Recipe Manuscript

Albondigones

Name: Albondigones
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT20M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 500 g beef (substitute with pork or mixed meats if desired); 2 medium tomatoes (about 200 g), peeled and chopped; 10 g fresh parsley, finely chopped; 40 g white bread, soaked in water and squeezed; 2 whole eggs; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; Salt, to taste; 20 g green olives, pitted and chopped; 10 g capers, roughly chopped; 20 g raisins; 20 g almonds, blanched and chopped; 1 hard-boiled egg, finely chopped; Water for boiling; For the caldillo: 200 g tomatoes, salt to taste

"ª. Big Meatballs"

1886

From the treasured pages of Mexican Cooking Notebook: Manuscript de Manuela

Written by Heredia y Cervantes, Manuela

Age of Gastronomy (1800 - 1900)American Intermediate Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1886

Original Manuscript(circa Age of Gastronomy, 1800 - 1900)

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

Albondigones

"Despues de picada y molida la carne, se le echa jitomate, perejil picado, un pedazo de pan remojado y molido, cominos, unos 2 huevos enteros, se revuelve todo bien, y se van haciendo los albondigones rellenandolos con aceitunas, alcaparras, pasas, almendras y huevos cocidos todo picado, se cuecen en agua hirviendo con sal, y se sirven con caldillo de jitomate."

English Translation

"After chopping and grinding the meat, add tomato, chopped parsley, a piece of soaked and ground bread, cumin, and about 2 whole eggs. Mix everything well and form the big meatballs, stuffing them with olives, capers, raisins, almonds, and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Cook them in boiling salted water, and serve with a tomato broth."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe, like many from its time, was written presuming a base level of kitchen knowledge. Quantities are imprecise ('unos 2 huevos', 'un pedazo de pan'), allowing the cook to adjust based on experience and family size. Spelling follows 19th-century conventions, with terms like 'jitomate' (now often 'jitomate') and 'albondigones'. The instruction flow is brisk and assumes familiarity with tasks like mincing and stuffing, a testament to the capable home cooks of the era.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Mexican Cooking Notebook: Manuscript de Manuela - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Mexican Cooking Notebook: Manuscript de Manuela (1886)

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

Writer

Heredia y Cervantes, Manuela

Era

1886

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A charming 19th-century manuscript brimming with traditional Mexican recipes—think Sopa de chícharos, Relleno de ravioles, Sopa de lentejas, and Pastel de tuétanos—this notebook is a flavorful journey into Mexico’s culinary heritage, crafted by a masterful home cook.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe is drawn from the 1886 Mexican Cooking Notebook, a manuscript by Manuela Heredia y Cervantes. The notebook offers a window into the kitchens of 19th-century Mexico, where European influences—especially Spanish—melded with local ingredients and techniques. The albondigones recipe captures the era's love for savory-sweet contrasts, blending Moorish-Spanish flavors (olives, capers, almonds, raisins) with indigenous New World ingredients like tomato. It exemplifies festive home cooking, elaborately stuffed meatballs often reserved for special occasions.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the late 19th century, the cook would use a simple hand grinder or a heavy knife to mince the beef. Chopping boards and stone mortars (molcajetes) handled the grinding of spices and herbs. Bread would be soaked in water in a clay or tin basin, and eggs boiled in an enamel pot. The meatballs formed by hand, and the caldillo simmered in a heavy clay or iron pot over a wood or charcoal stove. Fine sieves or cloth might strain the tomato sauce.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

20 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

1 lb 2 oz beef (substitute with pork or mixed meats if desired)
2 medium tomatoes (about 7 oz), peeled and chopped
1/3 oz fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 1/2 oz white bread, soaked in water and squeezed
2 whole eggs
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Salt, to taste
3/4 oz green olives, pitted and chopped
1/3 oz capers, roughly chopped
3/4 oz raisins
3/4 oz almonds, blanched and chopped
1 hard-boiled egg, finely chopped
Water for boiling
For the caldillo: 7 oz tomatoes, salt to taste

Instructions

Begin by finely mincing or grinding 1 lb 2 oz of beef.
Into the meat, mix 2 medium tomatoes (about 7 oz), peeled and chopped, a handful of chopped fresh parsley (approximately 1/3 oz), and around 1 1/2 oz of bread soaked in a little water and then squeezed and crumbled.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin and 2 whole eggs.
Mix everything well by hand or with a spoon until it forms a cohesive mixture.
Shape large meatballs ('albondigones'), and for each, stuff the center with a mix of pitted green olives, capers, raisins, chopped almonds, and finely chopped cooked egg (about 1 hard-boiled egg, 3/4 oz almonds, 3/4 oz raisins, 1/3 oz capers, and 3/4 oz olives, all chopped).
Close the meatballs well around the filling.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, gently lower the stuffed meatballs into the water, and simmer until cooked through, about 15–20 minutes.
Serve hot, ladled with a simple tomato broth (caldillo de jitomate), made from simmered and strained tomatoes with salt to taste.

Estimated Calories

350 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It usually takes about 30 minutes to prepare everything, including chopping and stuffing the meatballs, and another 20 minutes to cook them. Each serving contains about 350 calories. This recipe makes about 4 servings.

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.