Juan Lerma, Corrida cook on the King Ranch in the 1930s or so would set up his day camp in the Roundup area several miles from the main camp; he would clear an area in the brasada and use the chopped brush as wind breaks, he parked his chuckwagon outside the clearing and set up a table made with 4 forked branches for legs, with support branches between the legs and topped with flat boards. Here he prepared his meals. A large supply of mesquite was burned into coals and several piles of coals were shoveled onto a flat sheet of tin; the bed nearest the fire was for a 4 gallon coffee pot (dipped, not poured), next stood the Spider Bean skillet (enough for 30 men twice a day), next was a skillet of red rice, and 4th was the bread skillet (pan de campo). Fresh beef was sliced and seasoned with salt and pepper and fried in grease or it might have been battered with flour and water or milk, then fried. Only lunch and evening meals were prepared - there was no time in the morning to prepare a meal so breakfast consisted of pan de campo from the day before and coffee.....from Frank Goodwyn, Life on the King Ranch published in 1951. Mr. Goodwyns time span on the KR was from 1911-1936. Photo courtesy Lavoyger Durham.....
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 20:11:16 +0000
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