Albondigas
"Albondigas"
From the treasured pages of La Cosina en el Bolsillo No. 1
Written by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo
Albondigas
"Picado el lomo y carne magra de puerco, se muele en metate, quitándole las piltrafas, y se le echa clavo, canela, cominos, un diente de ajo, yerbabuena, una poca de manteca y un huevo, revolviéndose todo como si se amasase. Al caldillo se echará más yerbabuena y perejil deshojado; se pondrá a hervir agua en una olla y cuando esté hirviendo se echarán dentro las albondigas, las que deverán tener ya por dentro un pedacito de jamón, alcaparras, pasas y almendras limpias, luego que estén cocidas, se echarán en un caldillo hecho con gitomates, alcaparras molidas, ajos despedazados; un poco de vinagre, sal y azucar y pan molido para espesarlo."
English Translation
"ALBONDIGAS. Chop the pork loin and lean pork, then grind them on a metate, removing any scraps. Add cloves, cinnamon, cumin, a clove of garlic, mint, a little lard, and an egg, mixing everything together as if kneading. For the broth, add more mint and stripped parsley. Bring water to a boil in a pot, and when it is boiling, drop in the meatballs, which should already have inside them a small piece of ham, capers, raisins, and blanched almonds. Once they are cooked, place them in a broth made with tomatoes, ground capers, crushed garlic, a little vinegar, salt and sugar, and bread crumbs to thicken."
Note on the Original Text
This recipe employs a concise, narrative structure, written for readers presumed familiar with both techniques and ingredients. Steps are described sequentially without explicit measurements—ingredients are listed within the method, and quantities are interpreted as 'a little' or 'a handful', trusting the reader's intuition and experience. Notably, the spelling and vocabulary reflect early 20th-century conventions—words such as 'gitomates' are now spelled 'jitomates', while terms like 'deverán' (should be) and 'caldillo' (light sauce/broth) retain regional and period charm. Directions are fluid, prioritizing practical, hands-on cooking over exacting scientific precision.
Title
La Cosina en el Bolsillo No. 1 (1913)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Antonio Vanegas Arroyo
Era
1913
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A delightful entry from the famed 'Cocina en el bolsillo' series, this charming 1913 volume artfully tucks a world of recipes into your pocket—ready to inspire delicious adventures at every turn!
Kindly made available by
University of Texas at San Antonio
This recipe is drawn from 'La Cosina en el Bolsillo No. 1', published in 1913 by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, part of a beloved early twentieth-century Mexican series that aimed to bring practical, accessible, and varied culinary repertoire to the everyday cook. These 'pocket cookbooks' were compact collections covering many dishes, reflecting the cosmopolitan and evolving tastes of Mexico City while still celebrating regional traditions. Albondigas, or meatballs, are a classic example of the Spanish culinary legacy woven into Mexican kitchens. Their evolution saw indigenous ingredients like yerbabuena (mint) and native almonds layered with European introductions such as clove, cinnamon, and capers—yielding a dish with global roots and Mexican character.
In 1913, cooks would have used a metate, a traditional stone grinding tool, to finely grind their meats and spices—a laborious yet tactile way to blend flavors and textures. Hand-chopping with heavy knives was also typical. Meatballs were shaped by hand, and boiled in imported enameled ironware or earthen ollas atop wood or charcoal stoves. Sauce preparation would be done in clay cazuelas or large copper pans over an open flame, with ingredients manually crushed in a mortar (molcajete) or finely chopped by hand. No mixers, no thermometers—just skilled hands and keen senses.
Prep Time
40 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Servings
8
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
- 1.1 lbs pork loin, finely chopped
- 1.1 lbs lean pork, finely chopped
- 2 whole cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- Small bunch fresh mint leaves (approx. 0.5 oz)
- 2 tablespoons pork lard (substitute: unsalted butter or neutral oil)
- 1 large egg
- 3.5 oz ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 20 capers
- 20 raisins
- 20 blanched almonds, whole
- Handful parsley leaves, fresh (approx. 0.5 oz)
- 1.1 lbs ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 14 oz canned)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- Water for boiling
Instructions
- Begin by finely chopping 1.1 lbs of pork loin and 1.1 lbs of lean pork.
- Using a food processor or meat grinder (in place of the traditional metate), grind the meats together, ensuring you remove any sinew or tough bits.
- Add 2 whole cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 finely chopped garlic clove, a small handful of fresh mint leaves, 2 tablespoons pork lard, and 1 large egg.
- Mix everything together throroughly, as if kneading dough.
- Shape the mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs.
- In the center of each, place a small peice of ham, a few capers, a couple of raisins, and a blanched almond.
- Carefully seal the filling inside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
- Add a generous handful of mint and a small bunch of parsley (leaves only) to the pot, then gently add the meatballs.
- Cook until they float and are cooked through, about 15–20 minutes.
- For the sauce (caldillo), sauté 1.1 lbs of chopped ripe tomatoes in a pan with a little lard.
- Add 2 tablespoons of capers (crushed), 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs to thicken.
- Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes, then serve warm with extra sauce.
Estimated Calories
420 per serving
Cooking Estimates
Preparing and shaping the meatballs takes about 30–40 minutes. Cooking the meatballs and sauce takes another 30 minutes. Each serving has about 420 calories, and the recipe makes roughly 8 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.
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