Recipe Manuscript

Chorizo De E Torres

Name: Chorizo De E Torres
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT0M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 kg pork leg meat, boneless; 3 cloves garlic; 40 g dried red chiles (such as guajillo or ancho), rehydrated and deseeded; 30 ml red wine vinegar; 5 g black peppercorns; 2 whole cloves; 4 g ground cumin; 3 g dried oregano; 2 m beef casings (natural sausage casings) (Substitute pork casings if beef not available); Salt (to taste, historically not always specified but essential today)

"Chorizo From E Torres"

1912

From the treasured pages of Libro de Recetas no 2

Written by Irazoqui, Susana de Sánchez

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Intermediate Dinner Lunch Snack Other

Original Recipe • 1912

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

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

Chorizo De E Torres

"La carne que se toma para el chorizo debe ser de la pierna porque es la mejor. se muele muy bien en el molino y se le pone ajo chile colorado remojado en vinagre. pimienta clavo. comino y oregano todo muy bien molido y al gusto. Se pone en las tripas y se amarran. las tripas de res son mejores."

English Translation

"The meat that is used for chorizo should be from the leg because it is the best. It is ground very well in a grinder and garlic, red chile soaked in vinegar, pepper, clove, cumin, and oregano are added, all very well ground and to taste. It is put into casings and tied. Beef casings are better."

Note on the Original Text

The original recipe uses concise instructions and omits specific measurements, trusting the cook's intuition and experience—common in handwritten manuscripts of the period. Word choices like 'chile colorado' mean 'red chile' (typically guajillo or another local variety), with mentions of 'tripas de res' specifying beef casings. Spelling and punctuation are informal, reflecting oral transmission and everyday writing practices. Ingredients are listed as they would be prepared, not in precise order, lending the recipe a conversational tone familiar to the home cook of 1912 Mexico.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Libro de Recetas no 2 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Libro de Recetas no 2 (1912)

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

Writer

Irazoqui, Susana de Sánchez

Era

1912

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A handwritten treasury of traditional home recipes from early 20th century Durango, Mexico, this volume weaves together intimate snapshots of family cookery during a period of vibrant culinary transformation.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This chorizo recipe comes from a 1912 Mexican manuscript, written by Susana de Sánchez Irazoqui and relatives in Durango. Recipes like this one reveal how home cooks navigated tradition and change, adapting ingredients and methods to a rapidly shifting world after the Mexican Revolution. The recipe exemplifies northern Mexico’s rural home cooking of the early 20th century, valuing pork leg for its quality and flavor, and making do with simple yet aromatic local spices. Handwritten by generations of women, these manuscripts were both practical guides and family heirlooms—preserving the flavors and techniques of their region for posterity during a transformative era in Mexican culinary history.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Traditionally, the pork leg would be minced using a hand-cranked meat grinder. Spices and garlic were pounded in a stone molcajete to a fine paste. Dried chiles were soaked and ground, likely by hand. The sausage stuffing was accomplished with a horn or wooden funnel to guide the mixture into beef intestines, which had been cleaned and soaked beforehand. Sausages were tied with twine and sometimes dried or lightly smoked over a hearth.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

0 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 lb pork leg meat, boneless
3 cloves garlic
1.41 oz dried red chiles (such as guajillo or ancho), rehydrated and deseeded
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
0.18 oz black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
0.14 oz ground cumin
0.11 oz dried oregano
6.5 ft beef casings (natural sausage casings) (Substitute pork casings if beef not available)
Salt (to taste, historically not always specified but essential today)

Instructions

To make Chorizo de E Torres in a modern kitchen, begin with 2.2 pounds of pork leg meat, as it's tender and flavorful—just as preferred in the past.
Grind the meat finely with a meat grinder or food processor.
Next, blend together 3 cloves of garlic, 1.41 ounces of dried red chile (such as guajillo, rehydrated and deseeded), 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 0.18 ounces black peppercorns, 2 whole cloves, 0.14 ounces ground cumin, and 0.11 ounces dried oregano until you have a fragrant, smooth paste.
Mix this spice blend thoroughly with the ground pork.
Prepare 6.5 feet of natural beef casing by rinsing and soaking it well.
Stuff the seasoned pork mixture into the casings and twist to form sausages, tying off every 5–6 inches.
Chill or hang to cure as desired.

Estimated Calories

300 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It usually takes about 30 minutes to prepare the ingredients and stuff the sausages. There is no cooking required unless you want to cook the chorizo before eating. This recipe makes about 8 servings, and each serving has about 300 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.