Cowboy Beans

Ingredients:

2 cups dried red beans
2 cups dried pinto beans
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 tablespoons garlic, chopped
3 green chile peppers, grilled and diced
3 vine-ripened tomatoes, grilled, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
7 quarts water or vegetable stock
1 smoked ham hock
1 teaspoon toasted coriander seed
1 bay leaf
2 whole dried red chile peppers
Salt and pepper, to taste
Soak beans overnight in water to cover, changing water once; drain.

When cowboy beans are ready, saute onion, garlic, green chiles and tomatoes in oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add water or stock and ham hock; bring to a boil. Add beans, coriander seed, bay leaf and dried chiles. Continue to boil for 30 minutes, then lower heat, cover and simmer for three to four hours, until beans are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes 16 servings.

Fricasseed Racoon Recipe

1 Raccoon
1 onion, sliced into rings
1/2 C vinegar
1 1/2 C water
2-3 T lard or other fat
1 bay leaf
For the Fricasseed Racoon Recipe skin the raccoon, remove the musk glands and dress out the carcass. Soak in salt water overnight to draw out the blood. Baking soda can be added to the water to remove any gamey smell. Cut raccoon into serving pieces and dredge in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Brown in hot fat. Add remaining ingredients. cover and simmer 2 hours or until tender. Thicken the juice with flour and water mixture for gravy. Serve hot with cornbread.

The following recipe is for Dutch Oven Trout: As soon as possible after catching your trout, clean them and wipe the inside and outside of the trout with a cloth wet with vinegar water.  Don’t put the trout in the water.  Roll the trout in a mixture of flour, dry powdered milk, cornmeal, salt and pepper.  Heat deep fat in a Dutch oven and fry until crisp and golden brown.       

*Courtesy of Chronicle of the Old West newspaper.

To make Southern Fried Apples:

Fry 4 slices of bacon in a Dutch oven.  Remove bacon.

Peel and slice 6 to 8 Granny Smith apples.

Put apples in Dutch over with bacon grease, cover and cook down the apples, but not to mush.

Serve topped with butter or cream and crumbled bacon.  They’re great for breakfast or desert.

COWBOY CORN MUFFIN FOR BREAKFAST

Farmer’s Almanac 1885

Pour one quart of boiling milk over one pint of fine cornmeal.  While the mixture is still hot, add one tablespoonful of butter and a little salt, stirring the batter thoroughly.  Let is stand until cool, then add a small cup of wheat flour and two well-beaten eggs.  When mixed sufficiently, but the batter into well-greased shallow tins (or, better yet, into gem pans) and bake in a brisk over for one-half hour, or until richly browned.  Serve hot.

*Courtesy of Chronicle of the Old West newspaper, for more click HERE.