Asadura Con Chícharos
"Organ Meat With Peas"
From the treasured pages of La Cosina en el Bolsillo No. 4
Written by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo; José Guadalupe Posada
Asadura Con Chícharos
"Se lavan las asaduras y partidas en trozos pequeños se ponen a freír en crudo en bastante manteca, en la que antes se habrán frito unos dientes de ajo y cebolla picada. En seguida se echan chícharos cocidos aparte, a que se frían con la asadura; cuando todo esté bien frito, se echa gitomate molido, se sazona de sal y se le agrega agua suficiente de modo que no quede espeso cuando esté cocida la asadura."
English Translation
"Wash the organ meats and cut them into small pieces. Fry them raw in plenty of lard, in which some garlic cloves and chopped onion have previously been fried. Next, add peas that have been cooked separately, so they fry together with the organ meat; when everything is well fried, add ground tomato, season with salt, and add enough water so that the mixture is not thick once the organ meat is cooked."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is written in a concise and directive style characteristic of early 20th-century Mexican cookbooks. Ingredients are rarely quantified, with an expected reliance on the cook’s intuition and experience. The word 'gitomate' is an old-fashioned spelling for 'jitomate', referring to red tomato. 'Chícharos' means green peas, which may have been freshly shelled or dried in the original context. The directions lack precise timings and temperatures, assuming the reader was familiar with the feel and flow of domestic kitchen work.
Title
La Cosina en el Bolsillo No. 4 (1913)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Antonio Vanegas Arroyo; José Guadalupe Posada
Era
1913
Publisher
Unknown
Background
Part of the delightful 'Cocina en el bolsillo' series, this charming 1913 cookbook serves up a pocket-sized collection of tempting recipes for a variety of dishes, perfect for culinary explorers of all kinds.
Kindly made available by
University of Texas at San Antonio
This evocative recipe hails from 'La Cosina en el Bolsillo No. 4' (1913), a charming pocket-size Mexican cookbook published by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo with illustrations by the iconic José Guadalupe Posada. The series democratized culinary knowledge, making recipes accessible and practical for early 20th-century urban homes. Asadura-based dishes highlight the thrifty, resourceful nature of Mexican home kitchens in this era, turning humble, affordable ingredients—like offal and peas—into flavorsome family fare. Such recipes were born of necessity but became beloved comfort food across generations.
Cooks in 1913 would have made this recipe on a wood- or charcoal-fired stove, using a heavy cast iron or clay cazuela (earthenware pan). A sturdy kitchen knife and wooden cutting board would be needed to chop the offal. Garlic and onions might have been minced with a mano and metate (stone grinder), although a simple knife sufficed. Water was often drawn from wells or communal sources. The mixture was stirred with a wooden spoon, and final cooking was done over gentle heat to avoid toughening the delicate organ meats.
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
- 1 pound mixed offal (liver, heart, or lungs of pork or beef)
- 1/4 cup lard (or duck fat/vegetable oil)
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 1 small onion
- 1 cup cooked green peas (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup tomatoes, pureed (substitute: canned crushed tomatoes if needed)
- Salt to taste
- 1 to 1 1/4 cups water
Instructions
- To recreate this early 20th-century Mexican offal dish, begin by thoroughly washing about 1 pound of mixed organ meats, such as liver, heart, or lungs (pork or beef), and cutting them into small, bite-sized pieces.
- In a large frying pan, heat 1/4 cup (about 4 tablespoons or 2 ounces) of lard, or substitute with duck fat or vegetable oil if preferred.
- First, sauté 3-4 peeled garlic cloves and 1 small onion, finely chopped, until fragrant and just golden.
- Remove or leave the aromatics per taste, then add the prepared asadura (offal) and fry gently over medium heat until starting to brown.
- Add 1 cup (about 7 ounces) of cooked green peas, mixing well to let the flavors meld.
- Once everything is nicely fried and aromatic, pour in 1 cup (about 7 ounces) of pureed fresh tomatoes.
- Season generously with salt.
- Add enough water (about 1 to 1 1/4 cups) so the mixture has a light, stew-like consistency—not too thick.
- Simmer gently until the offal is fully cooked and the flavors are well developed, about 20-25 minutes.
- Serve hot, accompanied with crusty bread or tortillas.
Estimated Calories
350 per serving
Cooking Estimates
You will need about 15 minutes to prep and cut the ingredients, then cook everything for about 25 minutes. Each serving contains about 350 calories. This 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.
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