Chef Lenny McNab Shares Gourmet Cowboy Recipes
STUDIO CITY (CBS) — Lenny McNab of Kessler Canyon Ranch visited KCAL9 Tuesday to show us some of the secrets to gourmet cowboy cooking.
McNab serves as executive chef at the $40 million, 23,000-acre resort ranch, which is located 17 miles north of DeBeque, Colo.
The following are some of the recipes he shared:
Dutch Oven Cowboy Beans
3 Cups Dried Pinto Beans (6 cans pre-cooked)
2 Tablespoons Beef Base
1 Small Chunk Beef Fat (vegetable oil or lard will work, too)
1 Large Yellow Onion, Chopped
6 Cloves Garlic, Minced
4 Green Pablano Chiles (canned or fresh, roasted and peeled)
½ Cup Canned Jalapeno Slices
¼ Cup Pickling Juice from Jalapenos
- Heat up a 12 Dutch Oven (2 quarts) over some coals or on your stove top.
- Add your fat, onions and garlic. Cook these until lightly browned.
- Add in the rest of your ingredients and fill almost to the top with water. (Might want to leave out the water if cooking with canned beans)
- Simmer lightly for 2 ½ -3 Hours until beans are done.
- Adjust the flavor with salt and pepper accordingly.
O RO Wagon Beef
- Cut up 6 or 7 pounds of hindquarter in large pieces about the size of a fist.
- Get the coals hot and put the beef in a Dutch oven with a little water.
- Put coals on top and under the oven, and let that sit for about 3 hours.
- Take the beef out and let it cool down a touch.
- To the water, add salt and pepper, a small can of tomato paste, ¼ cup vinegar, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup molasses, a liberal amount of Tabasco sauce and 3 Tablespoons garlic salt.
- Chop the meat up, put back into the sauce and let cook another hour or so. This beef is wonderful with Beans, Biscuits and a cup of Cowboy Coffee.
Sourdough Biscuits
3 Cups Flour
½ Cup Crisco Shortening
1 Cup Sourdough Starter
3 Teaspoons Baking Powder (I often add about ¼ teaspoon baking soda)
2 Tablespoons Sugar
Milk, Beer or Water
- Mix the dry ingredients with the shortening
- Hollow out the flour mixture and pour in 1 full cup of the sourdough starter.
- Add milk, beer or water to make a proper dough consistency.
- Whip the heavy dough with a strong spoon for about 1 minute.
- Place the dough on a floured surface and knead in enough flour to bring back to the proper consistency.
- Roll the dough out on a cutting board until 1 inch thick and cut your biscuits.
- Place biscuits in a lightly floured Dutch oven set next to the fire (but not to close), to rest for about 30 minutes.
- Bake them at about 380 degrees or in a ring of coals with large shovel full on top. They take about 25 to 30 minutes till they are light brown and steaming good.
