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Come An’ Get It: The Story of the Old Cowboy Cook
Come an’ Get It was the most familiar and welcome call on the range era of the great trail drives following the Civil War. In this entertaining volume, Ramon F. Adams, author of the popular Western Words, tell the story of the old cowboy cooks, and the result is another highly original contribution to the folklore of the cattle country.
Although the cowboy cleared the Southwestern frontier of savage Indians and opened the land for settlement, the cook and his commissary contributed greatly to the success of the operation; for as an army depends upon its mess-kitchens, so the cowboys depended upon the chuck wagon. Without it, there would have been to trail drives to rescue Texas from bankruptcy following the Civil War, no roundups to speed the development of the cattle industry, and no beef for the heavily populated areas of the United States.
The author records the place and influence of the range cook upon Western life. He discusses the functions of “coosie,” the food he served, and his methods of preparing it-giving recipes for sourdough biscuits, fluff-duffs, son-of-a-bitch stew, and other distinctive dishes of the range. He describes, too, “the wagon,” its evolution, and its place in the hearts of the men who called it home.
Although there remain a few chuck wagons on the larger ranches today, they have become so scarce that one is rarely seen except in a museum or a rodeo parade, and the younger generation of cooks, like the cowboys themselves has been tamed.
Every cook was a “character,” perhaps with reason, for no man ever worked under greater difficulties or with fewer conveniences. Anecdotes and incidents which illuminate the idiosyncrasies of these “Sultans of the Skillets” are recounted with gusto.
Nick Eggenhofer’s drawings help Mr. Adams bring the cook and his accoutrement vividly to life.
Although the cowboy cleared the Southwestern frontier of savage Indians and opened the land for settlement, the cook and his commissary contributed greatly to the success of the operation; for as an army depends upon its mess-kitchens, so the cowboys depended upon the chuck wagon. Without it, there would have been to trail drives to rescue Texas from bankruptcy following the Civil War, no roundups to speed the development of the cattle industry, and no beef for the heavily populated areas of the United States.
The author records the place and influence of the range cook upon Western life. He discusses the functions of “coosie,” the food he served, and his methods of preparing it-giving recipes for sourdough biscuits, fluff-duffs, son-of-a-bitch stew, and other distinctive dishes of the range. He describes, too, “the wagon,” its evolution, and its place in the hearts of the men who called it home.
Although there remain a few chuck wagons on the larger ranches today, they have become so scarce that one is rarely seen except in a museum or a rodeo parade, and the younger generation of cooks, like the cowboys themselves has been tamed.
Every cook was a “character,” perhaps with reason, for no man ever worked under greater difficulties or with fewer conveniences. Anecdotes and incidents which illuminate the idiosyncrasies of these “Sultans of the Skillets” are recounted with gusto.
Nick Eggenhofer’s drawings help Mr. Adams bring the cook and his accoutrement vividly to life.
- GenresWesternsNonfiction
182 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 7, 2019
A great reference as to the role of the cook and chuckwagon on roundups and cattle drives. Lots of specific detail concerning what the cowboys ate and what was involved for the cook to produce such meals. Much of the information was presented through colorful anecdotes employing cowboy colloquialisms which made for a very entertaining read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
April 21, 2012
Ramon Adams has an encyclopedic knowledge of the social life of cowboys on the range. In this one of his many books, he describes the role of the chuck wagon cook on the cattle drives and roundups. Adams is a great collector of amusing stories and colorful cowboy slang. If he knows one word for something, he probably knows half a dozen.
The book provides a detailed description of the chuck wagon itself, how it's constructed and its contents organized, how it's cleaned and maintained, who has responsibilities for what. The chuck wagon was both the nerve center and social center of a trail outfit. Besides getting three meals a day, the cowboys also laid out their bedrolls nearby, and the wrangler's remuda of horses was close at hand. In many cases, the cowboys' bedrolls made the trip to the next night's camp in the back of the chuck wagon.
Of most interest to this reader was the actual fare, typically fried meat, beans cooked for many hours, and sourdough biscuits made in Dutch ovens, all washed down with strong coffee. Depending on the talent and disposition of the cook there were also treats and "sweets," such as pies made from dried apples. An outfit depended for morale and productivity on a cook who kept the men well fed and happy. This gave a well-liked cook a tremendous amount of leverage in the all-male hierarchy of tough cowboys. A man who complained about the chuck or didn't respect the cook's camp rules would soon be sorry.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and while I've read extensively about the cowboy West, it taught me a lot I didn't know, and in a very entertaining way. It belongs on anyone's "Lonesome Dove" bookshelf.
The book provides a detailed description of the chuck wagon itself, how it's constructed and its contents organized, how it's cleaned and maintained, who has responsibilities for what. The chuck wagon was both the nerve center and social center of a trail outfit. Besides getting three meals a day, the cowboys also laid out their bedrolls nearby, and the wrangler's remuda of horses was close at hand. In many cases, the cowboys' bedrolls made the trip to the next night's camp in the back of the chuck wagon.
Of most interest to this reader was the actual fare, typically fried meat, beans cooked for many hours, and sourdough biscuits made in Dutch ovens, all washed down with strong coffee. Depending on the talent and disposition of the cook there were also treats and "sweets," such as pies made from dried apples. An outfit depended for morale and productivity on a cook who kept the men well fed and happy. This gave a well-liked cook a tremendous amount of leverage in the all-male hierarchy of tough cowboys. A man who complained about the chuck or didn't respect the cook's camp rules would soon be sorry.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and while I've read extensively about the cowboy West, it taught me a lot I didn't know, and in a very entertaining way. It belongs on anyone's "Lonesome Dove" bookshelf.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews