Recipe Manuscript

Guisado De Chorizon

Name: Guisado De Chorizon
Prep time: PTPT15M
Cook time: PTPT1H
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (approx. 1.5 kg), cut into quarters; 3 tbsp neutral oil (sunflower or canola); 200 g fresh Mexican chorizo sausage (or Spanish chorizo, finely crumbled, if unavailable); 1 garlic clove; 3-4 medium tomatoes (approx. 400 g), roasted; 30 g raisins; 1 large onion (approx. 150 g), quartered; 500 ml water (add more if needed); 1/2 tsp ground black pepper; 2-3 whole cloves; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 bay leaf; 50 ml dry white wine; Green olives for garnish; Pickled chilies (jalapeños in escabeche) for garnish; 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced, for garnish

"Chorizo 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 Lunch Dinner

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 Chorizon

"Se frie en aceite los cuartos de gallina en crudo se frie el chorizon desbaratado y un diente de ajo dorado. Se frie tambien y se muele con el jitomate asado y pasas, y se echa a freir el chorizon y la cebolla en cuartos hasta que este trasparente no dorada porque da mal sabor y se le echa la agua suficiente para que se sazone se le echa pimienta y clavo, tomillo, oregano y laurel, ha de quedar con caldito espeso y se le echa vino ya que se va a bajar y se adorna el platon con aceitunas y chiles en vinagre y rueditas de huevo cosido."

English Translation

"Chorizo Stew: The chicken quarters are fried raw in oil, then the crumbled chorizo and a golden clove of garlic are fried. These are also fried and ground with roasted tomato and raisins, and this mixture is poured to fry together with the chorizo and quartered onion until it turns transparent (not browned, as that gives a bad flavor). Enough water is added for seasoning, along with pepper, clove, thyme, oregano, and bay leaf; it should have a thick broth. Wine is added just as it is about to be removed from heat, and the dish is garnished with olives, pickled chiles, and slices of hard-boiled egg."

Note on the Original Text

Recipes of this period were typically written in a continuous, narrative style with few measurements, assuming the cook’s familiarity with household practices. Ingredients like 'gallina' (hen) and 'chorizon' (an older spelling of 'chorizo') are spelled phonetically and reflect the regional idiom of the time. The directions flow in a sequence dictated by culinary logic rather than strict order, echoing an oral tradition where knowledge was preserved through demonstration and repetition rather than formal instruction. The lack of precise times and temperatures is typical, as cooks used visual and sensory cues—'onion transparent, not browned,' for example—to guide each step.

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, 'Guisado de chorizon,' is drawn from a handwritten Mexican cooking notebook dated to 1900, a period marked by both culinary innovation and the preservation of rich traditions in Mexican kitchens. The notebook features a diverse range of recipes, representing a blend of Spanish colonial influences and indigenous Mexican ingredients and methods. Guisados (braised or stewed dishes) were central to home cooking, providing hearty, communal meals. The inclusion of chorizo, raisins, and aromatic spices reflects the era’s penchant for sweet and savory combinations, with European touches such as wine and olives gracing festive dishes. Recipes like this were often shared among women and passed down through generations, with little focus on precise measurements, trusting the cook’s experience and intuition.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Back in the early 1900s, this dish would have been prepared on a wood or charcoal-fired stove using heavy clay or cast-iron cazuelas and frying pans. Chickens were likely butchered fresh at home, and ingredients roasted directly over the flame or on a comal. Grinding would be done with a stone metate or a heavy mortar and pestle (molcajete), giving the sauce a rustic texture. Simple metal or wooden spoons and ladles were used to stir and serve the guisado, and garnishes were arranged with care on hand-painted ceramic platters—a nod to both practicality and aesthetic presentation.

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 whole chicken (approx. 3 1/3 lbs), cut into quarters
3 tbsp neutral oil (sunflower or canola)
7 oz fresh Mexican chorizo sausage (or Spanish chorizo, finely crumbled, if unavailable)
1 garlic clove
3-4 medium tomatoes (approx. 14 oz), roasted
1 oz raisins
1 large onion (approx. 5 1/3 oz), quartered
2 cups water (add more if needed)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2-3 whole cloves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
3 tbsp dry white wine
Green olives for garnish
Pickled chilies (jalapeños in escabeche) for garnish
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced, for garnish

Instructions

Start by cutting a whole chicken into quarters (about 3 1/3 lbs) and frying the pieces in 3 tablespoons of neutral oil until lightly browned.
Remove and in the same oil, fry 7 oz of fresh Mexican-style chorizo sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, and add one whole garlic clove until golden.
Take out the garlic and grind it with 3-4 roasted tomatoes (approx.
14 oz) and 1 oz of raisins to make a thick paste.
Return the chorizo to the pan with 1 large onion, quartered (about 5 1/3 oz), and fry just until the onion is translucent, not browned.
Add the tomato-raisin mixture and enough water (about 2 cups) to cover the ingredients.
Season with 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 2-3 whole cloves, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1 bay leaf.
Simmer until the chicken is tender and the sauce is thickened.
Add 3 tablespoons of dry white wine just before finishing, letting it bubble for a minute.
To serve, arrange the chicken in a shallow serving platter, spoon the chorizo sauce over, and garnish with green olives, pickled chilies (such as jalapeños in escabeche), and slices of hard-boiled egg.

Estimated Calories

525 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will need about 15 minutes to prepare all your ingredients and workspace. Cooking the chicken, sausage, and sauce takes about 1 hour. Each serving has about 525 calories. This recipe makes 6 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.