FOOD NEWS
We Have Cowboys To Thank For Chuckwagon Stew
by MARIA SCINTO
A predecessor to food trucks, the chuckwagon was created by Charles Goodnight and served as the mobile cafeteria for cattle drivers.
The chuckwagon offered cowboys coffee, sourdough bread, and improvised main dishes using wagon-stable goods like canned vegetables, potatoes, onions, dried meat, and beans.
Cowboys, paid to deliver live cattle to ensure they didn’t dip into their stock, used dried meat, bacon, onions, chiles, and legumes for flavor and bulk.
Modern recipes for chuckwagon stews use stew meat, ground beef, sausage, and other ingredients that couldn’t stay fresh at room temperature for weeks or months on the trail.