Recipe Manuscript

Guisado De Pierna Estofada

Name: Guisado De Pierna Estofada
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT3H
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 whole leg of lamb or pork (2–3 kg), or substitute with a large beef roast; 4–5 whole cloves; 2–3 garlic cloves, peeled; 250 ml red wine; 50 ml red wine vinegar; 1 tsp ground black pepper (or mix with allspice or ground cloves); 100 g bacon, diced; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; Salt, to taste; Water or meat stock, as needed to cover; Optional: 1–2 quinces, cored and quartered (or firm pears if quince unavailable); Optional: 100 g green grapes or a handful of toasted almonds; Optional for sweet-sour: Additional 2 tbsp sugar and 1 cinnamon stick; 1 tbsp flour, toasted (pan-roasted until golden)

"Stewed Leg Stew"

1860

From the treasured pages of Coleccion de Recetas para Guisos y Dulces

Written by Rita G. de Garcia

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

Original Recipe • 1860

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

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

Guisado De Pierna Estofada

"Golpearan la Pierna muy bien y puesta a la lumbre una Caxa y metale unos Clavos y unos Ajos y medio Quartillo de Vino tinto y un poco de Vinagre y la sona con especies negras echale tocino en dados frito con un poco de cebolla picada. y su Sal y Agua o Caldo hasta q. se cubra la Pierna y tapala con una Cobertera y podras echar dentro si quieres algunos membrillos o perones o agrazios o almendras tostadas y si alguna vez la quisieres hacer dulce podras añadirselo mas agrio y Canela y si la salsa estubiere muy rala la espesaras con un poquito de Arina quemada desliendola con el mismo Caldo de la Pierna."

English Translation

"Pound the leg very well, and once you have placed a pot on the fire, add some cloves and some garlic, half a pint of red wine, and a little vinegar. Season it with dark spices. Add diced bacon, previously fried with a little chopped onion, along with salt, and water or broth until the leg is covered. Cover it with a lid, and you may add, if you wish, some quinces, pears, sour grapes, or toasted almonds. And if at any time you wish to make it sweet, you can add more acidity and cinnamon. If the sauce is too thin, thicken it with a little toasted flour, dissolving it with some of the leg’s broth."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in the idiosyncratic, conversational style of the 19th-century Spanish kitchen, with free spelling ('caxa' instead of 'casa', 'clavos' for both spice and nails—here, meaning spice), minimal punctuation, and a reliance on context and prior knowledge. Quantities, cooking times, and even some flavor elements are left to the judgment of 'la cocinera', trusting in her familiarity with her kitchen and ingredients. The casual mention of 'if you want it sweeter, add more' reflects a flexible attitude to both personal taste and market availability.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Coleccion de Recetas para Guisos y Dulces - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Coleccion de Recetas para Guisos y Dulces (1860)

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

Writer

Rita G. de Garcia

Era

1860

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A handwritten treasury of 380 enticing recipes, this 19th-century collection whisks readers through savory stews, elegant ragouts, flavorful fish creations, and an enchanting medley of sweets and desserts—each page a sumptuous celebration of historical home cooking.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from the "Coleccion de Recetas para Guisos y Dulces", a handwritten recipe book compiled in 1860 and attributed to Rita G. de Garcia. The collection embodies the essence of 19th-century Spanish colonial and criollo cooking, where European techniques were adapted to locally available ingredients and flavors. Stewing large cuts of meat with wine, spices, and both sweet and tart elements reflects both medieval Spanish tastes and the diversity of produce available in the Americas at the time. The manuscript is written in a personal format, without standardized measurements or precise oven temperatures, pointing to an era where cooks relied on experience, intuition, and personal taste. It was designed for use in well-to-do households, blending Old World tradition with the riches of the New World.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Cooks would have used heavy clay or cast-iron pots (caxas), large iron spoons, and wooden or metal spatulas. Meat was tenderized with a mallet or stone. Open hearths provided the heat source, with pots set directly onto or near the coals. Covering the pot with a tight-fitting lid (cobertera) was essential to trap moisture during the long, slow braise. Frying would be done in a small pan over the fire. Flour was browned in a dry skillet or pan. No precise measuring utensils were used; estimation and experience guided the cook's hand.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

3 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 leg of lamb or pork (4–6 lb), or substitute with a large beef roast
4–5 whole cloves
2–3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup red wine
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tsp ground black pepper (or mix with allspice or ground cloves)
3.5 oz bacon, diced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
Water or meat stock, as needed to cover
Optional: 1–2 quinces, cored and quartered (or firm pears if quince unavailable)
Optional: 3.5 oz green grapes or a handful of toasted almonds
Optional for sweet-sour: Additional 2 tbsp sugar and 1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp flour, toasted (pan-roasted until golden)

Instructions

Start by thoroughly tenderizing a whole leg of meat (lamb or pork leg works well).
Place it into a large, heavy casserole or Dutch oven.
Insert a few cloves and some peeled whole garlic cloves into the meat.
Pour in about 1 cup of red wine and add a small splash (about 3 tablespoons) of vinegar.
Season with 'black spices' — think ground black pepper and maybe a dash of allspice or cloves.
Fry 3.5 oz of diced bacon with finely chopped onion until golden, then add to the pot.
Salt the meat generously and add enough water or broth to cover the leg.
Cover the pot tightly and simmer gently.
If desired, after it simmers for a while, you can add quartered fresh quinces, pears, sprigs of green grapes, or a handful of toasted almonds for extra flavor and texture.
For a sweet-and-sour version, add more vinegar, some sugar, and a cinnamon stick.
If the sauce is too thin, thicken it by stirring in a spoonful of toasted flour dissolved in some broth from the pot.

Estimated Calories

600 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 30 minutes to prepare everything and 3 hours to cook the meat until tender. The finished roast serves about 8 people. One serving has around 600 calories, depending on your choice of meat and if you add extra ingredients.

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.