Camping Recipes

CHUCK WAGONS OF THE WEST

EVER WONDER ABOUT THE HISTORY OF CHUCK WAGONS? Probably not, but I stumbled upon an article while looking for old campfire recipes and found it interesting. From what the article said, the first Chuck wagon was constructed by a rancher from Texas named Charles Goodnight in the year 1866. Not long after the Civil War, larger ranchers like Goodnight began organizing crews to round up the cattle that had escaped. The ranchers needed a more efficient way of feeding the men on the long cattle drives. The construction included: * A chuck box mounted on the back of the wagon. * A hinged door that folded down to serve as a work surface with drawers for utensils. * A second storage container, called the boot, used for the pots and pans. * A cowhide or canvas sling held wood and dried dung to fuel the cooking fires under the wagon. Goodnight's design became a cattle industry standard, and by the mid-1880s, chuck wagons were being built by both individual wagon wrights and big wagon-building companies. By the late 1880s railroads ended the need for cattle drives and chuck wagons because they moved the cattle by trains. MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND IS HERE! Many people all over the United States camp on Memorial Weekend and throughout the summer. and I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite camp fire recipes. If you camp, you have probably tried some of them. 1) EGG IN A HOLE Cut the middle out of whatever kind of bread you prefer place it on the grill or an iron skillet with a tab of butter in the middle add an egg after butter melts. cook the egg for as long as you prefer. note: some like syrup over the top. ALSO, if you cooked bacon to go with breakfast you could use bacon grease in place of butter. 2) CHILI Cook a pound of hamburger or your choice of meat in a large Iron Skillet. Saute onion, garlic, and peppers in with the meat. Open three cans of your choice of beans. open one can of diced tomatoes. open one can of enchilada sauce. Open one small can of tomato paste. Note: use whatever vegies you like in your chili. instead of can diced tomatoes use fresh. Add all cans to the meat and vegie mix. Add chili powder, salt and pepper to taste. My family eats the chili with corn totillas, sour cream, hot sauce and chives. 3) BEEF RIBS Rub the ribs with your favorite seasonings/tenderizers a day or even two ahead, or buy the ribs already seasoned at Costco. when preparing to cook wrap tightly in tin foil all the way around sides, bottom, and top. let the fire burn down to red hot coal- then place the ribs on thegrill or I use a iron flat grizzly man. let cook three or more hours under low heat. An hour before the ribs are ready wrap in tin foil potatoes and corn on the cob and place them within the coals to cook. I wish everyone of you a happy and safe Memorial Day and Weekend. Please, remember the men and women who fought bravely and paid the ultimate price for our Freedom.