Recipe Manuscript

Huevos En Chile

Name: Huevos En Chile
Prep time: PTPT10M
Cook time: PTPT15M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 mulato chiles (dried, about 14 g total); 2 pasilla chiles (dried, about 14 g total); 1 garlic clove (about 4 g); 2 tablespoons lard (or vegetable oil; about 30 ml); 500 ml water; Salt (to taste); 4 large eggs; 50 g aged cheese (cotija or feta, cut in chunks); 50 g fresh cheese (queso fresco or paneer, sliced)

"Eggs In Chile"

1913

From the treasured pages of La Cosina en el Bolsillo No. 4

Written by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo; José Guadalupe Posada

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Beginner Intermediate Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Original Recipe • 1913

Original Manuscript(circa Early Modern Kitchen, 1900 - 1930)

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

Huevos En Chile

"Se desvenan y tuestan chiles, mulato y pasilla, se muelen con un diente de ajo y ésta pasta se echa a freír en manteca, y ya bien refrita se le agrega el agüa necesaria y la sal correspondiente, dejándolo hervir muy poco; entonces se le echan los huevos como en el rabo de mestiza y unos trozos de queso añejo bueno y unas rebanadas de fresco."

English Translation

"Deseed and toast mulato and pasilla chiles, grind them with a clove of garlic, and fry this paste in lard. Once well fried, add the necessary amount of water and the appropriate amount of salt, letting it boil for just a short time; then add the eggs as in 'rabo de mestiza', along with some pieces of good aged cheese and a few slices of fresh cheese."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in a concise, unadorned style, typical of early 20th-century Mexican cookery books. Measuring is imprecise; quantities are guided by habit and practical knowledge, not by exact weights or measures. The phrase 'como en el rabo de mestiza' is a historical reference to a style of poaching eggs in sauce, familiar to the audience but requiring context for modern readers. Minor spelling conventions reflect pre-standardized Spanish orthography, but the instructions are straightforward for anyone versed in the cuisine.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

La Cosina en el Bolsillo No. 4 - Click to view recipe in book

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

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from ‘La Cosina en el Bolsillo No. 4,’ published in 1913 by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo and illustrated by the celebrated José Guadalupe Posada. This pocket-sized cookbook series was widely sold among Mexico’s urban working class, offering concise and affordable culinary guidance. At the dawn of 20th-century Mexico, food preparation relied on local produce and traditional methods. Recipes like Huevos en Chile embody the home-cook ingenuity and everyday practicality of the era, using accessible ingredients and minimal equipment to bring rich, layered flavors to the humble meal table.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Back in 1913, cooks would use a comal or cast iron skillet for toasting dried chiles, a molcajete (stone mortar and pestle) to grind them with garlic, and a cazuela or heavy clay pot for frying and simmering the sauce. The eggs would be cracked directly into the simmering pot, and wooden spoons were standard for stirring. Serving would be family-style, from pot to plate or tortilla.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

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 mulato chiles (dried, about 0.5 oz total)
2 pasilla chiles (dried, about 0.5 oz total)
1 garlic clove (about 0.15 oz)
2 tablespoons lard (or vegetable oil; about 2 fl oz)
2 cups water
Salt (to taste)
4 large eggs
2 oz aged cheese (cotija or feta, cut in chunks)
2 oz fresh cheese (queso fresco or paneer, sliced)

Instructions

Begin by deseeding (and deveining) 2 mulato chiles and 2 pasilla chiles.
Toast the chiles lightly on a hot skillet until fragrant, being careful not to burn them.
Grind the toasted chiles with 1 garlic clove—this can be done in a mortar and pestle, or a food processor if you prefer modern convenience.
Heat 2 tablespoons of lard (or vegetable oil as a substitute) in a saucepan, then fry the chile-garlic paste in the hot fat until it takes on a richer aroma.
Add approximately 2 cups of water and salt to taste.
Simmer briefly for just a few minutes.
Then, crack 4 eggs directly into the simmering sauce, as you would when poaching eggs, spacing them apart.
Add a few chunks of aged cheese (such as cotija or a firm feta) and a few slices of fresh cheese (like queso fresco or paneer).
Let the eggs cook gently in the sauce until set to your liking.
Serve directly from the pan with some crusty bread or warm tortillas.

Estimated Calories

300 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 10 minutes to prep the ingredients, including deseeding and toasting the chiles. Cooking the sauce, poaching the eggs, and melting the cheese together takes about 15 minutes. Each serving has around 300 calories. The recipe makes 4 servings, one egg per person.

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.