Recipe Manuscript

Pollos En Agrio Dulce

Name: Pollos En Agrio Dulce
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT1H15M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 small chickens (about 1.2 kg each), cut into pieces; 250 g pork loin, cut into chunks; 100 g cured ham, diced; 3 medium ripe tomatoes (about 300 g), chopped; 2 tablespoons (30 g) lard or unsalted butter; 2 chorizo sausages (about 200 g), sliced; 20 g sugar (about 1 tablespoon); 40 g candied fruit (acitron; if unavailable, substitute with candied citrus peel); 30 g raisins; 30 g blanched almonds, roughly chopped; 15 pitted green olives (about 30 g); 1 tablespoon (15 ml) white wine vinegar; 1 cinnamon stick; 0.1 g ground saffron (a generous pinch); 80 ml dry white wine; 200 ml chicken broth (from boiling the chickens); Salt to taste

"Sweet And Sour Chickens"

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

Pollos En Agrio Dulce

"Estos se cuecen con lomo de cerdo y jamón, jitomates colorados y se frien en manteca; luego se le echa caldo de los pollos, los pollos la carne, chorizos un terron de azucar, sal, acitron en pedazos, pasas, almendras, aceitunas, vinagre claro, canela, azafran molido y vino, luego de reposado se sirve."

English Translation

"These are cooked with pork loin and ham, red tomatoes and fried in lard; then chicken broth is added, along with the chicken meat, chorizo, a lump of sugar, salt, candied fruit cut in pieces, raisins, almonds, olives, light vinegar, cinnamon, ground saffron, and wine. After resting, it is served."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is recorded in the prose style common to early 20th-century Mexican manuscript cookbooks: brief, direct, and without precise measurements. Instructions presume familiarity with cooking methods and ingredients, as was typical when recipes were passed between experienced family cooks. Some ingredient names, like 'acitron', refer to candied biznaga cactus, rarely found today, so a suggested substitute is candied citrus peel. Older spellings and phrasings such as 'jitomates colorados' (ripe red tomatoes) reflect regional terminology of northern and central Mexico. The writing omits times and temperatures, trusting the reader’s intuitive knowledge of their kitchen and social context.

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 for 'Pollos en agrio dulce' hails from a manuscript written in 1907 by Susana Irazoqui Palacio and her family in Durango, Mexico. The early 20th century was a period of dramatic social and culinary transitions in Mexico, with traditional recipes capturing both Spanish colonial and indigenous influences. Home cooks, primarily women, carefully recorded these family recipes, passing them down during times of change. In this context, 'Pollos en agrio dulce' reflects a celebratory, complex dish blending sweet, sour, and savory flavors, characteristic of festive Mexican cuisine shaped by centuries of cultural fusion. The manuscript offers an intimate window into domestic life and the art of hosting through food in northern Mexico in the Porfirian era.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Cooks at the time would have used a large clay or metal cazuela (stew pot) over a wood-fired stove for simmering the meats, alongside simple knives and wooden boards for chopping. An iron skillet or comal might have been employed to fry the tomatoes in lard, and a wooden spoon for stirring. Almonds would be blanched and peeled by hand, and wine and vinegar measured by eye using small glass tumblers. Storage involved earthenware or glazed ceramic bowls to rest and serve the dish.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 15 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

2 small chickens (about 2.6 lbs each), cut into pieces
9 oz pork loin, cut into chunks
3.5 oz cured ham, diced
3 medium ripe tomatoes (about 10.5 oz), chopped
2 tablespoons (1 oz) lard or unsalted butter
2 chorizo sausages (about 7 oz), sliced
1 tablespoon sugar (about 0.7 oz)
1.5 oz candied fruit (acitron; if unavailable, substitute with candied citrus peel)
1 oz raisins
1 oz blanched almonds, roughly chopped
15 pitted green olives (about 1 oz)
1 tablespoon (0.5 fl oz) white wine vinegar
1 cinnamon stick
0.004 oz ground saffron (a generous pinch)
2.7 fl oz dry white wine
7 fl oz chicken broth (from boiling the chickens)
Salt to taste

Instructions

To prepare 'Pollos en agrio dulce' in a modern kitchen, start by simmering 2 small chickens (about 2.6 lbs each, cut into pieces) with 9 oz pork loin and 3.5 oz cured ham in salted water until just cooked.
Reserve the broth.
Dice 3 ripe red tomatoes and fry in 2 tablespoons (about 1 oz) of lard or unsalted butter.
Add the cooked meats, 2 chorizo sausages (about 7 oz total, sliced), 1 tablespoon sugar, 1.5 oz candied fruit (substitute with candied citrus peel), 1 oz raisins, 1 oz blanched almonds, 15 pitted green olives (about 1 oz), 1 tablespoon (0.5 fl oz) white wine vinegar, 1 cinnamon stick, a generous pinch (about 0.004 oz) saffron, and 2.7 fl oz dry white wine.
Add 7 fl oz of the reserved chicken broth.
Simmer gently until flavors meld, then allow to rest for at least 30 minuits before serving to enhance the flavor blend.

Estimated Calories

500 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It usually takes about 30 minutes to prepare the ingredients and about 1 hour 15 minutes to cook the dish. This recipe makes enough for 8 servings, and each serving has about 500 calories.

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.