Recipe Manuscript

Cabrito Asado Con Salsa De Chichan

Name: Cabrito Asado Con Salsa De Chichan
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT2H
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 whole young goat (cabrito), about 2-3 kg (substitute with leg of lamb if not available); 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or olive oil); 2 teaspoons salt; 3 egg yolks; 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped; 1 medium onion, chopped; 2 tablespoons lard (substitute with unsalted butter); 150 ml water; 150 g fresh green peas (chícharos); 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground; 1/4 teaspoon clove, ground; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground; 200 g offal (bofes/asadura: liver, lungs, heart, etc.), finely chopped (substitute with chicken livers if unavailable)

"Roast Kid Goat With Chichan Sauce"

1950

From the treasured pages of Mexican Cooking Notebook

Unknown Author

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

Original Recipe • 1950

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

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

Cabrito Asado Con Salsa De Chichan

"Despues de limpio se pondra a asar untandole con aceite y sal. despues de asado se untará con yemas de huevo batidas, se freirán dientes de ajo y cebolla picada en manteca, y alli se echa una poca de agua, chicharos frescos, nuez moscada, clavo, canela y pimienta molida. Se picaran menuditos los bofes o asadura, y se guisaran con especias y chicharos para que sirva de salsa al cabrito."

English Translation

"After it is cleaned, it should be roasted, rubbing it with oil and salt. After it is roasted, brush it with beaten egg yolks; fry garlic cloves and chopped onion in lard, and there add a little water, fresh peas, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, and ground pepper. Mince the lungs or offal finely, and cook them with spices and peas so that this serves as a sauce for the kid goat."

Note on the Original Text

As was customary in early 20th-century recipe writing, the instructions are brief and assume a certain level of kitchen experience. Quantities, temperatures, and precise timings are rarely specified, as cooks were expected to judge doneness by eye and instinct. Older Spanish orthography appears (e.g., "asadura" for offal; "chicharos" for green peas), and some flows, like using egg yolk as a glaze, are conveyed in a run-on, single-paragraph form, typical for that era.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Mexican Cooking Notebook - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Mexican Cooking Notebook (1950)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1950

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A charming 20th-century manuscript brimming with Mexican culinary delights, this notebook collects recipes such as Apio a la Española, Ardillas guisadas, Barbo Marino, Barbada (Crema de licor), Biscochos soplados de Almendra, and Carnero Adobado—a flavorful journey through classic and inventive dishes.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from a 1915 manuscript cookbook titled Mexican Cooking Notebook, an anonymous but invaluable record of early 20th century Mexican home cooking. The book showcases both rural Mexican traditions and European-inspired influences, particularly apparent in the use of spices and the glistening egg yolk glaze. Cabrito asado is a dish particularly beloved in northern Mexico, often linked with family feasts and festive gatherings. Its inclusion here, dressed with an elaborate sauce, highlights both regional pride and an openness to cosmopolitan flavors.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Traditionally, this dish was prepared over an open fire or coals, with the goat roasted on a spit or suspended grill. Kitchens at the time would also utilize a heavy clay or iron roasting pan for oven baking, if available. The sauce would be simmered in a metal or clay cazuela, and all chopping done by hand with a sturdy kitchen knife. Basting brushes might be made from bundled herbs or kitchen cloth, and offal was minced with simple cleavers.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs

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

1 whole young goat (cabrito), about 4.5-6.5 lb (substitute with leg of lamb if not available)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or olive oil)
2 teaspoons salt
3 egg yolks
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons lard (substitute with unsalted butter)
2/3 cup water
5 oz fresh green peas (chícharos)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
1/4 teaspoon clove, ground
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
7 oz offal (bofes/asadura: liver, lungs, heart, etc.), finely chopped (substitute with chicken livers if unavailable)

Instructions

Begin by thoroughly cleaning a young goat (cabrito), then rub it all over with vegetable oil and salt.
Roast the goat in an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) until golden and cooked through (about 1.5 to 2 hours for a small cabrito, 4.5-6.5 lb).
When fully roasted, brush the surface generously with beaten egg yolks to glaze.
Meanwhile, perpare the sauce: In a pan, fry chopped garlic (3-4 cloves) and onion (1 medium) in lard or butter until fragrant.
Add a small amount of water (about 2/3 cup), then stir in fresh green peas (about 5 oz), a pinch each of ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, and black pepper to taste.
In a seperate pan, finely chop the offal (liver, lungs, or heart—about 7 oz) and sauté with the spices and peas until cooked through, forming a rich, spiced mixture.
Serve this warm as a sauce poured over the roasted cabrito.

Estimated Calories

650 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing the goat, chopping vegetables, and making the sauce takes about 30 minutes. Roasting the goat takes about 2 hours. Each serving contains about 650 calories. This recipe serves about 8 people.

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.