Recipe Manuscript

Guisado De Carnero

Name: Guisado De Carnero
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT1H15M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 kg lamb (shoulder or leg, cut into cubes); 1.5 tsp salt; 1 cinnamon stick; 30 g fresh parsley (split between stew and seasoning); 30 g fresh mint (split between stew and seasoning); 100 g fatty cured ham (jamón serrano or pancetta as substitute); 2 egg yolks; Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tbsp, or 45 ml); Water (enough to cover meat and for sauce)

"Stewed Mutton"

1830

From the treasured pages of Del Huso de Consepcion Gutierres y Franco

Written by Concepción Gutierres y Franco

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

Original Recipe • 1830

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 Carnero

"La noche anterior se pondran en remojo unas presas de carnero y el dia siguiente se pondran a coser en una oya con agua despues de haberlas hecho trositos con sal, canela, peregil y yerbabueña: se freira un poco de jamon gordo guisado y se le añadira una porcion igual de peregil y yerbabuena molida: y esto deshecho en un poco de agua tibia se le echara a la carne para q hierba todo junto: luego se apartara del fuego para hecharle dos yemas de huebo crudas bien desbaratadas en un poco de zumo de limon: todo esto rebuelto con el gisado se buelbe a poner a la lumbre para q sezone y asi se sirbe."

English Translation

"The night before, soak some pieces of mutton and the next day, cook them in a pot with water after cutting them into small pieces, with salt, cinnamon, parsley, and mint. Fry a little bit of thick cooked ham and add an equal portion of ground parsley and mint. Dissolve this mixture in a little warm water and add it to the meat so that everything boils together. Then remove it from the heat to add two raw egg yolks well beaten with a little lemon juice. Mix all this with the stew, put it back on the fire to season, and serve."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is recorded in flowing, informal Spanish, with a conversational tone and many spelling simplifications—like 'oya' for 'olla' (pot) and 'trositos' for 'trocitos' (little pieces). Instructions are dense, blending ingredient lists and methods in long sentences; quantities are vague, as was typical for home cooks with practiced intuition. The recipe’s structure relies on the cook's sense of tasting and adjusting. Seasonings like parsley, mint, and cinnamon connect the past to present, while the egg-lemon finish is a classic European technique for creating a velvety, bright sauce without cream. These details give us both flavor and cultural history in one delicious dish.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Del Huso de Consepcion Gutierres y Franco - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Del Huso de Consepcion Gutierres y Franco (1830)

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

Writer

Concepción Gutierres y Franco

Era

1830

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A charming Mexican cooking notebook from 1830, filled with approximately forty handwritten recipes. Lovingly inscribed in black ink and bound in blue cloth, this delectable collection offers a tantalizing glimpse into the flavors and artistry of 19th-century Mexican cuisine.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from an 1830 manuscript titled 'Del Huso de Consepción Gutierres y Franco', a rare glimpse into the domestic kitchens of post-Independence Mexico. Recipes like this one reflect the blending of Spanish culinary influences—such as the use of ham and cinnamon—with the vibrancy of local herbs like cilantro or mint. Not just a list of instructions, this manuscript was a working notebook, passed down or copied by women managing households. The use of lamb (carnero) and aromatic herbs, thickened with egg yolk, speaks to both old European stewing techniques and the adaptability of Mexican cooks in sourcing local ingredients.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The recipe would have been prepared on a wood-fired stove or hearth, using sturdy clay or copper pots ('olla') for simmering the stew. Chopping would be done with a well-used kitchen knife on a heavy wooden board. Herbs would have been ground or chopped by hand, and eggs beaten with a fork in a ceramic bowl. Serving would be straight from the pot or ladled into deep ceramic bowls.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 15 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

2.2 lbs lamb (shoulder or leg, cut into cubes)
1.5 tsp salt
1 cinnamon stick
1 oz fresh parsley (split between stew and seasoning)
1 oz fresh mint (split between stew and seasoning)
3.5 oz fatty cured ham (jamón serrano or pancetta as substitute)
2 egg yolks
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tbsp, or 1.5 fl oz)
Water (enough to cover meat and for sauce)

Instructions

The night before, soak about 2.2 lbs of lamb pieces (preferably shoulder or leg, cut into cubes) in water.
The next day, drain and place the lamb pieces in a large pot with fresh water and roughly 1.5 teaspoons of salt.
Add 1 cinnamon stick, 1 small bunch of fresh parsley (about 0.5 oz), and 1 small bunch of fresh mint (about 0.5 oz), all tied together.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the lamb is tender (about 1 hour).
While the lamb cooks, gently fry 3.5 oz of diced fatty cured ham (jamón serrano or pancetta as a substitute) in a pan.
Mix in another 0.5 oz each of finely chopped parsley and mint.
Add a splash (about 3 tablespoons) of warm water to this mixture and stir until combined, then pour this seasoned ham mixture into the simmering pot with the lamb.
Let it all cook together for another 10 minutes, melding the flavors.
Take the pot off the heat.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 egg yolks and the juice of 1 lemon.
Temper this mixture with a ladleful of broth from the pot, then stir it gently back into the stew to thicken and enrich the sauce.
Return to very low heat, stirring gently for a minute until slightly thickened, but do not boil.
Serve immediately, garnished with extra parsley if desired.

Estimated Calories

450 per serving

Cooking Estimates

This recipe takes about 20 minutes to prepare and around 1 hour and 15 minutes to cook. Each serving has about 450 calories. The recipe makes 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.