What did cowboys eat

North America is often referred to as the melting pot of cultures. However, if we look at it from a culinary perspective, we could also call the United States, this vast nation, a giant cooking pot. In this enormous pot, each nationality has contributed its own ingredients, reflecting its unique flavor.

Today, let's focus on the food of the cowboys, who had to feed themselves in the challenging conditions of cattle herding, relying on the limited resources of their environment. So, let's see what these hardworking men had to eat!

First of all, everything they wanted to eat had to be carried with them during the cattle drive. That's why their staple foods included items like red beans, rice, and corn, which could last indefinitely. From these, they could easily prepare dishes such as bean soup or cornbread.

But this would be quite a meager diet for these physically demanding laborers. Let's take a look at what other ingredients were available to them.

You guessed it; beef was a significant part of their diet. To be precise, beef was their primary source of protein, and during cattle drives, a cowboy's daily ration of meat was estimated at around 1 to 1.5 kilograms. This was often served with sides like rice, potatoes, or pasta.

Did you know?

that a typical way of cooking meat was simply grilling it over an open flame? Cooking elaborate meals wasn't feasible when you're out on the range. So, they would take a good-sized slice of beef, slap it on the grill, and then it was a matter of personal taste and patience - whether you preferred your steak a bit rare or well-done!

Another typical cowboy dish was "chili beans," often enjoyed with pork. The popularity of this dish skyrocketed when H.J. Heinz introduced his Pork and Beans canned product in 1895. It saved a lot of cooking time and effort after a long day of herding cattle.

As autumn approached, and cowboys embarked on journeys to distant markets hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away, they had a "chuck wagon" accompanying the massive cattle herds. This chuck wagon was essentially a mobile kitchen carrying supplies for the 2-3 month cattle drives, including beans, flour, potatoes, canned goods, coffee, and fat, as well as cooking utensils, water barrels, and camp gear.

Did you know?
… that the cook, the head of the chuck wagon, had to be skilled not only in cooking but also in repairing horse gear and the wagon, sewing, laundry, barbering, and providing basic medical care for minor injuries?

In conclusion, to give you a more precise picture of the cowboy's diet, here's a potential daily menu:

Breakfast (after the memories of last night's whisky showdown and before heading out for the drive):

Reheated black COFFEE in a tin cup
(For those with a sweet tooth, sweetened with maple syrup)

Lunch (consumed on horseback):

Leftover FLAPJACK from last night
(1 cup of flour mixed with a pinch of baking powder and water to make a thick batter, flattened into a pancake shape, and fried in plenty of fat on both sides)
A large slice of chicken-fried steak
(This is similar to schnitzel: salted, then coated in flour and fried in plenty of oil)

Dinner (sitting by the campfire, bone-weary, and eating until bursting):

GAZFICKÓ STEW, the masterpiece of the chuck wagon's chef. To provide a more detailed picture, here's a vivid quote from a genuinely skilled cook:

"It's quite simple: I put everything into the pot that's green, spicy, and can be smashed with a hammer and a chisel. Then, I add every part of the animal except its hide, hooves, and horns."

In other words, it's like a beef stew but with all the edible parts of the animal included: heart, liver, kidneys, and even marrow. The side dishes are a matter of personal taste and what you have in your supplies.