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PrintCooking with the Bar E Ranch
If you don’t want to roll out the wagon, you can still make these dishes in the comfort of your own kitchen
When Tom and Cheryle Elliott hit the road with their Bar E Ranch Chuck Wagon, people always request their recipes. So they decided to put them together in a cookbook so others could enjoy their food at home. As Tom points out, just about anything you cook in your stove can be cooked in a Dutch oven over the coals. Which means that even if you don’t want to roll out the wagon, you can still make these dishes in the comfort of your own kitchen. Go to www.cowboycooking.com to order a copy of the Bar E Ranch Chuckwagon Cookbook.
Cowboy Pork Stew
1 ½ lbs. pork, cut in small cubes
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 T. vegetable oil
1 large white onion, sliced
4 cloves fresh garlic, pressed
Water
2 bay leaves
2 T. chile powder
½ tsp. Mexican oregano
¼ tsp. cumin
2 T. chopped chipotle chiles in adobo
EnlargeIn large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add pork, turning until brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from pan. Add onions and garlic, stirring until soft, about 4 minutes. Add bay leaves, chili powder, oregano and cumin. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Return meat to pan and add enough water to cover. Bring to boil, lower heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.
Brown Stew
2 lbs. boneless chuck roast or steak, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 T. vegetable oil
1 qt. water
2 C. sorghum syrup or molasses
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
6 medium carrots, scraped and sliced
4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 ½ T. cornstarch
1 ½ T. water
A little steak seasoning or seasoned salt, to taste
Brown meat in hot oil in large Dutch oven. Stir in 1 quart water, sorghum syrup, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic, bay leaves and seasonings. Cover, reduce heat and simmer about 2 hours. Add carrots and potatoes. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Combine cornstartch and 1 ½ tablespoons cold water, stirring until smooth. Gradually add to stew, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Very good served over rice…with hot corn bread.
Poblano and Cheese Enchiladas
4 roasted and peeled poblanos (leave seeds in if you want heat)
2 ½ C. mozzarella cheese
16 oz. Cotija cheese
12 oz. Monterey Jack cheese
3 cans green chile enchilada sauce
1 onion, diced
2 T. vegetable oil
2 to 4 corn tortillas
4 C. cooked chicken breast, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dice poblanos and place in bowl with cheeses; stir to combine. Heat oil in skillet and quickly dip tortillas in oil and place on flat work surface. Sprinkle cheese and chicken mixture on top and roll up. Place seam down in baking dish. When dish is full, pour enchilada sauce over it, cover and place in oven for 20 minutes. When done, top with Mexican sour cream.
• See the December 2010 issue of C&I for more on the history of the chuck wagon.
