Recipe Manuscript

Lengua De Vaca Rellena

Name: Lengua De Vaca Rellena
Prep time: PTPT50M
Cook time: PTPT3H30M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 beef tongues (about 1.5–2 kg each); 1 tsp ground cloves; 1 tsp ground black pepper; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 2 medium ripe tomatoes, diced; 1 medium onion, diced; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 100 g cooked ham, diced; 50 g raisins; 50 g blanched almonds, chopped; 50 g candied cactus (acitrón) or substitute with candied fruit; 3–4 small green chilies, finely chopped; 50 g pitted green olives, sliced; 1 tbsp table salt; 2 tbsp olive oil; kitchen twine (or ixtle, maguey fiber, traditional); water (enough to submerge tongues); 1 cup masa harina mixed with water (for pot seal); 2 tbsp lard or unsalted butter (for frying); 2 tbsp sugar; 2 tbsp wine vinegar; 1 onion, quartered and parboiled; extra green chilies and olives, to garnish

"Stuffed Beef Tongue"

1890

From the treasured pages of La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 9

Written by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo

Age of Gastronomy (1800 - 1900)American Advanced Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1890

Original Manuscript(circa Age of Gastronomy, 1800 - 1900)

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

Lengua De Vaca Rellena

"Tómense unas lenguas y ábranse por medio sin romperlas, se les unta clavo, pimienta y canela, todo bien molido; se hace el relleno de gitomate, cebolla, ajo, jamón, pasas, almendras, acitrón, chilitos y aceitunas, todo picado; se les echa una poca de sal y un poco de aceite de comer; se rellenan las lenguas y se amarran con un ixtle para que no se salga el relleno, se coge una olla con agua y una poca de sal; se tapa la olla con masa, y así que estén cocidas las lenguas, se tapan, se escurren y se fríen en manteca y se les echa un poco de dulce, vinagre, cebollas cocidas en cuartos, chilitos y aceitunas, y ya que van á la mesa se les echa aceite de comer."

English Translation

"Take some beef tongues and open them in half without breaking them; spread them with ground cloves, pepper, and cinnamon. Prepare the stuffing with tomato, onion, garlic, ham, raisins, almonds, crystallized fruit, small chilies, and olives, all finely chopped. Add a little salt and a bit of cooking oil. Stuff the tongues and tie them with twine so the filling does not escape. Take a pot with water and a little salt; seal the pot with dough. Once the tongues are cooked, uncover them, drain them, and fry them in lard. Pour over a little sugar, vinegar, quartered cooked onions, small chilies, and olives. When serving, drizzle with cooking oil."

Note on the Original Text

This recipe is written in the concise, almost shorthand style of 19th-century Mexican cookbooks, presuming high culinary literacy and experience. Quantities are vague or absent: cooks were expected to rely on intuition, taste, and experience—resulting in highly personalized renditions. Some older Spanish spellings appear (e.g., 'gitomate' for 'jitomate' meaning ripe red tomato). The absence of precise times and temperatures mirrors a setting where cooking was guided by touch, sight, and smell. The reader is invited to improvise within a well-defined structure, just as a head chef would have then.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 9 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 9 (1890)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Antonio Vanegas Arroyo

Era

1890

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful culinary companion from the late 19th century, 'La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 9' serves up a savory selection of recipes and kitchen wisdom, inviting readers to explore the flavors and techniques that charmed Mexican households. Pocket-sized but bursting with gastronomic inspiration, this volume is a tasteful blend of practicality and tradition.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe for 'Lengua de Vaca Rellena' hails from late 19th-century Mexico, found in 'La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 9' published by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo in 1890. At this time, Mexico's urban middle classes were engaging with an explosion of printed cookbooks, reflecting both European and indigenous traditions in festive dishes like stuffed tongue. In this historical moment, the inclusion of candied cactus (acitrón), olives, and almonds signifies a fusion of New and Old World ingredients. The use of ixtle (natural fiber from maguey) and masa to seal pots evokes both local practicality and culinary techniques inherited from indigenous traditions. The dish itself would have graced celebratory tables, representing the abundance and multicultural table of Porfirian-era Mexico.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Cooks of the era would have used large clay or heavy iron pots for simmering the tongue, and the sealing of the pot with masa dough would allow gentle steam cooking, a popular method before pressure cookers. The tying of tongues with ixtle, a strong natural fiber, prevented the stuffing from escaping—a practical solution before modern kitchen twine. Ingredients would have been minced by hand with a heavy knife or stone metate, and frying done over wood or charcoal-fired stoves in copper or iron pans. Finer touches, like the vinegar and sugar glaze, reflect European-inspired flavorings popular at the time.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

50 mins

Cook Time

3 hrs 30 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 beef tongues (about 3.3–4.4 lbs each)
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 medium ripe tomatoes, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3.5 oz cooked ham, diced
1.75 oz raisins
1.75 oz blanched almonds, chopped
1.75 oz candied cactus (acitrón) or substitute with candied fruit
3–4 small green chilies, finely chopped
1.75 oz pitted green olives, sliced
1 tbsp table salt
2 tbsp olive oil
kitchen twine (or ixtle, maguey fiber, traditional)
water (enough to submerge tongues)
1 cup masa harina mixed with water (for pot seal)
2 tbsp lard or unsalted butter (for frying)
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp wine vinegar
1 onion, quartered and parboiled
extra green chilies and olives, to garnish

Instructions

To recreate 'Lengua de Vaca Rellena' today, begin by sourcing beef tongues, about 3.3 to 4.4 lbs each.
Carefully butterfly them lengthwise without separating the halves.
Season the inside with a mixture of ground cloves (about 1 tsp), black pepper (1 tsp), and ground cinnamon (1 tsp).
For the stuffing, finely dice 2 medium ripe tomatoes, 1 medium onion, 3 garlic cloves, 3.5 oz of cooked ham, a generous handful (1.75 oz each) of raisins and blanched almonds, 1.75 oz of candied cactus (acitrón or substitute with candied fruit), 3-4 small green chilies, and 1.75 oz of pitted green olives.
Toss everything with 1 tbsp of table salt and 2 tbsp of olive oil.
Fill the tongues with the mixture and tie them with kitchen twine.
Place the stuffed tongues in a large pot of salted water.
Seal the pot with a layer of dough (1 cup masa harina mixed with water is modern-friendly) to create a tight steam seal.
Simmer gently until the tongues are completely tender, about 2–3 hours.
Remove the tongues, drain well, and briefly fry in 2 tbsp of lard or unsalted butter until golden.
Prepare a quick garnish by simmering 2 tbsp of sugar, 2 tbsp wine vinegar, 1 onion quartered and parboiled, a few more green chilies, and some extra olives for a sweet-sour glaze.
Pour this over the tongues before serving and finish with a drizzle of fine olive oil.

Estimated Calories

580 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 30 minutes to chop and prep all the filling ingredients, and 20 minutes to stuff and tie the tongues. The tongues then simmer for about 2 to 3 hours, and finally need a quick frying and garnish, which takes another 20 minutes. Each serving has around 580 calories, and the recipe makes 8 hearty 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.