Home on the Range with Cowboy Stew

Two-Bar Chuck Wagon (National Archives)

Every cowboy movie, it seemed, had a few rowdy saloon scenes, indicating there were a lot of stewed cowboys. But no doubt this recipe stems for their working days, not time spent drinking up their wages in the saloon.

   The ingredients would crowd up a saddle bag, so I assume the recipe traces to the days of long cattle drives and chuck wagons. Or quite possibly it is a modern fantasy version of cowboy fare. 

   For reasons that elude me, Cowboy Stew recipes usually call for ground beef, while Chuck Wagon Stew recipes mostly want cubed beef.

   There are myriad concoctions called Cowboy Stew, it is a popular recipe title. Ingredients of course vary. This recipe features ground beef and kidney beans, among other ingredients, and would probably delight any hungry cowpoke.

 
It comes from Hearth Warming Recipes published in 1985 by the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary of Prince Georges County, MD. Contributed by Mary Calhoun.

   I wrote seeking more information about the book and the Auxiliary but haven’t heard back. With two fire houses in operation, Kentland is reputed to be the busiest volunteer fire company in the US. So it may be awhile before someone gets around to answering cookbook questions.

   The auxiliary does not appear to maintain an on-line presence.

Cowboy Stew ingredients: 

6 slices of bacon

1 cup sliced onion

½ cup chopped green pepper

1 clove crushed garlic

1 ½ lb. ground beef

2 cans tomatoes (1 lb. 13 oz. ea.)

2 cups cubed potatoes

1t salt

¼ t pepper

1T chili powder

1 can whole kernel corn drained (12 oz)

1 can kidney beans drained

Preparation: Cook bacon until crisp, drain on paper towel, crumble and set aside. Saute onion, green pepper and garlic in bacon drippings. Add ground beef, cook until well browned, add tomatoes, salt, pepper and chili powder, cover, simmer 30 minutes, add vegies, simmer 15 minutes, sprinkle with bacon, serves nine.

   

Here is another recipe that seemed worthy of rescue, from the same book:

Pot Roast Over Noodles, from Hearth Warming Recipes, contributed by Billie Baker. Ingredients:

2 -2 ½ lbs beef chuck roast

1T cooking oil

2 med. carrots chopped

2 stalks celery sliced

2 cloves garlic minced

1T quick cooking tapioca

1 (14 ½ oz) can Italian stewed tomatoes

1 6 oz can Italian tomato paste

1T brown sugar

½ t salt

½ t pepper

1 bay leaf

1 (8 oz) package cooked wide noodles

Prep: In a large skillet, brown roast in hot oil, transfer to pot. In a small bowl combine next 11 ingredients, pour over meat. Cover and cook 5-6 hours (this recipe calls for a crock pot, it seems Dutch oven timing is about equal but you need to check liquid and turn roast once) cut up the meat, serve over noodles.