Frijoles Verdes En Chile Verde
"Green Beans In Green Chile"
From the treasured pages of La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 8
Written by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo
Frijoles Verdes En Chile Verde
"Se toman los frijoles cuando aún no han empezado á endurecer; se cuecen en agua con sal de tierra y unas ramitas de perejil. Ya cocidos, se pone una cazuela á la lumbre con manteca; se muelen tomates y chiles verdes cocidos y ramitas de culantro verde; se fríe esto, se echan los frijoles cocidos, se les agrega caldo de carne de puerco y se añade estos en trozos; se sazonan con sal fina y se dejan hervir hasta que hayan consumido un poco."
English Translation
"Take the beans before they have started to harden; cook them in water with earth salt and a few sprigs of parsley. Once cooked, place a casserole on the stove with lard; grind tomatoes and green chiles that have been cooked along with sprigs of fresh cilantro; fry this mixture, add the cooked beans, pour in pork broth and add pork meat in pieces; season with fine salt and let it simmer until the liquid has reduced a bit."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is written in a flowing, narrative style common for the 19th century, assuming kitchen know-how and omitting precise quantities, times, and even temperatures—it expects readers to judge doneness and seasoning by eye and taste. Spelling is slightly archaic ('á la lumbre' for on the fire, 'frijoles verdes' indicating young, green beans, and 'culantro verde' likely a reference to fresh cilantro or possibly Mexican papalo). The recipe is playful in its assurance, trusting the cook’s judgment at every step.
Title
La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 8 (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 pocket-sized treasure from the 'Cocina en el bolsillo' series, this volume stirs up a medley of flavorful recipes for adventurous cooks eager to savor the tastes of yesteryear.
Kindly made available by
University of Texas at San Antonio
This recipe comes from 'La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 8' published in 1890, part of a popular series by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo. During the Porfiriato, Mexican kitchens combined indigenous and European flavors, and these small, practical booklets brought both traditional and modern recipes into homes, democratizing culinary knowledge. 'Frijoles verdes en chile verde' is a perfect snapshot of everyday home cooking, reliant on fresh seasonal produce and reflecting the rich intermingling of Spanish and Indigenous Mexican traditions in the kitchen—especially the use of beans, pork, and green sauces.
Cooks in 1890 would have used a clay cazuela over a wood or charcoal stove for simmering both beans and sauce. A grinding stone (metate) or mortar and pestle (molcajete) was the standard for blending chiles, tomatoes, and herbs. A large pot was used for boiling the beans; a spoon made of wood or bone would have served for stirring. Lard was often rendered at home.
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Servings
4
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 lb fresh shelled beans (such as pinto, broad beans, or tender green beans)
- Water
- 2 teaspoons coarse or sea salt (plus extra to taste)
- 3 sprigs parsley (about 1/4 oz)
- 2 tablespoons lard (about 1 oz, or substitute vegetable oil)
- 7 oz tomatillos (or use green tomatoes if unavailable)
- 3 green chiles (jalapeño, serrano, or to taste; about 1 oz)
- 1/2 oz fresh cilantro (or culantro, if available)
- 1 cup pork broth
- 7 oz pork shoulder or pork belly, cut into chunks
- Fine salt, to taste
Instructions
- Select fresh green beans (or very young, soft beans before they have hardened—broad beans or shelled fresh pinto beans work nicely).
- Simmer 1 lb of beans in lightly salted water along with a few sprigs of parsley until tender.
- In a heavy pot, heat 2 tablespoons of lard (or vegetable oil for a substitute) over medium heat.
- Meanwhile, blend 7 oz tomatillos (or green tomatoes), 3 fresh green chiles (such as jalapeño or serrano, or as desired for heat), and a small handful of fresh cilantro (about 1/2 oz).
- Pour this blend into the hot lard and cook for 5 minutes, stirring.
- Add your cooked beans, a ladle (about 1 cup) of pork broth, and about 7 oz pork shoulder or belly cut into bite-size pieces, previously cooked or seared.
- Season with salt to taste and allow to simmer until the liquid reduces slightly and flavors meld (about 10-15 minutes).
- Serve hot.
Estimated Calories
340 per serving
Cooking Estimates
You will need about 15 minutes to prepare the ingredients and another 35 minutes to cook the beans, pork, and sauce until everything is tender and flavors meld. Each serving has around 340 calories. This recipe makes 4 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.
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