The Cowboy Chronicle
Archives April 2010
ONE POT CHUCK
Cooking Up Some Tasty Grub Like Cookie Did on the Trail
By Whooper Crane
https://www.sassnet.com/Downloads/10eChron/10aprchron.pdfToday I was organizing my Cooking folder as it has been a single level catch all for way too long and I saw that this edition of The Cowboy Chronicles was in there.
I found this chili recipe in it and I thought I'll give it a try as the wife mentioned chili just the other day.
I'll probably leave out the beans though. And it needs way more chilies in it.
Really, what struck me was the Little Smokies and the cactus.
Maybe I'll just add those 2 ingredients to a more traditional chili.
I don't know about the cornbread recipe though. I'd stick with more traditional scratch cornbread recipe.
From page 32 of the magazine.
Big Nose Kate’s Arizona Chili
We made our Chili in a cast iron Combo Cooker from our good friends at Lodge Manufacturing Co. The Combo consists of a deep 10" skillet and its companion 10" lid (which just happens to be a 2" deep skillet as well). The photos show just how we accomplished the feat. But go ahead, make your cornbread in a sep- arate Dutch Oven (or in your kitchen oven) if you like.
We Won’t tell! Some of the ingredients in our recipe might not have been available to Cookie out on the Chisholm Trail, but we live here in the 21st Century and these items are right handy for us at our friendly, neighborhood Kroger or Safeway store.
Chili Ingredients
1 Lb. ground beef
1 Lb. ground sage-flavored pork sausage
20 Little Smokies sausages, quartered
1 Can diced tomatoes
1 Can pinto beans
2 Garlic cloves, ï¬nely chopped
1 Can of beer (Mexican, preferably)
1 Packet of Tex-Mex Chili seasoning mix (more if you like it hot)
1 Large onion, coarsely chopped
1 Green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 Cup of bottled tender cactus pieces
1 Tbs. Liquid Smoke
1/2 Cup mesquite-flavored barbecue sauce
2 Tbs. instant coffee crystals
2 Tbs. yellow mustard
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 Cup ground up Fritos (thickener, if needed)
1 Large onion, ï¬nely chopped
2 Cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
Fire up a nice pile of charcoal bri- quettes (24)
When going well put your Dutch Oven on the coals and immediately add your ground beef and ground sausage.
As the meat browns, break it up into bite-sized chunks.
Add your Little Smokies, tomatoes, beans, garlic, beer and packet of sea- soning mix and cook for 15 minutes.
Next, add your coarsely chopped onion and bell pepper and cactus pieces and cook for another 15 minutes, stirring as needed.
Next, add your liquid smoke, barbecue sauce, coffee crystals, mustard and cumin for flavor enhancement.
If you need to thicken your Chili, add some ground Fritos.
Stir everything up real well and give it another stir every 10 minutes.
Some folks like to cook their Chili for many hours. We recommend no more than 2 hours max from start to ï¬nish.
You’ll want to add some fresh coals after the ï¬rst hour.
Serve your Chili in big bowls, sprin- kling the shredded cheddar and ï¬ne- ly chopped onions on top.
Tell us if it ain’t the best you’ve ever made!
Kay’s Jiffy Cornbread
Bake this great spoonable corn- bread in a skillet or a 9"X13" pan for 45 minutes at 325 degrees.
Ingredients
1 Can cream-style corn
1 Can whole corn, drained
8 Oz. sour cream
2 Eggs
1/4 Lb. Butter or Margarine, melted
1 Box Jiffy Corn Mufï¬n mix
Directions
Mix all ingredients together.
Spoon batter into greased skillet or pan.
Now, We put the Combo Cooker’s 2" deep skillet (lid) on top of our Chili pot, put a 10" flanged Dutch Oven lid with 12 hot coals on top, and bake for the last 45 minutes the Chili is cook- ing. If you prefer, just pop it into a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. Spoon it onto a side plate and top with butter. Oooooh Dogggies!