Prairie Recipes

Chuck Wagon Recipes

The “Cookie” who prepared meals for a cattle drive or round-up was someone every cowboy on the trail valued. They made it a point to help him out whenever it was possible. If he was a good cook, one wanted him for a friend. The following is a bean soup which might have been served on Lindsay’s round-up.

Chuck Wagon Bean Soup

2 cups navy beans                                        chopped celery to taste
¼ pound salt pork, washed                          chopped carrots to taste
2 mediums onions, chopped                         chopped green peppers to taste
1 pound can of tomatoes                              canned milk

Soak beans in water overnight. Parboil beans and salt pork in water to cover until bean skins crack. Add onions, tomatoes, celery, carrots and green peppers; cook until vegetables are tender. Add enough milk to make desired amount of soup just before serving. Any left-over canned or dried vegetables may be used.

Another variation of beans might have been this recipe with ham.

Southern Hambone Soup

1 meaty hambone                                         1 small head cabbage, shredded
¼ teaspoon pepper                                       1 quart fresh or canned tomatoes
3 onions, chopped                                        dash cayenne pepper
2 medium potatoes, cubed                            salt to taste

Place hambone, pepper and onions in kettle with three quarts of water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook for about three hours or until meat falls off the bone. Add potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, cayenne pepper and salt; simmer for one hour longer. Skim off excess fat before serving. Yield: about 8 servings.

This recipe is one of my boys’ favorites. It has many ingredients, but is worth it.

Cowboy Beans

1 pound lean ground beef                                      1 teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped onion                                            1 teaspoon pepper
¼ cup ketchup                                                       2 tablespoons mustard
¼ cup granulated sugar                                         1 # can pork and beans, drained
¼ cup brown sugar                                                1 # can butter beans, drained
2 tablespoons molasses or sorghum                      1 # can kidney beans, drained
1 tablespoon chili powder                                     1 # can pinto beans, drained
¼ cup barbecue sauce                                            ½ # cooked, crumbled bacon

Cook ground beef until browned, breaking up and stirring as it cooks. Add onion and cook until tender; drain any excess grease. Add remaining ingredients, except bacon. Put in casserole or crockpot and top with bacon crumbs. Bake @ 350 degrees for an hour, or cook in covered slow cooker or crockpot on HIGH for one hour, then reduce heat to LOW and cook for 2 to 4 hours.