Recipe Manuscript

Salsa Borracha

Name: Salsa Borracha
Prep time: PTPT10M
Cook time: PTPT10M
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 5 dried ancho chiles (about 25 g), seeds and veins removed; 7 dried pasilla chiles (about 30 g), seeds and veins removed; 120 ml pulque (or substitute: young kombucha or mild beer); Juice of 1 bitter orange (or substitute: juice of 1 orange, about 40 ml); 30 ml neutral cooking oil (such as sunflower or light olive oil); Salt, to taste; Chile seeds reserved from above; Pickled chilies (such as 3-4 slices of pickled jalapeños); 6-8 green olives; 30 g aged Cotija cheese (or a similar crumbly, aged cheese)

"Drunken Salsa"

1913

From the treasured pages of La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 3

Written by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Beginner Other

Original Recipe • 1913

Original Manuscript(circa Early Modern Kitchen, 1900 - 1930)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Salsa Borracha

"Se desvenan chiles anchos y pasillas, más de los segundos que de los primeros. Se tuestan y se desbaratan con los dedos, echándoles pulque, estándo bien martajados se les agrega un poco de sumo de naranja agria o dulce si no hay de la primera, un poco de aceite de comer y la sal necesaria. Se adorna con las pepitas de los chiles, chilitos en vinagre, aceitunas y queso añejo."

English Translation

"The seeds are removed from the ancho and pasilla chiles, using more of the latter than the former. They are toasted and crumbled by hand, adding pulque to them. Once well crushed, a little sour orange juice is added, or sweet if sour is not available, along with a bit of cooking oil and the necessary amount of salt. It is garnished with the chiles’ seeds, pickled chilies, olives, and aged cheese."

Note on the Original Text

Recipes of this period favored brevity and assumed a level of kitchen experience. Quantities were rarely precise; instead, technique and ingredient ratios were conveyed by comparative phrases ('más de los segundos que de los primeros'), trusting the cook to adjust based on taste and availability. Spelling reflects pre-standardized Spanish of the time—note 'sumo' for 'zumo' (juice) and casual grammar. Ingredient specificity and clarity are shaped by regional cooking knowledge and what was accessible in early 1900s Mexico.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 3 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 3 (1913)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Antonio Vanegas Arroyo

Era

1913

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful volume from the iconic 'Cocina en el bolsillo' series, this 1913 cookbook serves up a charming array of recipes, inviting readers to explore classic and creative dishes—ready to fit in your pocket and spice up any kitchen adventure.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This vibrant salsa springs from the pages of 'La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 3', a well-loved Mexican culinary pamphlet published in 1913 by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo. These booklets were designed for the everyday cook, pocket-sized for convenience and packed with approachable recipes reflecting early 20th-century Mexico’s tastes and available ingredients. The recipe dances with the flavors of traditional pulque—a pre-Hispanic, lightly fermented agave beverage—and showcases the classic Mexican love of chiles, both for their taste and visual appeal. Toppings of chile seeds, pickled chilies, olives, and aged cheese reveal a flair for presentation and a merging of indigenous and European influences, characteristic of the Mexican kitchen during that era.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Back in 1913, the cook would have used a comal (a flat griddle) to toast the chiles over direct flame or hot coals, giving the dried pods a smoky depth. The chiles would then be crumbled and pounded in a traditional molcajete (volcanic stone mortar and pestle), a sturdy piece still beloved in Mexican homes today. The use of simple bowls and hand tools—spoons, fingers, and a hand-held juice extractor or manual press for oranges—would finish the preparation. No electricity required: just muscle, care, and vibrant, fresh ingredients.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 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

5 dried ancho chiles (about 0.9 oz), seeds and veins removed
7 dried pasilla chiles (about 1.1 oz), seeds and veins removed
1/2 cup (4 fl oz) pulque (or substitute: young kombucha or mild beer)
Juice of 1 bitter orange (or substitute: juice of 1 orange, about 1 1/3 fl oz)
2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil (such as sunflower or light olive oil, 1 fl oz)
Salt, to taste
Chile seeds reserved from above
Pickled chilies (such as 3-4 slices of pickled jalapeños)
6-8 green olives
1 oz aged Cotija cheese (or a similar crumbly, aged cheese)

Instructions

To recreate Salsa Borracha in the modern kitchen, begin by de-seeding and de-veining about 5 dried ancho chiles and 7 dried pasilla chiles (using more pasilla than ancho, as originally indicated).
Lightly toast the cleaned chiles in a dry skillet until aromatic but not burned.
Once cooled, crumble them by hand into a bowl.
Add approximately 1/2 cup (4 fl oz) of pulque—if unavailable, use a young, lightly fermented, unsweetened kombucha or a mild, fizzy beer as a substitute.
Pound or blend the mixture until a paste forms, then incorporate the juice of 1 bitter orange (or substitute with the juice of 1 regular orange if bitter oranges are not available, about 1 1/3 fl oz).
Add approximately 2 tablespoons (1 fl oz) of a neutral cooking oil.
Season with salt to taste.
Garnish with reserved chile seeds, a few pickled chili peppers (such as Mexican-style pickled jalapeños), several green olives, and crumbled aged cheese (like Cotija or a well-aged feta) before serving.

Estimated Calories

60 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will spend about 10 minutes getting your ingredients ready and about 10 more minutes for toasting and blending the salsa. The recipe makes enough salsa for 6 servings, with each serving containing around 60 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.