Veracruzano
"Veracruzano"
From the treasured pages of La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 6
Written by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo
Veracruzano
"Deplumados los pollos, chamuscados y vaciados, se descuartizan y se ponen á cocer con la sal correspondiente y unas costillas de puerco; se fríen en manteca unos gitomates de los más colorados, dos cabezas de cebolla y un pedazo de pan, se tuesta ajonjolí y se muele en seco, se muelen los gitomates juntos con las cebollas y el pan por separado; se pone una cazuela en la lumbre con manteca, allí se desbarata el ajonjolí y se fríe el gitomate; así que está frito se le pone el caldo en que se cocieron los pollos y se sazona con pimienta menuda, clavo, canela, semillas de culantro tostadas y un diente de ajo asado, todo molido, se echan los pollos y se deja hervir á que quede bastante consumido, adornándolo con chilitos y aceitunas en vinagre."
English Translation
"VERACRUZANO. Once the chickens have been plucked, singed, and cleaned, they are cut up and placed to cook with the appropriate amount of salt and some pork ribs. In lard, fry some of the reddest tomatoes, two heads of onion, and a piece of bread; toast some sesame seeds and grind them dry, then grind the tomatoes together with the onions and bread separately. Put a clay pot on the fire with lard, crumble the sesame seeds there and fry the tomato; once fried, add the broth in which the chickens cooked and season with ground pepper, cloves, cinnamon, toasted coriander seeds, and a roasted garlic clove, all ground together. Add the chickens and let it simmer until it has boiled down considerably, garnishing with little chilis and olives in vinegar."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is written in the concise, process-oriented style common in late 19th-century Mexican cookery texts. Measurements are rarely exact, relying instead on practical household knowledge—'sal correspondiente' or 'unos gitomates'—meaning quantities could be adjusted to taste and availability. Spelling differences such as 'gitomates' (for jitomates, or red tomatoes) reveal regional colloquialisms and period orthography. The instructions assume familiarity with multi-step, sequential cooking—first boiling, then frying, toasting, and grinding—reflecting an oral tradition rather than precise, standardized measurements.
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
This recipe comes from 'La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 6', published in 1890 by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo in Mexico. The series was a handy, popular collection aimed at middle-class or aspiring households looking to diversify their culinary repertoire with practical, flavorful home cooking. At the turn of the 20th century, Mexican cookery saw greater print circulation and home cooks began to codify family traditions in small-format recipe booklets. The 'Veracruzano' dish blends native ingredients like tomatoes and sesame seeds with Iberian and Moorish influences (e.g., olives, cinnamon, and pork), a hallmark of the region’s cosmopolitan coastal cuisine.
Cooks in the 1890s used a clay or heavy iron cazuela (large shallow pot) over a wood or charcoal fire for simmering. Grinding tools included a metate (stone grinding slab) and mano for the sesame seeds and spices, and a hand-cranked or stone molino for softer ingredients like tomatoes and onions. Frying was done in a large, well-seasoned iron or clay skillet, with lard as the common fat. Roasting was achieved by open flame or directly on comal griddle. Serving vessels were typically earthenware bowls, keeping the dish warm and fragrant.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 20 mins
Servings
6
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 medium chickens (≈4.4 lb total), cut into serving pieces
- 14 oz pork ribs
- Salt, to taste
- 1 lb (18 oz) ripe red tomatoes
- 2 medium onions
- 1.5 oz crusty white bread
- 1.75 oz sesame seeds
- 4 tablespoons (2 fl oz) pork lard or vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick (2-inch piece)
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds (toasted; or 1 teaspoon dried coriander/cilantro as substitute)
- 2 large garlic cloves, roasted
- Pickled chilies (jalapeños or similar), for garnish
- Green olives in vinegar, for garnish
Instructions
- Start by preparing two medium chickens (about 4.4 lb total), plucking, cleaning, and cutting them into serving pieces.
- Place them in a large pot with 14 oz of pork ribs and the appropriate amount of salt, and cover with water.
- Simmer until the meats are tender, then reserve both the meats and their cooking broth.
- Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat 3 tablespoons (1.5 fl oz) of pork lard.
- Chop 1 lb (18 oz) of very ripe red tomatoes and slice 2 medium onions.
- Fry the tomatoes and onions together in the lard until soft.
- Add a thick slice (about 1.5 oz) of crusty bread and fry until golden.
- Toast 1.75 oz of sesame seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant but not burned.
- Blend the tomatoes, onions, and fried bread together to form a thick sauce.
- Separately, grind the toasted sesame seeds until powdery.
- Heat another tablespoon (0.5 fl oz) of lard in a large clay or heavy-based pot.
- Add the ground sesame seed and tomato-onion-bread mixture; fry together, stirring constantly.
- Pour in enough of the reserved chicken-pork broth to create a rich, slightly thick sauce.
- Season with ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, a 2-inch stick of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon toasted coriander seeds (optional substitute: dried coriander or cilantro), and 2 large garlic cloves, roasted and mashed.
- Mix well.
- Return the cooked chicken and pork to the pot with the sauce and simmer gently until the sauce is reduced and thickened to your liking (about 15-20 minutes), basting occasionally.
- Garnish with pickled chilies (such as jalapeños) and green olives before serving.
Estimated Calories
590 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes about 30 minutes to prepare the ingredients, and about 1 hour and 20 minutes to cook everything. The recipe serves 6 people, and each serving has about 590 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.
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