Chuck wagon, Dutch oven, and Victorian recipes.

The recipe section is undergoing an extremely large update that includes 100's of recipes from Victorian era cookbooks.  Each of the sections, listed by food category, will include articles centered on the preparation of the food as well as the vintage utensils used in the food's preparation.  Links to the articles will be provided as this section is being written. 

For a great selection of antique Kitchenalia as well as a great number of Victorian recipes and articles visit and peruse our store Vintage Chef.

Thanks to Lee Henry and the Rockin' L-H  wagon, Big Red, for sharing this great poem.  It kind of sums up the whole chuckwagon thing.

Mornin' Business
By Lee Henry

Rattlin' of pans in the pre-dawn light
Signals the end of a cold bitter night.

Jawin' and gratin' of the coffee grinders song
Says get up cowboy it's near breakin' dawn.

A grouchy old figure with pot hook in hand
Reflects a lifetime of cookin' with his wrinkles and tan.

His breakfast from memory is simple to fix
It's salt pork, coffee, sour dough and lick.

His kitchen of canvas, chuckwagon and hames
Prances and dances in the flickering flames.

From inside the chuckbox the Cookie removes
A large sack of flour and a bottle of booze.

With his back to the bedrolls from the bottle he takes
A nip of "White Lightnin'" to ward off the snakes.

The tools of his trade, a bowl he has kept
Thru thunder and lightnin' and rustlers he 's met.

Washed in streams and scrubbed by the sands
His large wooden bowl he carved with his hands.

Blendin' the lard in the fixins' so neat
From the crock pours the sourdough, it's sour but sweet.

The biscuits are cut and the to the Dutch
Are crowded together by the masters touch.

The coals from the fire on the lid with a lip
Are hot as a Colt drawn from the hip.

The golden brown sourdoughs from his Dutch oven pan
Has filled the craw of many -a-man.

With his back to the cowboys ridin, over the crest
A nip he will take before attackin' the mess.

With bottle in hand, and the marks from a quirt
As he toasts, "Thanks Cookie" Cut in the dirt.

***********************

Cowboy Sausage and Sweet Taters

2 Lbs Sweet Taters
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. water
2 tbps. butter
1 tsp. salt
1 Lb. of your favorite sausage

Parboil the sweet potatoes for 15 minutes.  Peel and cut into strips. Place in greased oven.  Mix sugars, butter, salt, water and boil in a sauce pan.  Pour syrup over the potatoes and bake for around 40 minutes.  Place sausages on top and bake for and additional 30 minutes.

Lazy B Corn Fritters

1 1/4  cup flour
2 cups corn
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. paprika
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk

Stir dry ingredients together and add corn.  Then add the egg yolks beaten thick and fold in egg whites beaten stiff.  Fry in hot lard. 
Try to use a cold bowl to beat the egg whites if possible. 
   

Mock Apple Pie

This is one of those simple pioneer recipes that really gives a surprising result.  The old timers were good at making something out of nothing.

Break 12 soda crackers into a bowl and and add 1 cup of cold water, 1 cup sugar, juice of one lemon and a little nutmeg or cinnamon.  Pour into unbaked pie shell.  Dot with butter; cover with top with pie crust
and bake in a moderate oven for around 30 minutes or to a golden brown color.

New recipes will be added on a regular basis keep checking back and build your own cowboy cook book.

For more recipes and other history of the old west move on to books.

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Lone Hand
610 Gilbert Avenue South
Park Rapids, MN
56470

lonehandwestern@yahoo.com