Recipe Manuscript

Lomos Rellenos

Name: Lomos Rellenos
Prep time: PTPT45M
Cook time: PTPT2H
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 500 g pork loin (plus 500 g additional pork loin for stuffing); 300 g boneless lamb shoulder (or use extra pork if unavailable); 5 dried ancho chiles (about 30 g), stems and seeds removed; 40 g sesame seeds; 3-4 tablespoons (45-60 g) lard or neutral oil; kitchen twine for sewing; salt, to taste

"Stuffed Loin Cuts"

1890

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

Written by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo

Age of Gastronomy (1800 - 1900)American Intermediate 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

Lomos Rellenos

"Pónganse á cocer unos lomos de puerco y unas pulpas de carnero y se picarán muy bien luego que estén cocidas; acabada esta operación, estará pronta una cazuela con chiles anchos y ajonjolí molido, todo bien frito en manteca, y se pondrá allí el picadillo poniéndose á enfriar luego; después se abren unos lomos de puerco por la mitad, se les echa el picadillo y se les cose con una pita, poniéndose á coser á dos fuegos. Inter tanto se tendrá prevenida una cazuela con el mismo pipián, y así que los lomos estén bien cocidos ó fritos se les partirá en rebanadas y se irán echando en el mismo pipián que será su caldillo."

English Translation

"Boil some pork loins and some lamb meat, then chop them very well once cooked. Once this is done, have a casserole ready with ancho chilies and ground sesame seeds, all well fried in lard, and add the minced meat to it, letting it cool afterwards. Next, split some pork loins in half, fill them with the minced mixture, and sew them closed with string, then cook them over two fires. Meanwhile, have another casserole ready with the same pipián sauce, and once the loins are well cooked or fried, slice them and put them into the same pipián, which will serve as their broth."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in a sequential, narrative style, reflecting kitchen practices before the widespread use of standardized measurements and technical jargon. Quantities are implicit, based on household batch cooking, and instructions assume a cook’s familiarity with core processes like frying, grinding, and sewing meat with twine. Spelling and word choices are typical of late 19th-century Mexican Spanish; 'pónganse á cocer' ('set to cook') and 'picadillo' ('chopped mix') feature colloquial terms. The lack of strict time or temperature guidance reflects trust in the cook’s senses and experience—a hallmark of historical recipe manuscripts.

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 is from 'La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 9', published in 1890 in Mexico City by the famed printer and popular publisher Antonio Vanegas Arroyo. The cookbook series was a reflection of the culinary trends and everyday practices of late 19th-century Mexico, blending indigenous Mexican elements (like pipián made with chiles and sesame) with meat preparations reflecting Spanish colonial influences. The period was one of great social and gastronomic fusion, where traditional Mexican cuisine was being documented for an emerging urban readership, and recipes were shared in serialized, accessible booklets. Stuffed meats such as 'Lomos Rellenos' show the importance of resourcefulness, flavor depth, and celebratory cooking characteristic of Mexican home kitchens at the time.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Cooks of the era would use a clay or earthenware cazuela for both frying and simmering sauces, providing gentle, even heat. Grinding would be done with a metate or a mortar and pestle, especially for chiles and seeds. Large knives or cleavers, sturdy wooden spoons, and sewing needles with strong twine or plant fiber ('pita') for closing up the stuffed meats were essential. Cooking would often be done over wood or charcoal fires, using two heat sources for multitasking. For slicing and serving, heavy chopping blocks and plates or shallow bowls for presenting the sauced meat ensured a rustic but elegant finish.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs

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

1.1 lb pork loin (plus 1.1 lb additional pork loin for stuffing)
10.5 oz boneless lamb shoulder (or use extra pork if unavailable)
5 dried ancho chiles (about 1 oz), stems and seeds removed
1.4 oz sesame seeds
3-4 tablespoons (1.5-2 oz) lard or neutral oil
kitchen twine for sewing
salt, to taste

Instructions

Begin by simmering about 1.1 pounds of pork loin and 10.5 ounces of boneless lamb shoulder in water until fully cooked and tender.
Once cooled slightly, finely chop or shred the meats.
In a frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons (about 1 ounce) of lard or neutral oil, then toast and fry 5 dried ancho chiles (stems and seeds removed) and 1.4 ounces sesame seeds until aromatic.
Grind the chiles and sesame seeds together, return to the pan, and fry further until fragrant.
Add the finely chopped meats to the chile-sesame mixture, mixing well to create a cohesive filling, then let it cool.
Next, take another 1.1 pounds of pork loin, slice through the middle to butterfly each piece, and stuff with the picadillo (the meat-chile-sesame filling).
Using kitchen twine, sew or tie the loin closed, and sear or roast the loins on all sides over medium heat until well cooked, turning as needed.
Meanwhile, prepare a cazuela (or saucepan) with additional pipián made from toasted and ground chiles and sesame seeds fried in lard as above.
Once the stuffed loins are cooked through, slice them into medallions and serve them bathed in the warm pipián sauce.

Estimated Calories

520 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing the meats, toasting chiles and sesame seeds, making the filling, stuffing and tying the loins, and searing or roasting all take a bit of time. Most time is spent cooking the meats, assembling the filling, and roasting the stuffed loins. Calorie count is estimated based on pork, lamb, sesame seeds, and lard divided by the number of 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.