiffen and look slightly grainy. That texture is correct for Puebla table chocolate. If the paste crumbles, warm your hands and knead it against the stone. Do not add water. Water shortens the life of the tablets and makes them spoil.

8. 8

   Shape the tablets

   Divide the paste into 16 portions and press each one into a thick round tablet, about 1 1/2 ounces each. Use a dry wooden mold if you have one, or shape them with your hands and press a shallow line across the top so they break cleanly later. Let the tablets rest uncovered on the tray for 2 hours, until firm. Wrap in paper once completely set.

9. 9

   Whisk the chocolate

   For each cup, heat 1 cup water in a clay chocolatera or small saucepan until small bubbles collect at the edge. Add 1 tablet and stir until fully dissolved. Set the molinillo between your palms and roll it hard for 1 to 2 minutes, lifting and plunging until a foam cap covers the surface. Serve at once in a jícara or Talavera cup. Saber cocinar es saber vivir.

Chef Tips

• •At Mercado La Acocota in Puebla, ask for cacao para chocolate, not cocoa powder. The vendor should be able to tell you whether the beans are from Tabasco, Chiapas, or Soconusco. If they cannot answer, buy somewhere else.
• •If you do not own a metate, the best substitute is not a blender. Ask a molino to grind the toasted cacao, almonds, and canela for you, or buy whole-tablet chocolate from Mayordomo or La Soledad. Ibarra works only in a pinch, and you must know what you are losing: less almond, more sugar, and an industrial texture.
• •Nesquik is not an emergency substitute. It is powder. This recipe is whole cacao, ground with its own fat. Así se hace y punto.
• •Use Mexican canela, the thin, brittle cinnamon that breaks easily. Hard cassia bark tastes louder and rougher. A substitution is a compromise, not an upgrade.
• •There are no chiles in this cup. Do not add chile ancho, chile de árbol, or cayenne because you saw a modern chocolate bar with heat. Puebla convent chocolate is cacao, almond, canela, sugar, and water.

Advance Preparation

• •The cacao can be toasted, peeled, and stored in a sealed jar one day before grinding. Keep it dry and away from onion, garlic, and chiles, because cacao absorbs smells.
• •The finished tablets keep for 4 weeks wrapped in paper and stored in an airtight tin in a cool, dry place. Do not refrigerate them unless your kitchen is very hot; refrigerator moisture dulls the texture.
• •The drink must be whisked just before serving. You can dissolve the tablet ahead, but the foam belongs to the moment at the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 280g)