Historic Texas Recipes

Europeans came to Texas in the early Sixteenth Century.  There was farming of such foods as corn, beans, and squash in the piney woods of East Texas, but it was only when the Spaniards started putting missions in Texas that European-style food began to be grown.  When Europeans began to settle in Texas, they were accustomed to eating many foods which were not native to the Americas.  They brought their foods, spices and metal pots and pans, along with livestock like cows, pigs, and chickens. They also introduced grains like wheat, to make flour and breads.  The Europeans also borrowed many new foods from the Texas Indians. These foods included corn, turkey, potatoes, yams, wild rice, many kinds of squash, watermelons, and many new kinds of beans.

The settlers had to grow most of everything they consumed. Nearly every family had a kitchen garden that provided corn, white potatoes and sweet potatoes. Oats were about the only small grain that did well in the Texas climate, although some rye was also raised. Wheat came later, and things like salt, coffee, sugar and wheat flour had to be imported.  Lacking any other method of preserving food, drying and salting were the techniques used.  Pork was salted, and beef was dried into jerky. Wild game supplemented the diet, mostly in the form of deer, turkey, squirrels, rabbits, raccoon, opossum and fowl.

Cornmeal Mush
(from 1830)
The prehistoric Texans soaked dried corn in lime water to make hominy, which was ground into masa, a type of corn flour.  The early European settlers in Texas also ate a lot of corn -- fresh corn in season, dried corn in the winter, and cornmeal the year round after milling was available.  Dried corn could be boiled and eaten that way, or it could be ground into meal and made into corn mush, corn cakes, or corn bread.  If they made a thick batter, with less water, they could fry it into Johnny cakes or bake it on a clean garden implement for hoe cakes.  For corn bread, they needed a leavening agent, like baking powder or baking soda and buttermilk, to make it rise.  Corn mush is simple food, but add some butter, sugar or honey and a little milk, and you have a delicious hot breakfast.

½  cup cornmeal
2 ¾ cups water
¾  tsp. salt

Sprinkle cornmeal into boiling water, stirring constantly. Add salt and cook for about half an hour.  Serve with sugar and cream.
 

Cornmeal Cake
(from 1830)
1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. salt
½ cup flour
3 tsp. vanilla
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup butter
8 eggs

Mix the sugar, butter and eggs. Mix the cornmeal and salt together, and combine with the sugar, butter and egg mixture. Add vanilla and cinnamon and mix well. Pour into a floured cake pan and bake at 350.
 

Jack Rabbit Stew
1 rabbit, cut into pieces
1 onion, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
1 tsp. whole pepper
2 bay leaves
12 whole cloves
1 tsp. parsley
¼ cup white wine vinegar
4 Tbsp. butter
2 cups beef broth or stock
2 Tbsp. flour

Place rabbit pieces in an earthen dish.  Add marinade ingredients-- onion, lemon, pepper, bay leaves, cloves, parsley, and salt.  Add wine vinegar, sufficient to cover pieces, and let stand in a cool place for twenty-four hours. When done marinating, place rabbit in a lined pot.  Add 2 Tbsp butter and beef broth.  Cover, put on the fire and let simmer till soft. Put in a saucepan 2 Tbsp butter, sprinkle in flour, and simmer until golden brown.  Then add this mixture, while stirring rabbit, and pour all into the pot; allow it to cook well done. Serve hot in deep dish together.
 

Fried Squirrel
(from 1818)
1 squirrel
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups seasoned flour
shortening
milk

Rinse skinned squirrel in cold water and pat dry. Dip in buttermilk and then in seasoned flour, and fry in hot fat. If the squirrel is young, steaming is not necessary. Otherwise, drain off excess fat and add a cup of water and steam covered. Make gravy in the frying pan by adding leftover seasoned flour and milk or water. Serve with biscuits and wild plum jelly.
 

Salt Pork and Gravy
Because it preserved so well, salted pork was a staple of the early Texans.  Salt pork is made by packing fresh pork in salt for several weeks, and then smoking it to impart some flavor.  It is boiled to remove the excess salt and then prepared.

1 pound salt pork
2 quarts water
shortening

Slice one pound of salt pork thin. Freshen it by putting the slices in cold water and bringing to a boil.  Dry the slices, slit the edges and fry to a crisp in a cast iron skillet. Make cream gravy with the drippings.
 

Cream Gravy
 drippings
 2 Tbsp. flour
 1 ½ cups milk
 Salt

After frying the pork, drain the grease from the skillet, leaving in the crusted and browned bits, and reserving 2 tablespoons of the drippings. Return the 2 tablespoons of drippings to the skillet, and turn heat to medium. Sprinkle flour into the drippings, and stir vigorously for about 2 to 3 minutes to "cook" the flour.
Then, stirring constantly, slowly add 1-1/2 cups milk, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes until gravy thickens. (If it gets too thick, thin it with a little milk.) Taste and correct the seasonings, if necessary. Serve hot.
 

Chuckwagon Stew
When the "doggies" (meaning cattle) were asleep and the dust had settled on the range, many a cowpoke settled down to a plate of chuckwagon stew, with some hot biscuits to sop up the gravy. The cook never made the stew the same way twice, having to improvise with what happened to be on hand. Likewise, you can use this recipe as a basis and go on from there.

1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic minced
2 Tbsp. bacon drippings or vegetable oil
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
½ cup flour salt and pepper to taste
2 ½ cups beef stock
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
6 small carrots, peeled
4 medium potatoes, peeled
1 Tbsp. flour
¼ cup water
 

In a large pot or Dutch oven, sauté onions and garlic in bacon drippings or oil. Dredge beef cubes in 1/2 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper and brown with onions and garlic. Add stock, l teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.  Cut carrots into 1-2-inch slices and cube potatoes. Add to beef mixture and simmer an additional 80 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Combine 1 tablespoon flour with 1/4 cup water to make a paste. Gradually stir into stew and cook until sauce has thickened.
 

Cowboy Pinto Beans
1 pound dried pinto beans
8 cups water
¼ pound salt pork (as lean as you can find)
14 oz. canned whole tomatoes, with juice
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
3 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 tsp. salt

Wash and pick over beans. Make several cuts into the salt pork down to, but not through, the rind.  Combine all ingredients, except salt, in a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low simmer. Cook very slowly, covered. Stir beans up from the bottom occasionally, and add water if they start looking dry. Cook for at least 2 hours until beans are tender.
 

Cowboy Brisket
4 pounds first cut brisket of beef
3 cloves garlic, slivered
3 cloves garlic, crushed
 4 large onions, thinly sliced
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 ½ Tbsp. bacon drippings
1 cup strong black coffee
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup water

Preheat oven to 350°F.
With a thin, sharp knife, make slits in the meat and insert the slivers of garlic. Place the meat in a dish, spread crushed garlic and 1 sliced onion over the meat, and pour on the vinegar. Marinate for 6 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator, turning several times.
Heat bacon drippings in a deep, heavy skillet large enough to hold the brisket. Remove the brisket from the marinade and discard the onion and vinegar. Dry with paper towels. Brown the meat well on each side. Remove brisket to a platter.
In the fat remaining in the skillet, sauté the remaining onions until deeply browned. Pour in 1/2 cup coffee. Bring to a boil, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen the browned bits.
Spread the onions and liquid from the skillet in a shallow baking dish. Place the brisket on the onions. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Pour in the remaining coffee and water. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil and place in oven.
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250°F and bake for an additional 3 hours or until meat is very tender.
Let brisket rest for 20 minutes before slicing. Slice the brisket across the grain. Skim the fat from the pan liquid, and return the meat slices to the pan. Makes 6 to 8 servings, depending upon appetites.
 

Buttermilk Biscuits
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ cups shortening
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender, and add the buttermilk, blending quickly, just until dry ingredients are moistened. A sticky dough will result.
Turn the dough out on a floured board. Flour your hands and knead the dough no more than 3 or 4 times-- do not overhandle the dough. Roll or pat to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a 2-inch biscuit cutter. For soft-sided biscuits, place close together on a lightly greased baking sheet or in a lightly greased cast iron skillet.  For biscuits with crusty sides, place about an inch apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 450°F for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes about 12 biscuits.
 

Texas Chicken & Dumplings
3-4 pounds chicken, skinned & boned
1 onion, quartered
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
2 cups sifted flour
½ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 egg
1 Tbsp. melted butter
½ cup milk
¼ cup softened butter, additional
1/3 cup celery leaves finely minced
1/3 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. butter, additional

Place chicken in a large pot with the onion, bay leaf, water to cover by 2 inches, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil; reduce heat immediately to low and simmer until the bird is tender. Remove chicken, pull the meat in large pieces and reserve.
Strain the broth and return 6 cups to the pot.
Sift flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and baking powder together into a bowl.  Combine egg, melted butter and milk, and beat together. Combine egg, melted butter and milk and add to dry ingredients. Work to a good doughlike consistency.  Turn out on a floured board and roll to somewhat less than 1/4-inch thickness.  Spread with softened butter; sprinkle with the celery leaves and pepper. Cut into strips 2 x 3 inches.
Bring broth to a good simmering heat; do not boil. Stir in 2 tbsp flour rubbed with 2 tbsp extra butter. Cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened.  Add the dumplings a few at a time, sliding them down into the hot broth.  Continue until all are in.  Cover tightly and cook 20 minutes without lifting the lid. Arrange the cut-up chicken on a deep platter, spoon on the dumplings and cover with as much of the sauce as you desire.
 

Pinto Bean Migas
Migas are crumbs, and this recipe calls for the "crumbs" left over from stale tortillas.  Substituting fresh tortillas makes this recipe even tastier.

4 eggs
1 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. salsa (your favorite, but it should be chunky)
1 Tbsp. bacon drippings or vegetable oil
¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
¼ cup chopped onion
1 fresh jalapeño (stems and seeds removed), finely chopped
¾ cup pinto beans, cooked and drained
4 corn tortillas, in bite-size pieces
2/3 cup grated mild cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese
½ tsp. salt

In a small bowl, lightly beat together the eggs, water and salsa, and set aside.  In a skillet, over medium-low heat, sauté the bell pepper, onion and jalapeño for 2 minutes or until onion is transparent, but not brown. Stir in the pinto beans.  Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and "scramble" until eggs are almost done. Sprinkle in the tortillas, and stir well. Remove the skillet from heat, and sprinkle cheese into the eggs, again stirring well.  Serve at once with additional salsa and warm flour tortillas, if desired. Makes 2 generous servings.
 

Fresh Creamed Corn
12 ears of fresh-picked corn
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
½ cup heavy cream
¾ tsp. salt

Cut the kernels off of the corn, capturing juices and kernels a large bowl. Melt the butter in a cast-iron skillet. Add the corn, all of its liquid and the cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and bubbles and the corn no longer tastes raw - about 8 minutes. Add salt and a pinch of cayenne or plenty of freshly ground black pepper to taste.
 

Spiced Peaches
32 oz. canned peach halves, undrained
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ cup brandy
4 whole cloves

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 minute. Remove cloves before serving.
 

Pumpkin Bread
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups brown sugar, packed
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
½  tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. orange peel (dehydrated or fresh)
2 cups puréed pumpkin (fresh or one 15 oz. can)
¼ cup butter, melted
½  cup canola oil
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup molasses
1 cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and orange peel. In a second bowl, combine pumpkin, butter, oil, eggs, and molasses.  Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add pumpkin mixture and stir just until mixture is combined and dry ingredients are incorporated. Stir in pecans.
Divide batter between two greased and floured 9"x5"x3" loaf pans. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; then turn out on wire racks. Makes 2 loaves.
 

Buttermilk Pie
This is a Texas classic.

½ cup butter
2 cup sugar
5 eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup buttermilk
½ tsp. grated nutmeg
1 10-inch unbaked pie shell

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Add flour, lemon juice, vanilla and buttermilk, mixing thoroughly. Place in pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Dust with nutmeg. Lower heat to 325 degrees and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until set.
 

Applesauce Gingerbread
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup molasses
2 large eggs
1 cup applesauce
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9"x13" baking dish. Combine melted butter, brown sugar and molasses in bowl. Add eggs, one at a time. Stir in applesauce and beat well. Sift the flour, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon into the batter. Mix thoroughly. Pour into the prepared baking dish, and bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.