Chuck Wagon Grub on the Cattle Drives

howdy folks and greetings from the Great Plains of North Texas!

My series on the Cattle Drives of the Old West in the 1800s continues
today with the most important asset of the operation which was the
food!

The Chuck Wagon cook, usually nick named "Cookie" had a very tough
job but was paid the 2nd most in wages behind the Trail Boss. Cookie
usually made about $45 a month compared to the Drovers who made
about $30 per month, but it was a demanding job to be sure!

texashistory.net

Cookies got up in the morning at about 3 AM to start the coffee brewing
and get other items ready. The coffee was the main thing though, the
cowboys LOVED their coffee. Called it Six Shooter Coffee because it was
so strong it was said that you could float a six shooter on top of it!

And man was it strong! The typical recipe for brewing coffee called for
a handful of ground coffee for each cup of water! I don't know how they
drank the stuff, and they drank it black.

well, sometimes a new hire or Plankton, in Steemit terms, would need
milk, cream or sugar added and then of course he would be mercilessly
teased by the more seasoned cowboys for it, so that probably didn't last
long.

Almost sounds like an initiation don't it? "here if you can drink this
stuff black..you can ride with us!" lol.
The typical breakfast was bacon, beans, biscuits and coffee every mornin.

texashistory.net

There was no refrigeration of course but as the cattle drives became
commonplace and more connections were made with farmers and
ranchers along the trails they were able to purchase produce, eggs
and such between Cowtowns.

The Chuck wagon had a barrel for water but from the photos I've
seen, I think it only held about 30 gallons or 2 days worth of water.

texashistory.net

It's interesting that they still have Chuck wagon cooks and Chuck
wagon cooking competitions here in Texas, it's some good grub!

above 2 photos from chroniclesoftheoldwest.org

I'm listing a few of the favorite recipes taken from articles published in news-
papers from the 1800s. I think some of ya'll will surely want to try and make
a few of these! Let me know how it goes if you do!

CALF'S HEAD SOUP

Scald and clean the head, and boil in two gallons water with:

A shank of veal
2 carrots
3 onions
A small piece of bacon
A bunch of sweet herbs

When boiled a half hour, cut meat off head and shank.
Let the soup boil half an hour longer, and then strain it.

Put meat back in the soup and season. Thicken with butter and brown flour.

Let boil an hour longer. Just before serving add tablespoon of sugar browned in frying pan and a half pint wine. Good substitute for turtle soup.

COFFEE ROAST

Cut slits in a 3 to 5 pound brisket. Insert garlic and onion into the slits.
Pour one cup of vinegar over the meat, and work it into the slits.
Marinate for 24 to 48 hours – refrigerated, of course.

Place in a Dutch oven.
Pour 2 cups of strong coffee and 2 cups water over the meat.
Simmer for 4 to 6 hours.
If necessary, add water during the cooking.

SLAPJACK

Take flour, little sugar and water,
mix with or without a little yeast, the latter better if at hand,
mix into paste and fry the same as fritters in clean fat.

VINEGAR LEMONADE

Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into a 12 ounce glass of water.
Stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar to taste.

Note: The pioneers used vinegar for numerous reasons.
One reason was to add vitamin C to their diet.

HOE CAKE

2 cups corn meal
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tbs shortening

Combine corn meal, salt, baking powder.
Add melted shortening and stir in water to make a soft dough.
Form into small cakes ½ inch thick
and bake on hot greased griddle until brown.

PORK CAKE

Half a pound of salt pork chopped fine
two cups of molasses
half pound raisins chopped well
two eggs
two teaspoonfuls each:
clove, allspice and mace,
half a tablespoonful of saleratus or soda,
and flour enough to make a stiff batter.
The oven must not be too hot.

SPOTTED PUP

Take whatever amount needed
for hungry cowboys of fluffy, cooked rice.

Put in Dutch oven and cover with milk and well-beaten eggs.
Add a dash of salt.
Sweeten well with sugar.

Add raisins and a little nutmeg and vanilla.
Bake in slow oven until egg mixture is done and raisins are soft.

SWEET POTATO PIE

Boil sweet potatoes until well done.
Peel and slice them very thin.

Line a deep pie pan with good plain pastry,
and arrange the sliced potatoes in layers,
dotting with butter
and sprinkling sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg over each layer,
using at least ½ cup sugar.

Pour over 3 tablespoonfuls whiskey,
about ½ cup water,
cover with pastry and bake.
Serve warm.

SPICED CORN BEEF

To 10 pounds of beef...
take 2 cups salt
2 cups molasses
2 tablespoonfuls saltpeter
1 tablespoonful ground pepper
1 tablespoonful cloves

Rub well into the beef.
Turn every day, and rub the mixture in.
Will be ready for use in 10 days.

BOILED CRACKER PUDDING

Split four soft crackers,
pour a pint of boiling milk over them,
and add immediately a cup of suet well chopped.

When cool, add five eggs well beaten,
a little mace,
and as many raisins as you like.

Boil or steam three hours, and eat with sauce.

ONE SHOT POT

Early in the morning cut up stew meat
in small pieces (beef or venison),
onions, garlic, celery (celery salt will do fine).

Cook until tender which will take about two hours.

Then add a can of tomatoes, 1 can of corn,
1 can of green beans and 1 can peas.

If no canned goods available you can add one cup macaroni,
1 cup rice and several diced potatoes.

VINEGAR PIE

There were two different kinds of vinegar pie, one without eggs cooked as a cobbler in a Dutch oven, and the one below which is a custard pie.

A most important concern for a cook on the trail was to have items, especially for dessert, that do not require perishable items, and can have substitute ingredients. When the cook wanted to make the pie below, and ran out of sugar, he would substitute molasses, honey or syrup.

½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons flour
3 egg yokes (Save the whites for a meringue.)
1 cup water

Line a pie pan with your favorite pie crust. Bake the crust about half done before placing the mixed ingredients into it.

Bake in a slow oven until the custard is done.
If you would like you can use the egg whites for a meringue, but it is not necessary.

SOURDOUGH BISCUITS

Sourdough biscuits were a delicacy whether on the trail or at the ranch. Once a cook got a good sourdough starter he cherished it like a baby. On the trail he would store it in a dark, cool place in his chuck wagon. Here is one cook's recipe for a sourdough starter.

2 cups of lukewarm potato water

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar

Make potato water by cutting up 2 medium-sized potatoes into cubes, and boil in cups of water until tender.

Remove the potatoes and measure out two cups of the remaining liquid. (The potatoes can be used for the evening meal.)

Mix the potato water, flour and sugar into a smooth paste.
Set the mixture in a warm place until it doubles its original size.

I hope you enjoyed this small sample of Old West history folks!
God bless you all!

-jonboy Texas
the gentleman redneck

ps- ya know, you might just be a redneck if:

your family tree has no branches!