Monjubelo

This quirky, decadent recipe hails from 'La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 9', published in 1890 by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo in Mexico. Cookbooks like this offered accessible home recipes to urban families at a time of growing literacy and culinary curiosity, reflecting a blend of Old World technique with local Mexican resources. The inclusion of pork trotters, milk, eggs, and sugar reflects the resourcefulness and preference for richly textured, protein-rich dishes in late nineteenth-century Mexican households. Pudding-like dishes blending savory and sweet, often using off-cuts, were not uncommon in historic Mexican cooking. This blend of pork, custard, and spice signals a kitchen unafraid of bold, hybrid flavors, showcasing the culinary evolutions in post-colonial Mexico.

Traditional cooks would have used an earthenware cazuela (shallow clay or ceramic casserole), a large brass or copper pot for boiling the pork trotters, and a simple whisk or wooden spoon for mixing the eggs and milk. Baking was accomplished over wood or charcoal, with heat applied below the cazuela and coals heaped on top — the 'dos fuegos' method. This allowed for gentle, even setting of custard preparations. Butter (or often lard) was used to grease ceramics to prevent sticking. For serving, wooden spoons or ladles were the norm and dishes were commonly prepared for sharing.