Ubre De Ternera En Gitomate

This recipe is taken from 'La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 5,' published in 1890 by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo in Mexico City—part of a popular pocket-sized series aimed at making home cooking accessible for all. Such recipes capture the rich culinary traditions of late 19th-century Mexico, where every part of the animal was valued, and slow, attentive cooking was the norm. The publication reflects a time before refrigeration and industrial food production, when recipes were concise, assuming a working knowledge of kitchen skills and access to fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Cooking offal like udder was an economical and flavorful way to make the most of available resources, while the use of roasted tomatoes, lard, and fresh herbs situates the dish firmly within Mexican home cooking traditions.

Cookware used back then would have included large clay or copper pots for boiling and a heavy metal skillet or comal for frying. An open wood or charcoal fire was the standard heat source. Utensils were basic: a sharp knife for slicing, stone or wooden molcajete for grinding the sauce, and simple wooden spoons for stirring. Fine mesh strainers were rare, so sauces tended to be rustic and hand-blended.