Because it was difficult to keep eggs fresh without refrigeration, cowboy pickled eggs were a delicacy while on the trail.  Once a cowboy got into town, he was able to get pickled eggs at his favorite tavern to add a little solid food to offset the beer and whiskey.

            1-cup tarragon vinegar.                              ½ tsp celery seed.

            1-cup water.                                                  1 clove garlic, minced.

            2 Tbs sugar.                                                  2 bay leaves.

            ½ tsp salt.                                                      12 shelled hard-boiled eggs.

Combine all ingredients in saucepan, except eggs.  Simmer 30 minutes.  Remove bay leaf.  Cool.  Pour over eggs in a crock or jar.  Cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 days before eating.

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

With the holidays just around the corner we wanted to come up with something festive.  So, here’s an “old timer’s” recipe for mincemeat pie.

Boil the neck meat of a cow, deer or elk until tender.  Grind the meat.  Cook with a cup of vinegar for about three hours.  Add cooked apples, raisins, some allspice, cinnamon, cloves, molasses and black pepper.  Heat thoroughly all ingredients.  If you want a little kick, add some brandy or whiskey.

The ingredients can be stored in a covered bowl in a cool place until you are ready to use them.  Just before placing the mincemeat in a pie crust you can add some freshly diced apples.

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

Below is a candy recipe from the October 23, 1893 Albuquerque Evening Citizen.

Chocolate Cowboy Caramels – boil together a pound of white sugar, a quarter of a pound of chocolate, four tablespoons of molasses, a cup of sweet milk, and apiece of butter as big as a walnut. When it will harden in water, flavor with vanilla and pour on a buttered slab. When nearly cold, cut in squares.

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

 This is a recipe for  simple cowboy chicken (when they had them) or any other game bird, used often by the frontier settlers.  Start with 3 to 4 pounds of foul.                                                                      

                                     ¼ tsp sage                                       ¼ tsp pepper

                                    ½ tsp salt                                           ¼ tsp allspice

                                    ¼ tsp basil                                         ¼ tsp coriander

    Wash the bird or birds, and pat dry.  Sprinkle cavity with mixed seasoning, except basil.  Place in Dutch oven and sprinkle with basil.  Cover and bake for 4 to 6 hours until tender.

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

Here is an updated version of an old cowboy dessert Lazy Cobbler, sometimes called dump cake.
Use a 12” Dutch oven. (Serves 12.)

Prepare 15 charcoal briquettes for the bottom and 10 for the top.
2 cans sliced peaches with syrup. (You can also use pineapple.)
1 package of white or yellow cake mix.
1/3 stick of butter.
Ground cinnamon.

Place oven over hot bottom briquettes. Pour contents of peach cans into oven. Spread dry cake mix evenly over peaches. Sprinkle on cinnamon. Cut butter into thin slices and place on top. Put lid on top of oven, add hot briquettes and bake for about 45 minutes or until done.

If you would like to mix the peaches into the cake, do so when the cobbler is about half done, and continue baking until done.

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