Recipe Manuscript

Asado De Ternera Con Pulque

Name: Asado De Ternera Con Pulque
Prep time: PTPT15M
Cook time: PTPT1H
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 800 g beef loin or chuck (ternera; veal or young beef also possible); 60 ml lard (substitute: pork fat or high-quality vegetable oil if preferred); 3-4 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed; 250 ml water; 250–400 ml pulque (substitute: 2 parts unfiltered apple cider + 1 part kombucha); Salt, to taste; 5-6 whole black peppercorns, cracked; 1 small bunch of fresh thyme; 1 bay leaf; 1 sprig marjoram (substitute: oregano if unavailable); 1 small bunch parsley; 2-3 carrots, cleaned and chopped

"Beef Roast With Pulque"

1890

From the treasured pages of La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 6

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

Asado De Ternera Con Pulque

"Se pone á la lumbre una cazuela honda con bastante manteca, se echan unos dientes de ajo machucados con la cáscara y los lomos de ternera que se dejarán freír hasta que estén dorados, entonces se les pone un vaso de agua y el pulque necesario para que se cuezan y les quede una poca de salsa, sazonándolo con sal, unas pimientas menudas quebradas, y un manojito compuesto de tomillo, laurel, mejorana y perejil; cuando está medio cocida la carne, se le agregan unas zanahorias bien limpias; en caso de que le falte líquido, antes de que esté cocida la carne se le pondrá más pulque y no agua. Este asado se sirve con la ensalada que más agrade."

English Translation

"BEEF ROAST WITH PULQUE. Put a deep casserole on the heat with plenty of lard; add a few cloves of garlic, crushed with their skins, and the beef loins, which should be fried until golden brown. Then pour in a glass of water and enough pulque for the meat to cook and to leave a little sauce, seasoning with salt, a few small crushed peppercorns, and a bundle composed of thyme, bay leaf, marjoram, and parsley. When the meat is half cooked, add some well-cleaned carrots; if there is not enough liquid before the meat is cooked, add more pulque, not water. This roast is served with whichever salad you like best."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in a conversational, summary style typical of popular 19th-century Mexican cookbooks. There are few exact measurements—proportions are interpreted by the cook, depending on the number of diners and local ingredient availability. Some spellings reflect historic conventions, such as 'á' for 'a' and the moderate punctuation. The name 'asado' here refers less to roasted meat than to a stew or braise, often cooked over an open flame. Pulque is not always available today; a blend of cider and kombucha can emulate some of its complexity.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 6 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 6 (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 volume from the famed Cocina en el bolsillo series, offering an array of tempting recipes for every occasion—a true culinary companion for the creative home cook of yesteryear.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from a charming 1890 Mexican booklet, 'La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 6' by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo. Written for the home cook, these compact guides offered affordable, accessible culinary advice to middle and working-class urbanites in late 19th-century Mexico. Pulque, the heart of the dish, is a traditional fermented agave beverage, once a staple in Central Mexican diets and celebrations. Its inclusion here speaks to everyday Mexican flavors of the era, before industrial beers and soft drinks swept through the region. The recipe marries French-influenced asado techniques with distinctly indigenous ingredients, capturing a moment when Mexican cuisine was both embracing and adapting global and local tastes.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The original cook would have reached for a large, deep clay cazuela (casserole) or iron pot, set over a wood or charcoal fire. A wooden spoon or spatula stirred the bubbling stew, and a stone molcajete or pestle would have helped crush the garlic and spices. Knives were simple, and kitchen measuring was done by eye—bunches, pinches, and handfuls were the standard. The aromatic bundle of herbs would have been tied together with twine or a strip of corn husk for easy removal.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

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 3/4 lb beef loin or chuck (veal or young beef also possible)
1/4 cup lard (substitute: pork fat or high-quality vegetable oil if preferred)
3-4 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed
1 cup water
1 to 1 2/3 cups pulque (substitute: 2 parts unfiltered apple cider + 1 part kombucha)
Salt, to taste
5-6 whole black peppercorns, cracked
1 small bunch of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 sprig marjoram (substitute: oregano if unavailable)
1 small bunch parsley
2-3 carrots, cleaned and chopped

Instructions

To prepare Asado de Ternera con Pulque in a modern kitchen, begin by heating a deep, heavy-bottomed casserole or Dutch oven with a generous amount (about 1/4 cup) of lard or high-quality pork fat.
Smash 3-4 unpeeled garlic cloves and add them to the hot fat, followed by about 1 3/4 pounds of beef loin or chuck, cut into thick pieces.
Fry the beef until golden brown on all sides.
Add 1 cup of water and enough pulque (at least 1 cup—if unavailable, use a good quality unfiltered apple cider mixed with a splash of fermented kombucha to imitate the flavor profile) so the meat is partially submerged, ensuring a bit of sauce remains after cooking.
Season with salt, 5-6 cracked black peppercorns, and a small bouquet of fresh thyme, bay leaf, marjoram, and parsley tied together.
Once the meat is halfway cooked (after about 25 minutes simmering), add 2-3 cleaned carrots, cut into large pieces.
If the liquid reduces too much before the meat is tender, add more pulque instead of water.
Simmer gently until the beef and carrots are tender and there's a rich, slightly thickened sauce.
Serve hot with your favorite salad.

Estimated Calories

420 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 15 minutes to get your ingredients ready and another 1 hour to cook the stew until the meat and carrots are tender. This recipe serves about 4 people, with each serving having around 420 calories.

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.