How would you explain the Spanish phrase ‘como bato’ in the context?
The rosca de reyes is hardest to make: the cake called Ring of the Kings, using white-flour dough, the same as for Baby’s Crupper tortillas. A blob of dough fit for a king, rolled out on the table, as long and fat as a sea slug. Como pene. Poking it and laughing: Como bato. Leandro is normally much more pious.

How would you explain the Spanish phrase ‘como bato’ in the context?
Thanks!

Question

How would you explain the Spanish phrase ‘como bato’ in the context?
The rosca de reyes is hardest to make: the cake called Ring of the Kings, using white-flour dough, the same as for Baby’s Crupper tortillas. A blob of dough fit for a king, rolled out on the table, as long and fat as a sea slug. Como pene. Poking it and laughing: Como bato. Leandro is normally much more pious.

How would you explain the Spanish phrase ‘como bato’ in the context?
Thanks!

Answer

The author just noted that the flour dough rolled into a tubular shape "long and fat as a sea slug" is "como pene," which means "it's like a penis." Then poking the dough, Leandro says, "como bato." "Bato" is a Mexican slang word that is roughly equivalent to 'dude' in English.

One can imagine Leandro making fun of the long, slug-shaped flour dough as follows: "It's like a penis." Then laughing, he adds, "it's like a dude."