Recipe Manuscript

Camotes Rellenos

Name: Camotes Rellenos
Prep time: PTPT40M
Cook time: PTPT35M
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1–1.2 kg sweet potatoes (camotes); 200–250 g fresh cheese (queso fresco) OR; 250 g pork shoulder or leg, finely chopped; 1 small onion (approx. 90 g), finely chopped; 2 medium ripe tomatoes (approx. 200 g), finely chopped; 20 g fresh parsley, chopped; 15 ml vegetable oil; 5 g ground black pepper; 2 g ground clove; 3 g ground cinnamon; 5 g sugar; 10 ml red wine vinegar; 30 g raisins; 20 g sliced or chopped almonds; 20 g candied papaya or quince (acitrón substitute), chopped; 20 g pine nuts; 10 g capers; 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped; 2–3 eggs, for dipping/rebozado; Oil, for frying

"Stuffed Sweet Potatoes"

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 Snack

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

Camotes Rellenos

"Estos se hacen ó rellenos de queso ó bien de picadillo; cualesquiera que sea el relleno, los camotes se preparan para rellenarlos de la misma manera, quitándoles la cáscara, los nudos y las durezas, rebanándolos sesgados y quitándoles las hebras, entónces se procede á rellenarlos bien con queso fresco ó bien con el picadillo siguiente: Se pone á cocer carne de puerco picada con una poca de sal, así que está casi cosumido el caldo, se pone á freír cebolla, gitomate y peregil, todo picado menudo, se echa allí la carne y se sazona con pimienta, clavo, y canela en polvo, un poco de dulce y un poco de vinagre, ya que se ha consumido el caldo, se le agrega pasas, almendras y acitrón en trocitos, piñones, alcaparras y un huevo duro también picado; con esto se rellenan los camotes, poniendo el picadillo entre dos rebanadas de camote, oprimiéndolas bien y rebozándolas en huevo batido, se fríen y se sirven, ó secas como fritura, ó en caldillo de gitomate, según el gusto."

English Translation

"These are made either stuffed with cheese or with picadillo; whichever filling is used, the sweet potatoes are prepared for stuffing in the same way, removing the skin, the knots, and any tough parts, slicing them diagonally and removing the fibers; then proceed to fill them either with fresh cheese or with the following picadillo: Cook finely chopped pork with a little salt; when the broth is almost reduced, fry onion, tomato, and parsley, all finely chopped, add the meat and season with pepper, clove, and ground cinnamon, a little sugar and a bit of vinegar. Once the broth has evaporated, add raisins, almonds and candied fruit in small pieces, pine nuts, capers, and a hard-boiled egg also chopped; use this mixture to stuff the sweet potatoes, placing the picadillo between two slices of sweet potato, pressing them well and dipping them in beaten egg, then fry and serve, either dry as a fritter or in a tomato sauce, as preferred."

Note on the Original Text

Recipes of this period were typically written in narrative form, assuming some prior culinary knowledge. Quantities and times are vague, and the focus is on method and order. 'Gitomate' is a historical spelling for 'jitomate' (tomato). 'Acitrón' was a candied cactus, now endangered; candied papaya or quince is now common. This interplay of sparse instruction and the expectancy of improvisation reflects both the oral traditions from which most home cooks learned, and the space for adaptation based on region, season, and availability.

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 hails from the 1890 Mexican booklet 'La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 6', published by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, a renowned editor of affordable cookbooks for the urban middle class. The collection aimed to make sophisticated as well as everyday dishes accessible and practical for home cooks adapting to a rapidly modernizing Mexico. 'Camotes Rellenos' epitomizes the 19th-century penchant for richly garnished, sweet-and-savory dishes, blending Spanish, indigenous, and Creole elements. The recipe reflects the era's creativity—combining local tubers with a Moorish-influenced fruit and nut picadillo, often seen in festive or celebratory meals.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the late 1800s, cooks would use a heavy kitchen knife (cuchillo de machete) for peeling and slicing camotes, a mortar and pestle (molcajete) for grinding spices, and a cazuela (earthenware or metal pan) for both sautéing and frying. The picadillo would simmer over a wood or charcoal-fire, and eggs would be beaten using a hand whisk or fork. Frying would take place in lard or rendered fat in deep pans, watched closely to prevent scorching. Serving might involve simple terracotta plates or enameled tin; tomato sauce could be ladled over from a small saucepan.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

35 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

2.2–2.6 lbs sweet potatoes (camotes)
7–9 oz fresh cheese (queso fresco) OR
9 oz pork shoulder or leg, finely chopped
1 small onion (approx. 3.2 oz), finely chopped
2 medium ripe tomatoes (approx. 7 oz), finely chopped
0.7 oz fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
0.18 oz ground black pepper
0.07 oz ground clove
0.1 oz ground cinnamon
0.18 oz sugar
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 oz raisins
0.7 oz sliced or chopped almonds
0.7 oz candied papaya or quince (acitrón substitute), chopped
0.7 oz pine nuts
0.35 oz capers
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
2–3 eggs, for dipping/rebozado
Oil, for frying

Instructions

To create 'Camotes Rellenos' today with a nod to tradition, begin by selecting medium-sized sweet potatoes (camotes)—about 2.2 to 2.6 lbs.
Peel them, remove any eyes or tough spots, slice them on the bias into pieces roughly 3/8 inch thick, and carefully pull out any fibrous threads.
The filling can be either fresh, mild cheese (such as queso fresco) or a savory-sweet pork picadillo.
For the picadillo, simmer 9 oz of finely chopped pork shoulder or leg with a small pinch of salt until almost dry.
In a pan, sauté 1 small chopped onion, 2 medium ripe tomatoes (about 7 oz), and a handful of chopped fresh parsley in 1 tablespoon of oil.
Add the pork, and season with a generous pinch each of ground black pepper, ground clove, and ground cinnamon.
Stir in about 1 teaspoon (0.18 oz) sugar and a splash (2 teaspoons) of red wine vinegar.
Once the mixture is dry, mix in 1 oz raisins, 0.7 oz chopped almonds, 0.7 oz candied fruit (substitute candied papaya or quince for acitrón, as the latter is endangered), 0.7 oz pine nuts, 0.35 oz capers, and 1 finely chopped hard-boiled egg.
To assemble: sandwich a generous amount of filling between two sweet potato slices, press lightly, dip in well-beaten egg (about 2–3 eggs for this quantity), and shallow-fry in neutral oil (such as sunflower oil) until golden.
Serve either as a dry fritter or in a light tomato sauce, as preferred.

Estimated Calories

340 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing and assembling Camotes Rellenos takes about 40 minutes, including peeling, slicing, making the filling, and assembling. Cooking (boiling, sautéing, and frying) takes around 35 minutes. Each serving provides about 340 calories. This recipe serves 6 people.

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.