Recipe Manuscript

Guisado De Aceituna

Name: Guisado De Aceituna
Prep time: PTPT15M
Cook time: PTPT1H
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 400 g veal (substitute: young beef or turkey breast if needed), sliced; 2 + 1 tbsp lard (substitute: unsalted butter or olive oil); 1 garlic clove, peeled; 500 ml water; 100 g green olives (pitted and sliced, traditional Spanish or Manzanilla preferred); 30 g day-old bread (or baguette), cubed; 2 medium tomatoes (about 200 g total); 1/8 tsp ground clove; 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon; 50 g cooked ham, finely diced; Salt to taste

"Olive Stew"

1900

From the treasured pages of Mexican Cooking Notebook of Traditional and Original Mexican Recipes

Unknown Author

Age of Gastronomy (1800 - 1900)American Intermediate Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1900

Original Manuscript(circa Age of Gastronomy, 1800 - 1900)

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

Guisado De Aceituna

"Se pone la olla con manteca se echan alli rebanadas de ternero se le echa un diente de ajo, luego se le echa agua á que se cueza se rebanan las aceitunas se frien un poco con un pedazo de pan se muelen y unos jitomates asados tambien molidos se pone una cazuela con manteca y se frie alli lo que se molió y se echa alli el caldo con la carne de especias clavo y canela y se sirve, y se le echa su jamon."

English Translation

"Olive Stew. Place a pot with lard and add slices of veal. Add a clove of garlic, then add water so it cooks. Slice the olives, fry them a bit with a piece of bread, then grind them together with some roasted tomatoes, also ground. In a pan with lard, fry what you ground and then add the broth with the meat, some spices, cloves, and cinnamon. Serve, and add some ham."

Note on the Original Text

Recipes of this era were written as memory aids for the practiced cook, not as detailed manuals—instructions are mostly implied, ingredient amounts are vague, and cook times are unstated. Spelling follows older Spanish conventions; 'jitomates' is the Mexican word for red tomatoes. The phrase 'se sirve, y se le echa su jamon' suggests that ham is sprinkled over at serving. Modern cooks may substitute exact amounts and chosen fats/oils, but the spirit of layering flavors remains.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Mexican Cooking Notebook of Traditional and Original Mexican Recipes - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Mexican Cooking Notebook of Traditional and Original Mexican Recipes (1900)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1900

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful journey through the flavors of Mexico, this notebook brims with both traditional and original recipes—from sopa de chile to sangria—inviting you to savor the vibrant tastes and inventive spirit of Mexican home cooking at the turn of the century.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from a Mexican cooking notebook compiled around 1900—a time when Mexican cuisine was deeply shaped by Spanish colonial influences and local traditions. Dishes such as 'guisado de aceituna' show the blending of Iberian ingredients (olives, ham) with more indigenous produce (like tomatoes). Handwritten cookbooks like this were often passed through families and communities, offering a glimpse into the home kitchens of Mexico at the dawn of the 20th century. The inclusion of veal, olives, and ham suggests this was a festive or special-occasion dish enjoyed by households with access to imported or luxury ingredients.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

A clay or cast-iron pot (olla) for simmering the meat and broth was traditional. Frying was done in earthenware or heavy metal saucepans (cazuelas) over a wood or charcoal fire. Grinding the olives, fried bread, and roasted tomatoes would have been done with a stone metate, a mortar and pestle (molcajete), or in some households, a hand-grinder. Roasting tomatoes was likely done directly over open flame on a comal or grill.

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

14 oz veal (substitute: young beef or turkey breast if needed), sliced
2 + 1 tbsp lard (substitute: unsalted butter or olive oil)
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 cups water
3.5 oz green olives (pitted and sliced, traditional Spanish or Manzanilla preferred)
1 oz day-old bread (or baguette), cubed
2 medium tomatoes (about 7 oz total)
1/8 tsp ground clove
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1.75 oz cooked ham, finely diced
Salt to taste

Instructions

Start by heating 2 tablespoons of lard or unsalted butter in a large pot over medium heat.
Add about 14 ounces of veal (sliced into steaks or thick strips).
Add 1 peeled garlic clove.
Pour in enough water (about 2 cups) to cover the meat, bring to a boil, then simmer gently until the veal is cooked and tender – about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice 3.5 ounces of green olives and lightly fry them in a small pan with 1 ounce of cubed day-old bread in a tablespoon of lard or olive oil until golden.
Roast 2 medium tomatoes over an open flame or under a broiler, then peel and crush.
Grind together the fried olives, bread, and the roasted tomatoes (using a food processor or mortar & pestle) into a rough paste.
Heat another tablespoon of lard or olive oil in a saucepan and fry the olive-tomato-bread paste for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Pour in the veal, its broth, and the cooked garlic.
Add a pinch (about 1/8 teaspoon each) of ground clove and cinnamon (or to taste).
Simmer 10 minutes.
Before serving, garnish with finely diced cooked ham (around 1.75 ounces) for savory richness.

Estimated Calories

420 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 15 minutes to prepare and organize the ingredients. Cooking the veal and simmering the sauce takes about 1 hour. Each serving has around 420 calories, and the 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.