Vaca Al Gratin
"Gratin Beef"
From the treasured pages of Cuaderno de Recetas de Cocina de Hortensia Volante
Written by Hortensia Volante
Vaca Al Gratin
"Cortar delgadas lonchas una porcion de vaca cocida. Ordenarlas en plato que resista al fuego sobre un lecho de mantequilla y finas hierbas, cebolla picada y pimientos de piquillo y hongos picados. Salpimentarlas, espolvorearlas con pan rallado y mojarlas con partes iguales de caldo y vino blanco. Intercalar pedacitos de mantequilla y cocerlas lentamente sobre dos lumbres hasta que formen costra. Servirlas en el mismo plato."
English Translation
"Cut thin slices of a portion of cooked beef. Arrange them on a fireproof dish over a bed of butter, fine herbs, chopped onion, piquillo peppers, and chopped mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and moisten with equal parts broth and white wine. Add small pieces of butter in between and cook slowly over two flames until a crust forms. Serve on the same dish."
Note on the Original Text
The original manuscript employs the brisk, elliptical prose typical of turn-of-the-century Spanish cookbooks: direct, with minimal measurements, assuming experience and intuition in the reader. Ingredients are listed in narrative form and instructions merge seamlessly with them—no separation of prep and cooking steps. Weight and volume were generally determined by custom, and quantities like "una porcion," "pedacitos," or "un poco" required a practiced eye rather than a scale or cup measure. Terminology such as "gratin" (from French) was entering the Spanish kitchen lexicon, often spelled as in the source language with a Spanish twist. The entire recipe assumes the reader is repurposing already-cooked beef, underscoring the importance of thrift and resourcefulness.
Title
Cuaderno de Recetas de Cocina de Hortensia Volante (1902)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Hortensia Volante
Era
1902
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A charming early 20th-century manuscript brimming with delectable recipes, from croquetas to guiso de caracoles, lending a savory glimpse into the flavors of the era.
Kindly made available by
University of Texas at San Antonio
This recipe hails from the early 20th century—a time when Spain’s burgeoning bourgeois home cooks delighted in penning personal handwritten cookbooks and adapting classic French techniques like gratin to their national palate. Hortensia Volante’s "Cuaderno de Recetas de Cocina" (1902) is rich with home-friendly fare, reflecting a style of cooking that makes economical and creative use of leftovers. At the dawn of the modern era, dishes like Vaca al Gratin represented the melding of French culinary customs with traditional Spanish ingredients. This recipe is an edible remnant of an age when the home oven was a luxury, and when savory, wine-splashed casseroles were both comforting and celebratory.
In 1902, Vaca al Gratin would likely have been prepared in a heavy earthenware or glazed ceramic cazuela, or possibly in a metal gratin dish if available. Chopping was performed with a sharp kitchen knife and wooden board. The sauce was mellowed atop a wood or coal-fired stove, employing steady, low heat. Instead of a modern radiant oven, the crust would be achieved by finishing the dish over dual burners ("dos lumbres") or under a simple grill—techniques that required careful attention and a practiced hand to avoid scorching. The same dish doubled as both cooking vessel and serving platter, emphasizing rustic charm and efficiency.
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Servings
4
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
- 14 oz cooked beef, sliced thin (use leftover roast beef if available)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus 1 tbsp extra for topping
- 1 tablespoon (about 0.14 oz) fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon (about 0.14 oz) fresh chives, chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon (about 0.07 oz) fresh thyme, chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (about 2 oz)
- 1 roasted piquillo pepper, diced (about 1.75 oz; substitute roasted red bell pepper if unavailable)
- 1.75 oz button mushrooms, finely chopped
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2–3 tablespoon (about 1 oz) dry breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup beef broth
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
Instructions
- To prepare Vaca al Gratin in the modern kitchen, start by slicing around 14 ounces of cooked beef into thin pieces.
- Grease an ovenproof dish with 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, and scatter a small handful each—about 1 tablespoon—of finely chopped fresh parsley, chives, and thyme over the base.
- Add half a medium onion, finely chopped, a diced roasted piquillo pepper (about 1.75 ounces), and 1.75 ounces of finely chopped button mushrooms.
- Arrange the beef slices in a single overlapping layer over this bed of aromatics.
- Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then sprinkle evenly with about 2–3 tablespoons (about 1 ounce) of dry breadcrumbs.
- Moisten the mixture by pouring over a mixture of 1/3 cup beef broth and 1/3 cup dry white wine.
- Dot the surface liberally with 1 tablespoon more of unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Cover the dish lightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and bake or broil for a further 10–15 minutes until a golden crust forms.
- Serve directly from the dish, savoring the mingled perfume of herbs, butter, and wine.
Estimated Calories
340 per serving
Cooking Estimates
Preparing this dish takes about 15 minutes to slice and chop the ingredients and arrange them in the baking dish. Cooking time includes 15 minutes under foil plus another 10–15 minutes uncovered in the oven. Each of 4 servings contains about 340 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.
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