Huevos Fritos
"En una cazuela se echa manteca y cuando esté ya bien caliente, se rompen los huevos por la mitad y uno, por uno, se van echándo en la manteca, cuidando que no se reviente la yema ni se peguen uno con otro; se les pone sal molida y se bañan con la manteca para que se cuezan por encima. Se sirven con gitomate, con chile colorado o bien con el arroz."
English Translation
"FRIED EGGS. In a pan, add lard, and when it is very hot, break the eggs in half and, one by one, add them to the lard, taking care not to break the yolk or let them stick to each other; sprinkle ground salt and baste them with the lard so they cook on top. Serve with tomato, red chili, or with rice."
Note on the Original Text
The original recipe is straightforward and economical in its instructions—reflecting both the oral tradition of Mexican home cooking and the need for brevity in printed materials. Ingredients aren’t precisely measured, relying on the cook’s eye and instinct. The Spanish spelling from the early 1900s is still recognizable today, though 'gitomate' is an archaic form for 'jitomate' (tomato). Instructions like 'se rompen los huevos por la mitad' mean to crack the eggs, and 'bañan con la manteca' refers to the careful basting with hot lard—a technique ensuring even cooking in the absence of modern nonstick pans.
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 recipe is taken from 'La Cosina en el Bolsillo No. 4', published in 1913 in Mexico City by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo and illustrated by the famed José Guadalupe Posada. The early 20th century was a vibrant period of Mexican cultural and culinary change. Cookbooks like this were designed to be accessible, pocket-sized guides for home cooks, capturing the everyday flavors of urban Mexican households at a time when tradition met modernity. Recipes featured everyday ingredients and straightforward methods, making them both practical and delicious snapshots of their era. Eggs were a staple in Mexican kitchens, and frying them in lard was a common practice, highlighting the rich flavors and textures that defined home cooking.
In 1913, home cooks typically used a small clay or metal cazuela (shallow pan) set directly over a wood or charcoal-burning stove. A long-handled spoon was used to baste the eggs with the hot fat. Knives for cracking eggs and simple earthenware plates for serving completed the rustic setup. These tools reflect a kitchen world without plastics or electric stoves, relying instead on the cook’s skill with basic, enduring instruments.
Prep Time
2 mins
Cook Time
5 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
- 2–4 large eggs
- 1 to 1.5 ounces lard (or substitute with 2 tablespoons unsalted butter)
- Fine salt, to taste
- Optional accompaniments: fresh tomato salsa, red chile sauce, or steamed white rice
Instructions
- To make these classic 'huevos fritos', place about 1 to 1.5 ounces of lard (or substitute with 2 tablespoons unsalted butter if unavailable) in a small frying pan.
- Heat it gently over medium-high heat until it's very hot but not smoking.
- Crack one egg at a time and carefully slide it into the hot fat, making sure the yolk doesn’t break and the eggs don’t stick together.
- Sprinkle each with a pinch of fine salt, and using a spoon, gently baste the tops of the eggs with some of the hot fat so that the whites cook through while the yolks remain runny.
- Serve immediately with fresh tomato salsa, a mild red chile sauce, or a side of fluffy white rice.
Estimated Calories
140 per serving
Cooking Estimates
This recipe takes only a few minutes to prepare and cook, so you can enjoy perfectly fried eggs in under 10 minutes. Each serving is one egg cooked in a small amount of lard or butter.
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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