Who's Hungry??

Photo Courtesy:  Hansen Wheel & Wagon, Restorer  

[This beautifully painstakingly restored chuck wagon featured above illustrates the unique craftsmanship and museum-like quality of Hansen Wheel & Wagon.  Please click HERE to meet the team involved, and visit their Facebook page to see what they're up to in the shop.]

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The glorious chuck wagon . . . carrier of food and cooking equipment on the prairies of the United States and Canada back in the day.  Thank you, Charles Goodnight, the Texas rancher who brought about the chuck wagon in 1866.  He and his partner, Oliver Loving, established the Goodnight-Loving Trail which originally introduced the New Mexico and Colorado growing markets to Texas Longhorns in 1867, and later drove the cattle on into Wyoming.


Goodnight modified a Studebaker wagon, a army-surplus wagon, and added a "chuck box" ("chuck" slang for food -- not a Charles Goodnight reference) to the back.  This wagon was his favorite due to its sturdy iron axles. This box stored all the cooking supplies, preserved ingredients, for example, beans, coffee, salted meats, dried fruit, sourdough, etc., and the travelers' personalty. There was a barrel large enough to carry a two-day supply of water for at least 10 men strapped to its side. (Photo: Charles Goodnight, circa 1880. Photo by Billy Hathor/Public Domain)

There were many cubbyholes built in to contain smaller items securely while underway.  Interestingly enough, "cubbyhole" comes from the term "cub" which is a stall, pen, or cattle shed (as referred to in the early 1800's).  It also could relate to the earlier term "cuddy" which is a small room, cupboard (as referred to in the 1700's) or a small cabin in a boat (as referred to in the 1600's).  We find the cattle term of "cub" an interesting spin on the word, especially with these wagons first being used in cattle drives.

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The chuck wagon's drawers and cubbyholes held items such as salt, lard, baking soda, vinegar, tobaccos, matches and molasses. The larger cubbyholes were home for the skillets, dutch ovens, pot hooks and the much needed (and carefully guarded) coffee pot.  There were items kept for emergencies, such as castor oil, calomel (white powder fungicide), bandages, needle & thread, a razor and a strop (which was used to sharpen the razor), and a little whiskey for those serious injuries.

The "cookie" was second in command to the trail boss, who served as cook, barber, dentist and banker on cattle drives.  He guarded the medicinal whiskey very carefully, and often took a sip or two just to make sure it was still good.  When cookie was done for the day, before hitting the sack he would place the position of the tongue of the chuck wagon facing north.  When the trail boss started in the morning, he would look at the tongue and know what direction he would be moving the herd.

"The Camp Wagon on a Texas Roundup" (1900)

In modern times, the chuck wagon is raced or is the star of chuck wagon cook-offs where each wagon is judged on its authenticity and driving ability.  It's equipment and construction must be limited to the late 1800's.  The cooks are also judged on their attire.

Photo:  Courtesy of Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium
Ruidoso, New Mexico

Typically, a cook-off consists of five food groups:  Meat (usually chicken-fried steak), Beans (usually pinto), Bread (usually sourdough or yeast), Potatoes and, of course, Dessert (usually peach cobbler).

Chuckwagon Etiquette

~ Courtesy of Legends of America

No one eats before "cookie" calls for you.

When called - everyone comes running.

Hungry cowboys wait for no one.  

Fill your plate and your belly and move on so stragglers can fill their plates.

Eat first ~ Talk later.

Eat with fingers ~ The food's clean.

If you're up for refills on coffee and you hear, "man at the pot," you get to serve refills.

You don't take the last serving unless you're sure you're the last man.

Food left on the plate is an all out insult to the cook.

No running or saddling your horse near the wagon.

When you ride off, do it down wind from the wagon.

If you see decent firewood, bring it back to the wagon; and lastly,

Strangers are always welcome.

For you "Foodies" . . . 

Here's Renowned Chef, Bobby Flay, and Kent Rollins of Red River Ranch Chuck Wagon Catering & Cowboy Entertainment in a "Chuck Wagon Throw Down" of Some Chicken-Fried Steak

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Who's Hungry Now?

(Recipes Found in the Biscuits Above!)