Recipe Manuscript

Pipian De Pepitas De Melon

Name: Pipian De Pepitas De Melon
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT50M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 100 grams melon seeds (pepitas de melón; if unavailable, substitute with unsalted pumpkin seeds/pepitas); 1 tablespoon lard (or unsalted butter); 1 large dried ancho chile, stemmed, seeded, and soaked; 15 grams dark chocolate; 15 grams granulated sugar (approx. 1 tablespoon); 500 grams cooked beef tongue or 1 kg cooked chicken pieces; 500 ml chicken or beef stock

"Pipian Made From Melon Seeds"

1907

From the treasured pages of Libro de Resetas

Written by Susana Irazoqui Palacio

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Intermediate Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1907

Original Manuscript(circa Early Modern Kitchen, 1900 - 1930)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Pipian De Pepitas De Melon

"Se doran las pepitas en manteca y se muelen con un chile ancho remojado y desvenado un pedazo de chocolate y otro de azucar; luego se cuela y se frie en manteca y cuando este frito se pone la lengua o gallina alli para que hierva hasta que espeso; se le pone bastante caldo ó bien se cueza la lengua o' gallina."

English Translation

"The melon seeds are toasted in lard and ground with a soaked and deveined ancho chili, a piece of chocolate, and a piece of sugar; then strained and fried in lard, and when it is fried, add the tongue or chicken there so it can boil until thickened; add plenty of broth or cook the tongue or chicken well."

Note on the Original Text

This recipe, like many of its era, is composed as a brief series of imperative instructions, assuming the reader already knew fundamental cooking techniques. Quantities are largely absent or vaguely described—a reflection of a kitchen where experience and intuition guided hand-measured ingredients. Spellings are consistent with early 20th-century Mexican Spanish, and phrasing is informal, often omitting articles or connectors. Punctuation is minimal, and steps flow into one another, mirroring the oral storytelling tradition from which many such recipes originated.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Libro de Resetas - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Libro de Resetas (1907)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Susana Irazoqui Palacio

Era

1907

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A handwritten culinary treasure trove, this manuscript captures the warmth of Durango’s kitchens at the dawn of the 20th century. Crafted by a family of women, its pages brim with time-honored Mexican recipes, offering a flavorful glimpse into tradition and transformation.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe was penned in 1907 by Susana Irazoqui Palacio as part of a family manuscript in Durango, northern Mexico. The collection provides a candid glimpse into Mexican kitchen traditions amid the social and technological shifts of the early 20th century. The Pipian de pepitas de melón recipe showcases the creative use of available ingredients, notably melon seeds, and the distinctly Mexican flavor palette built from dried chiles and chocolate. During this period, households refined centuries-old native techniques with the gradual inclusion of global ingredients and evolving kitchen tools.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

A mortar and pestle (molcajete) or a metate (grinding stone) were traditionally used to grind seeds, chiles, and chocolate into a smooth paste. Strainers made of fine muslin or metal would clarify the sauce. Lard rendered in the home kitchen served as the cooking fat, and cooking was conducted over wood-fired stoves or coal ranges in sturdy ceramic or metal pots. Tongue or chicken would be pre-boiled in large stockpots. The final simmering was done in an earthenware cazuela or heavy pan to let the flavors meld and the sauce thicken.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

50 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

3.5 ounces melon seeds (pepitas de melón; if unavailable, substitute with unsalted pumpkin seeds/pepitas)
1 tablespoon lard (or unsalted butter)
1 large dried ancho chile, stemmed, seeded, and soaked
0.5 ounces dark chocolate
0.5 ounces granulated sugar (approx. 1 tablespoon)
1.1 pounds cooked beef tongue or 2.2 pounds cooked chicken pieces
2 cups chicken or beef stock

Instructions

Begin by toasting 3.5 ounces of melon seeds (pepitas de melón) in 1 tablespoon of lard (or unsalted butter as a substitute) over medium heat until lightly golden and fragrant.
Let them cool slightly.
While the seeds toast, soak 1 large dried ancho chile in hot water for about 10 minutes, then remove the seeds and veins.
Grind the toasted melon seeds together with the softened ancho chile, 0.5 ounces of dark chocolate (about 2 squares), and 0.5 ounces (1 tablespoon) of granulated sugar into a fine paste, using a blender or food processor.
Strain the paste through a fine sieve for an extra smooth sauce.
Heat another tablespoon of lard in a pan, then fry the strained paste for several minutes until the mixture darkens and thickens.
In the meantime, simmer your choice of pre-cooked tongue (about 1.1 pounds) or chicken (about 2.2 pounds, cooked and cut in pieces) in the sauce.
Add sufficient chicken or beef stock (about 2 cups, or enough to ensure the meat is covered) and simmer gently until the sauce is thick and the meat is tender.
Serve warm, spooning plenty of sauce over the meat.

Estimated Calories

400 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You’ll need about 20 minutes to prepare your ingredients and workspace, and another 50 minutes to cook the dish, simmering the meat with the sauce until it’s tender and flavorful. Each serving of this recipe has around 400 calories, and you’ll get about 4 servings from the quantities listed.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.