Chuckwagon Cookies

April 7/2018  Weather  Cold, cold, cold.  And Windy!!!  Some high pressure and low pressure is colliding in Hill Country today.  Only today.  Temperature might get to 52, and the low is 38.  Unbelievable; because today is American Chuckwagon Association Championship Cookoff Day in Fredericksburg. 

Rosey is checking out our wagon (winner from 2017)

"No" we did not ride the Harley.  Our dear friends saved us by inviting us to ride in their pickup.  Thankyou, Thankyou to Pam and Eric. 

1860's photo of Old West Chuckwagon

In 1996 at a chuck wagon competition in Amarillo, Texas, a small group of Old West enthusiasts and wagon masters talked about an association. The mission would be to preserve the heritage of the chuck wagon and its use in the short, but significant, era of the cattle drives.  Cattle drives were no small feat.  Texas Longhorn herds could range from 1 to 3000 cattle.   The cattle could only be run about 10 to 12 miles per day to avoid much weight loss.   A typical cattle drive from Texas to Kansas would be 3 months.   Interesting history about the Chuck wagons...The Goodnight-Loving cattle trail, co-founded by Col. Charles Goodnight, decided to gain interest in his trail drives through good cooking. Side note: An injured or dead cowboy could be easily replaced, a good trail cook could not be so easily replaced! 

The Twisted Sisters Wagon

It was critical that Chuck wagon supplies had to travel well and not spoil; yet provide sustenance to keep the cowboys healthy.  The wagon would have flour, sourdough, salt, brown sugar, beans, rice, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, dried apples and peaches, coffee and syrup.  Cookies were the men in charge of feeding 10 to 20 men who tended the cattle on the drives.  For days on end the cook would have to be inventive on how to make the same ingredients in different ways.  Fresh beef was the main meat, sometimes wild game and fish along the way and always bacon grease and sow belly.
The Fredericksburg Competition had 13 wagons.   We thought in the adverse weather conditions anything they could cook up today would be a miracle.   The cookies said the wind was the worst to deal with as it would heat up the cast iron too quick causing food to burn.  

the wind was killing the cook

oh oh, burning the biscuits

We watched the biscuits get burnt by a helping hand and the Cookie told us "You just can't get good help since the War".    What a camaraderie!!!  

looks like the old picture doesn't it?

cast iron dutch ovens,,, beans, biscuits, potatoes, cobbler

The wagons were all authentic and the supplies too.    The judging was per authenticity and then lunch was served up and judged too.   Each ticket gave you a meal at one of the wagons.  Our plate had biscuits, potatoes, chicken fried steak, beans, cream gravy, peach cobbler for dessert.  A hearty meal and great fun was had by all.  What an interesting venue, history comes to life in Fredericksburg, Texas.

serving up the peach cobbler

The Buckhorn Lake RV Resort Gang chowing down