Guisado De Conejo

This recipe comes from 'La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 9', a pocket-sized cookbook published in 1890 by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo—a renowned Mexican publisher famous for his popular prints and accessible publications. The book is a snapshot of urban middle-class life in late 19th-century Mexico, blending Spanish colonial culinary roots with local flavors and techniques. At the time, meat such as rabbit was a common feature in everyday cooking for many families who had easy access to live animals and the skills to process them at home. The instructions reflect a time before refrigeration: the rabbit was killed, hung to tenderize, and then cooked the following day—practices that imparted flavor and ensured food safety. This simple yet aromatic stew speaks to the resourcefulness of the era, marrying Old World spices and New World practicality.

In the 1890s, home kitchens would have had a heavy clay or iron casserole (cazuela or olla de barro) for braising and stewing over a wood or charcoal fire. An iron knife and mortar and pestle (molcajete or pilón) would be used to crush spices and garlic. Food prep areas would be simple wooden tables, and ingredients were handled with sturdy wooden spoons. There were no thermometers, so cooks controlled heat by sight and experience, managing the flame or coals, and covering the pot with a weighted wooden or clay lid.