Recipe Manuscript

Chiles Rellenos

Name: Chiles Rellenos
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT50M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 large poblano chiles (or substitute Anaheim chiles); 500 g boneless pork loin; 100 g fatty ham (jamón; modern substitute: marbled cooked ham or prosciutto fat); 2 hard-boiled eggs; 50 g green olives; 150 ml dry white wine; Salt to taste; 4 eggs (for batter); 750 ml water (for cooking the pork); 3 whole cloves (spice); 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 40 g breadcrumbs (for thickening sauce); Vegetable oil (for frying, about 250 ml)

"Chiles Rellenos"

1831

From the treasured pages of El Cocinero Mexicano, Vol. 1

Written by Mariano Arevalo; Mariano Galvan Rivera

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

Original Recipe • 1831

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

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

Chiles Rellenos

"14. Se asan los chiles y se abren por un lado, quitándoles el pellejo y las venas y se rellenan con lo siguiente: se hace un picadillo de lomo de puerco cocido, al que se añaden cuadritos de jamon gordo y rebanadas de aceituna y huevo duro con bastante vino y la sal suficiente para su sazon. Despues de rellenos los chiles se cubren de huevo batido y se frien. El caldillo se hace con la misma agua en que se coció la carne de puerco con vino, clavo y cominos molidos, espesándose con pan molido, y sazonándose con la sal correspondiente."

English Translation

"Chiles rellenos. 14. Roast the chiles and open them on one side, removing the skin and veins, and stuff them with the following: make a hash with cooked pork loin, to which you add diced fatty ham, slices of olives and hard-boiled egg with plenty of wine and enough salt for seasoning. After stuffing the chiles, cover them with beaten egg and fry them. The sauce is made with the same water in which the pork was cooked, with wine, ground cloves and cumin, thickened with breadcrumbs, and seasoned with the appropriate amount of salt."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is presented in a narrative, almost conversational style—typical for early 19th-century culinary texts, which assumed a degree of kitchen intuition and experience. Ingredients have no fixed measurements; cooks relied on 'bastante' (sufficient) for seasoning, and proportions were inferred by tradition and taste. Spelling is straightforward Spanish of the era, with some archaisms (e.g., 'pellejo' specifically referring to chile skin). Precision in timings or temperatures is absent; texture and doneness are judged visually or by experience. The instructions are sequential but expect the reader to understand steps like beating eggs or ‘thickening with bread’ without further explanation.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

El Cocinero Mexicano, Vol. 1 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

El Cocinero Mexicano, Vol. 1 (1831)

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

Writer

Mariano Arevalo; Mariano Galvan Rivera

Era

1831

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A sumptuous journey through 19th-century Mexican kitchens, 'El Cocinero Mexicano, Vol. 1' serves up an array of traditional and American-inspired recipes—an exquisite treat for culinary adventurers seeking to savor the authentic flavors of early Mexico.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe is drawn from 'El Cocinero Mexicano' (1831), one of Mexico’s cherished cookbooks, composed in a period of national identity formation after independence. Authored by Mariano Arevalo and Mariano Galvan Rivera, it showcases Mexican culinary adaptation, blending native produce (like chiles) with European influences (such as pork, olives, and wine), a reflection of the complex interplay between local and colonial foodways. Dishes such as chiles rellenos were already celebrated in the early 19th century as festive fare, often served at home feasts and community gatherings, evoking both practicality (using leftover meats) and a flair for abundant, flavor-layered stuffings.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Cooks in 1831 would have used a heavy clay comal or iron griddle to roast the chiles, a paring knife to peel and open them, and a wooden mortar and pestle for grinding spices like clove and cumin. Cooking the pork would involve a large clay or copper pot over a wood-fired hearth. Frying chiles would be done in a deep pan or cazuela over direct flame. Beating eggs was accomplished with a hand-whisk, likely using a bundle of reeds or a fork carved from wood or bone. Serving might involve shallow earthenware platters, with sauce ladled straight from the pot.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 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

8 large poblano chiles (or substitute Anaheim chiles)
1 lb 2 oz boneless pork loin
3.5 oz fatty ham (jamón; modern substitute: marbled cooked ham or prosciutto fat)
2 hard-boiled eggs
1.75 oz green olives
5 fl oz dry white wine
Salt to taste
4 eggs (for batter)
3 cups water (for cooking the pork)
3 whole cloves (spice)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1.5 oz breadcrumbs (for thickening sauce)
Vegetable oil (for frying, about 8.5 fl oz)

Instructions

Roast about 8 large poblano chiles over an open flame or under a broiler until the skins char.
Peel off the skins, carefully slit each chile down one side, and remove the seeds and vains.
For the filling, boil 1 lb 2 oz of boneless pork loin until tender.
Chop the pork finely and mix in 3.5 oz diced ham (choose fatty or marbled ham for authenticity), 2 hard-boiled eggs sliced, 1.75 oz green olives sliced, and add around 2.5 fl oz dry white wine.
Season generously with salt and stir well.
Stuff each chile with the mixture.
In a bowl, beat 4 eggs until frothy to create a batter.
Dip the stuffed chiles in the beaten egg and fry them in 1/2 inch of hot oil in a large skillet until golden and set aside on paper towells.
For the sauce (caldillo), use about 2 cups of the pork cooking broth.
Simmer with an extra 2.5 fl oz wine, 2–3 whole cloves (spice), 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1.5 oz breadcrumbs to thicken.
Adjust salt to taste.
Serve the fried, stuffed chiles with the warm sauce poured over.

Estimated Calories

350 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will spend about 30 minutes preparing the ingredients, such as roasting, peeling, and stuffing the chiles. Cooking the pork and frying the chiles takes about 50 minutes. Each serving contains around 350 calories, and the recipe makes 8 portions.

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.