Butchering Monticello.

Imagine, if you can, living during the 1880s.  Pioneers had traveled over desolate landscapes, losing many a wagon wheel, but not one life, not even one of the oxen pulling those wagons.

Settling in Bluff, alongside the San Juan River, the pioneers still endured hardships.  There was the lack of food supplies, as gardens and farms needed to be cultivated.  They were able to trade with local Native tribes, those that were willing to; the Carlisle cattle ranchers butchered and sold what they asked top dollar for.  Of course, the army sent soldiers to patrol the county, make sure government surveyors and expeditions kept safe, and keep peace between the pioneers, Natives and ranchers.  While the army provided provisions to their men, it was not unusual for an expectation of meals to be provided from the pioneers.  Meals in exchange for safety, not a bad deal, right?

Around the end of 1886 to beginning 1887, it was decided that expansion of settlements was needed, and a prime focus was finding more water sources along Montezuma Creek, and within the Blue Mountains.  One settlement that became firmly established was Monticello, and while much of the land was cleared previously by the Colorado ranchers, there was still much to be done.  To truly get the gist of what life was like, I, once again, recommend reading the first issue of Monticello Journal, A History of Monticello Until 1937, by Harold George and Fay Lunceford Muhlestein.  There is an issue at the local library, and copies for sale at the San Juan Record.  After reading it, and knowing yourself, it truly will make you wonder, “Would I have survived being one of the pioneers?”.

The focus though, of this article, is on the establishment of a business surely needed in Monticello…Butchering.  Besides housing for the residents, businesses needed to be established (sort of what we desperately need now as well), since traveling to larger towns, or cities, would take days into weeks.  While growing vegetables and other crops was taking a firm hold, nutrition called for sources of proteins.  Fish and birds, when caught, could provide for some, but, again, getting beef from the Colorado ranchers was the primary source, and that didn’t charge cheap.

Ah, but eventually lawyers were able to prove that the ranchers had no legal foot hold all over San Juan County.  They were forced to either establish property deals, or leave the area; and many had to sell off cattle to the local residents.  Sheep and pigs were later introduced to the area, but these herds did not fare well, and cattle dominated.

In, 1909, the Enlarged Homestead Act, provided 320 acres of non-irrigable land for the purpose of farming.  The areas set aside for this were east and north of Monticello, and welcome to the birth of homesteading and dry farming.  Dry farming?  Dry farming is a technique relying on soil moisture conservation to grow crops like winter wheat without irrigation. Local farmers combat arid conditions by limiting plowing and using drought-resistant seeds.  One such homesteader was Hans Jensen, arriving in 1911, by horse and wagon; he lived on his land, in a tent, and daily worked his land.  Only 5’5” tall, 125 lbs., he determinedly worked as having his own thriving farm was his sincere goal.  There must have been more to this man than meets the eye, as the mayor’s daughter, Adella Adams, eventually agreed to marry him.  Oh, she could have had anyone, considering she came from money, but living in Hans’ tent showed how much she loved him as well.

 

Hans Jensen, photo by Dawn Joyce Boyle.

In 1921, Hans built a small building which became his butcher shop.  With no refrigeration equipment invented yet, he, and Duke Edwards, who worked for Hans, would cut out 100-pound blocks of ice, bury then in dirt, and cover with sawdust during the winter.  In warmer weather, the blocks were hefted onto the roof of the building (Hans had built an insulated box), and this helped keep the provisions cool.  Customers could come to him for cuts of beef or pork, but it was not unusual to see Hans delivering to homes further outside the town, in his Ford Model-T pickup truck.

Hans, Della, and their children (as they grew older) had strong work ethics which helped them prosper, and the City Meat Market became a much needed and wanted business in Monticello.  Now I could go on and on about Hans and his family, and eventually how Blue Mountain Foods, and Meats, became the strongest businesses for the butchering, and the purchasing of meats, fish and poultry.  Instead, I will refer you to an article, in the San Juan Record, Hans and Della Jensen – short in stature, tall in life, 04/28/2010, written by Bill Boyle, grandson of Hans Jensen, and owner of the San Juan Record.   Or, if you happen to have, or can get a copy of, Blue Mountain Shadows, Volume 31/Winter 2005; pages 41-44 have the story of Hans, his family and the development of, not just the business of butchering, but the City Meat Market/Mercantile, including photos.

 

So, how does all this historical rambling of mine lead into a recipe?  Alright, stay with me here…the original members that followed Brigham Young and John Smith came from the east coast.  On the east coast was another group, the Amish, who had come to the United States for religious freedom.  Culturally, it was not unusual for their recipes to have come from their old countries, and carried across the US with those heading to, first Illinois, and ending up in Utah.  Another business that needed to be established were granaries and flour mills, as bread goods were a serious staple for existence, and that meant goods such as noodles and pasta as well.

The recipe I am giving you is called “Pioneer Beef and Noodles”, brought to Utah by the pioneers, and influenced by the Amish.  The recipe is simplistic with the use of wide noodles, created with the flour purchased from the mill, and beef from the local butcher.  Another cultural influence came from the Scandinavians and Slavics, as adding sour cream to the mix, and safe wild mushrooms, would bring us to a simmering pot of Stroganoff.   

 

 

 

In my recipe, I use an Italian herbal mixture and tagliatelle pasta, but that’s creative license on my part, so wide noodles would be more authentic.  With the seasonings, the pioneers used either what they brought with them, or what the Native tribes taught them to be safe and flavorful.

 

 

 

Pioneer Beef and Noodle Skillet Dish

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef (93/7)

1 large onion, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups beef broth

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Italian herbal mix

8-12 oz. wide egg noodles, uncooked (or tagliatelle pasta for a more Italian twist)

1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

 

Preparation:

 

 

 

 

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef with onion and garlic over medium-high heat. Drain excess fat.

 

 

 

 

Stir in beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Bring to a boil.

 

 

 

Add uncooked egg noodles, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 12-15 minutes until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.

 

 

 

Option: Stir in sour cream for creaminess.  For a more “stroganoff” type texture, add one cup of sour cream.  To get even closer to stroganoff, add a cup of chopped mushrooms when browning the beef, onions and garlic.

 

Serves 4-6.

Mary Cokenour 

 

The Mandela Effect and How Food is Remembered.

Before every food company converted their frozen meals to be microwaveable; the containers were aluminum and the plastic or cardboard covers needed to be removed first before heating. One of my very favorites was Stouffer's "Escalloped Chicken and Noodles"; chunks of white meat chicken, veggies and egg noodles in a luscious, creamy sauce. Alas, Stouffer's went the microwave route also; the containers became thin plastic with plastic wrap covers that stayed on, and the food stuck to. Not only that, the portions became smaller, but the prices almost doubled, and by now they have tripled.  What the heck is that all about!?!

I decided I'd had enough of this nonsense, and set upon making a copycat version of my own.  I purchased one more entree, heated it up and then analyzed it...the taste, textures, smell, what ingredients I could readily see or taste.  I'm sure if I was a scientist in a lab, I could have come up with an almost perfect copycat recipe; but I'm not and I'm still happy with the end result.

Using canned creamed soups saved me the trouble of using heavy cream which could break in a sauce if not cooked properly.  Adding chicken broth provided extra moisture for the egg noodles, so they did not harden up during the baking process.   I used fresh onion, red bell pepper and mushrooms, so their flavors are prominent in the dish now instead of just hinted at.

 

After making the recipe, and being very satisfied with the result, it was then that I took a look at the ingredient list on the box.  I wanted to see how close I was in my taste, texture and smell assessments.  Hmm, strange, but red bell peppers were not listed, but in the microwave entrée, I could see the tiny slivers of red.  There were also tiny bits of green, so I presumed that was celery diced to microscopic bits.  But no, what I took for peppers were “2% or less of carrots”, peas were listed, but where they were was a mystery to me.

Throughout the years of buying the boxed product, the predominant ingredients were “noodles, chicken, slivers of red, bits of green, loads of chopped mushrooms, toasted topping, and a very lickable creamy sauce.  But the box ingredient list states I am totally wrong, “Tender white meat chicken, freshly made fettuccini noodles, mushrooms, peas, celery, and carrots in a creamy sauce.”.  Listen, I know what I was eating, I saw what I was eating, tasted and smelled it, and the photo on the box did not show peas and carrots; not like it does nowadays.

Asking a question at the Stouffer’s site got me this result, “No, Stouffer’s did not use red bell peppers in the Escalloped Chicken and Noodles.    If you recall eating Stouffer's Escalloped Chicken and Noodles with red bell peppers, it's possible you are remembering a limited edition or regional version of the recipe.”.

Now I do not believe in coincidence, but right after this, Roy came in and started to ask me questions in the line of, “Do you remember this food having this name?”, or “Do you remember this food having this ingredient?”  Depending on the item, I could give a definite “yes”, “no”, or “never tried it, so don’t know”, and that’s when he began to explain “The Mandela Effect”.

The Mandela Effect is a phenomenon where a large group of people collectively misremembers an event or detail. The term was coined by Fiona Broome after she discovered many people shared her false memory that Nelson Mandela died in prison in the 1980s, when he actually passed away in 2013, and had been a freed man since 1990.

This principal is explained in two ways:

Collective false memory: It's a situation where many people share the same incorrect memory about something, such as an event, a phrase, or an image.

Psychological phenomenon: Psychologists explain the Mandela Effect as a demonstration of how imperfect and suggestible human memory can be. Memories can change over time and be influenced by external information.

When it comes to food, here are two perfect examples:

1 - Jif peanut butter was never called Jiffy; it has always been Jif since it was founded in 1958.

The name Jiffy may have been confused with the brand due to a tagline referring to making a sandwich "in a jiffy”; or by mixing the name with Skippy, another popular peanut butter brand. 

2 - Oscar Mayer: This brand is sometimes recalled as "Oscar Meyer".  This commercial jingle debuted in 1974.

"My Bologna has a first name,

It's O-S-C-A-R.

My bologna has a second name,

It's M-A-Y-E-R.

Oh, I love to eat it every day,

And if you ask me why I'll say,

Cause' Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A!!!!"

Previously, "The Wiener Song" debuted in 1962, but the lyrics only said the name, and did not spell it out as it was sung.

"Oh, I wish I were an Oscar Mayer Wiener,

That is what I'd truly like to be-ee-ee.

Cause if I were an Oscar Mayer Wiener,

Everyone would be in love with me."

With this information, now I had to wonder if my memory of a favorite frozen dish was actually false, or just mixed up with another item I used to eat often.

So back to Escalloped Chicken and Noodles, and the development of the recipe during the Depression Era.  It became such an easy, and cheap in cost, recipe to make; with its popularity escalating once Stouffer’s began to sell prepackaged meals in the frozen food section of local markets and supermarkets.

Here is my version of this dish, sans the peas and carrots, but if you want to try the recipe, and add them (1 and ½ cups frozen peas and carrots mix, thawed), be my guest.

 

Escalloped Chicken and Noodles

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. butter

1 cup sliced mushrooms

½ cup diced onion

Chicken Breasts are boiled in salted water.

½ cup diced red bell pepper

4 Tbsp. flour

4 cups cooked and shredded white meat chicken

½ tsp. ground black pepper

1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth

1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of chicken soup

1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of celery soup

1 (8 oz.) package medium width egg noodles, cooked

1/2 cup plain, fine bread crumbs

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F. and spray a 3-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.

 

 

 

In 10-inch skillet, medium-high heat, melt butter and sauté mushrooms, onion and red bell pepper until softened, but not browned; add flour and mix well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In large mixing bowl, combine sautéed vegetables, chicken, pepper, broth, creamed soups and noodles.

 

 

Spread mixture into casserole dish; sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Bake 30-35 minutes; until sauce is bubbling and bread crumbs are golden brown.

 

Sprinkle bread crumbs over all.

Makes 8 servings.

Remembering something from the past, and you are positive, but facts say otherwise, maybe you are experiencing The Mandela Effect.

Mary Cokenour 

 

If Only Vlad the Impaler Had Better Taste in Food.

One of the most famous gothic horror classics is Dracula, written by Bram Stoker, published in 1897, and retold by Hollywood too many times to count.  Stoker claimed that the story came from his own mind, however, scholars have suggested otherwise.  While visiting the University of Budapest, Stoker met with Professor Ármin Vámbéry who was an expert on the Ottoman Empire.  The professor, supposedly, suppled Stoker with tales of the empire, Vlad the Impaler, and the horrors of war during the 14^th century. 

Vlad was ruler of Wallachia which is actually south of Transylvania, but both part of the country of Romania.  Previously, during his father’s reign, he, and his brother Radu, were held hostage by the Turks.  Vlad, after becoming king himself, was finally able to defeat the empire, but many years later on, and via betrayal, was captured by the Turks again, and beheaded.  Hmm, perhaps a bit of history on the Ottoman Empire would explain Vlad’s leaning towards his own horrific acts of torture. 

The Ottoman Empire, aka the Turkish Empire, controlled much of Southeast Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa between the 14th and early 20th centuries.  It was brought down, at the end of WW2, for being aligned with the Nazi regime.  The empire was mainly Islamic Caliphate/Muslim, but also contained Christians, Jews and other religious minorities. However, during its 600-year existence these non-Muslim subjects endured discrimination, persecution, torture and death.  Anyone reading, or listening, to the daily world news will probably think, “Nothing seems to have changed much in that regard.”.

Leaping into the 18^th century, King Charles XII of Sweden, ended up living in the Ottoman Empire after his assault on Russia ended in mass defeat.  While there, he lived a better lifestyle, more suited for a king, than Vlad had endured; and that included feasting on Turkish cuisine.  Once he returned to Sweden, he brought with him a recipe for “little meatballs”.  The recipe for kötbullar, or Swedish meatballs, first appeared in print in the 1760s, Guide to Housekeeping for Young Women, by the cook Cajsa Warg. Warg worked for a family that had been close to the king, and her book also contained the first recipe for the dolma-like stuffed cabbage kåldolmar.  What is dolma?  Short or medium grain rice mixed with ground lamb (or beef), finely diced vegetables, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses and spices, wrapped in grape or cabbage leaves, and boiled till liquid is fully absorbed.  King Charles also introduced his subjects to sherbet and Turkish coffee; the sherbet was a hit, the coffee, not so much.

Traditionally, Swedish meatballs are served with boiled or mashed potatoes, and lingonberry jam.  Why the jam?  Cultural superstition!  While the foods of the Turkish empire were intriguing, the people were considered to be heathens, and unclean.  The Swedes believed that using lingonberries would ward off all types of cancer, and other deadly infections, that they might “catch”.  Sounds ridiculous now, but this was the 18^th century, and medical sciences were not very advanced.

Since the meatballs are served with a brown gravy, substitutes for potatoes are rice or noodles; with pickled cucumbers as a side dish.  Of course, lingonberry jam is still a staple.  The meatballs are generally made with ground beef and pork, similar to making Italian style meatballs.  However, using ground turkey, instead of the pork, brings a more savory flavor to the meatballs, but that is my experience anyway.

 

Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients:

For the Meatballs:

2 lbs. ground beef

1 lb. ground pork (or ground turkey)

1 cup whipping cream (or whole milk)

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

2 eggs beaten.

1 small onion, finely diced

2 tsps. nutmeg

1 tsp. salt

3 tsps. ground black pepper

6 Tbsp. butter.

Gravy

4 Tbsp. flour

1 cup whipping cream

2 Tbsp. beef bouillon

Preparation:

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients for the meatballs, except butter.  Mix together well, with hands, and do NOT overmix.  Form the meat mixture into 1-inch balls (1-inch ice cream scoop is helpful).

In a large skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter on medium heat.  Place meatballs into skillet, leaving room between each for turning.  Cook, and turn every 1-2 minutes, to brown all exposed areas. Remove to paper towel covered plate to drain excess fat.

To make the gravy, whisk flour into the hot drippings remaining in skillet. Whish in cream and bouillon; simmer, on low heat, until thickened. Add salt & pepper to taste, but should not actually be needed.

Makes 50 meatballs, and 10 servings.

Mary Cokenour

 

Prepping for the Winter Chill.

Tis the season! Tis the cold and flu season that is, and while flu shots are available at doctor offices and pharmacies, not so for colds. What to do to battle a cold; why chicken soup of course! Chicken soup is comfort food and a folklore cure for whatever ails you. In 2007, the University of Nebraska analyzed research studies to find that chicken soup's medicinal properties were "inconclusive". You ask anyone who doesn't feel well, depressed, tired or just all around blah; they'll tell you to take all the research and shove it where the sun don't shine.

Here in Monticello, Utah the weather has finally taken a turn towards the cold; several times it has gotten very windy, darkly clouded over and snow was anticipated. Then my son calls me up one day and says, "Mom, I don't feel well, you have anything I could eat?" Regretfully I had no chicken soup made, but he said that my Paella made him feel so much better; he did a three hour workout at the local gym. Well of course it would, it had chicken in it!  Anyway, I took no further chances, decided to make soup and took out a container of chicken stock from the freezer.   

Homemade Chicken Stock is an essential main ingredient for this soup; you want all the richness of flavor from the chicken, vegetables and seasonings, cooked together to create perfection. When I say "chicken carcass" in the recipe, basically you want to buy a whole chicken, remove the legs, thighs and breasts; what is left is what goes into the soup pot and remove as much skin as you can too.   

Why make your own stock?  You know exactly what is in the stock, it’s clear, not cloudy because of preservatives added in.  When making your stock, besides the bird carcass, you'll be adding in the "holy trinity" of cooking: carrots, celery and onion.  With the onion, leave the skin on to add a more golden color to the stock; it will all be strained later on, so no need to worry about onion skin floating in it.  I also add salt, ground black pepper and cloves of garlic for aroma and taste; so when making soup later on, be careful adding more of these ingredients.  Taste!!!  You can always add, but you can't take away if you add too much before tasting.

With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up fast, remember to keep the turkey carcass (leave a little meat on) and transform it into a wonderfully roasted turkey stock.  The carcass can be wrapped in plastic, placed into a freezer bag and frozen for later use, but don’t go past three months.  You don’t use it, you’ll lose it! 

Homemade Chicken Stock

Ingredients:

3 to 4 lbs. of chicken carcass (legs, thighs and breasts removed)

3 large celery ribs, chopped

3 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 large leek, washed thoroughly and chopped; include most of the green section as well

2 medium onions, unpeeled, but remove the root end

1 (8 oz.) container whole mushrooms; dirt brushed off

6 cloves of garlic, unpeeled

2 whole bay leaves

1 Tbsp. whole black peppercorns

1 Tbsp. Kosher salt

5 quarts cold water

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in a large stock pot (10-12 quart); bring to a boil on high heat and skim off any frothy residue. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 hours. 

Secure cheese cloth inside a large plastic bowl and strain the stock into the bowl; discard all the solid material captured in the cheese cloth.  Place the plastic bowl inside the freezer for one hour; the fat will solidify and then can be easily removed.   The stock is now ready to be used, can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Makes about 4 1/2 quarts.

Now for the Chicken Noodle Soup itself; personally I use only the meat from the breasts; the legs and thighs I save for other recipes.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

4 qts. of turkey, chicken or combination of both stocks

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup diced celery

1 cup diced red bell pepper

5 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves; trim off fat

Pinch of salt and ground black pepper

1 tsp. crushed, dried thyme leaves

12 to 16 oz. homestyle egg noodles (dependent on how much noodles you like in your soup)

Preparation:

Add the stock, onion, carrots, celery and bell pepper to a tall stock pot; set on medium heat to begin simmering.

In a large pan, add the chicken, cover with water and set on medium-high heat.  Let cook for 10 minutes, any fat will foam at the top; rinse off chicken and cut into 1 inch pieces.  In a large skillet, medium-high heat, sauté the chicken pieces until no pink is showing.  Sprinkle the salt, black pepper and thyme leaves during the cooking; mix well.

Add the chicken, and any juices in the skillet, to the stock pot.  Turn the heat up to high and bring the soup to a boil.  Add the egg noodles; they will be ready once they plump up and double in length; about 15 to 20 minutes.  Turn off heat and serve in bowls.

Makes 12 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Cow Tipping.

The first time I’d ever heard the term “cow tipping” was in 1990 when first moving to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Our residential neighborhood was surrounded by Amish farmland, with local, bored teenagers bragging about this night time exploit.  What exactly is “cow tipping”? An activity of sneaking up on any unsuspecting, or sleeping, upright cow and pushing it over for entertainment. The practice of cow tipping is generally considered an urban legend, and stories of such feats viewed as tall tales.  Except if you happen to live in a rural area, with even adults bragging how they did this activity during teenage years.  Personally, I saw this as cruelty to animals; I certainly wouldn’t enjoy being hurt and/or frightened being pushed down onto hard ground in my sleep!

Spring forward to 2009 with the moving to Utah; cows here are “handsomer”, for lack of a better word, than the overworked black and white milking cows of Pennsylvania.  Where those East coast cows would back away if you stared at them; cows in the Southwest have, what I would definitely call New York attitude, as they stare back with “whatchalookinat?”  Asking about cow tipping, folks would ask, “What is that?” and once explained would proclaim, “Well that’s stupid!”  So much for cow tipping in the Southwest.

Which now brings my convoluted thought processing to “beef tips”.  Did you ever go to a restaurant where the special for the evening was beef tips?  The server explains how this is a special cut of tender beef, prepared in a rich gravy and served over, well something; rice, mashed potatoes, noodles, a pureed vegetable.  Sounds really good, and it has to be special, considering the price is almost equal to a T-bone steak.  Here comes the surprise, where exactly does this “special cut of tender beef” come from on the cow?  The tips are small, about one inch; is there only one tip in each cow!?!  Originally, a beef tip was the tip of a tenderloin or sirloin steak which was trimmed off to give the steak a smoother, rounder appearance.  Nowadays, while quality restaurants may perform the same trim job, beef tips could simply be a steak cut up into one inch pieces and called the same thing.  Depending on the quality of the beef itself, the cooking process is the same, but may take longer.

The recipe I’m giving uses a simple London broil cut, lean, with all excessive fat removed as the fat will only make the gravy greasy, not tastier.  A hint for all those hunters bringing home elk and deer this season; this recipe works very well for those meats also.  I use Portabella mushrooms as they have a meatier texture, yet mild flavor; they are often used, as a substitute, for vegetarians who want to partake of a “burger”, just not the meat part.

Beef Tips with Egg Noodles

Ingredients:

2 lbs. lean London broil

4 Tbsp. flour

1 large onion, julienned

1 lb. portabella mushrooms, cut into one inch pieces

1 cup red wine (merlot or burgundy)

1 cup beef stock (not broth, too watery)

1 tsp. dried, crushed thyme leaves

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 lb. wide egg noodles

Preparation:

Spray a 4-quart crock pot bowl with nonstick cooking spray.

Cut London broil into one inch pieces, mix with the flour to coat all sides; place in bottom of crock pot bowl.  Place onions over beef, mushrooms over the onions in a layering process.

Whisk together wine, stock, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic; pour over mushrooms.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerator overnight (8 hours). 

Next day, remove plastic wrap, place bowl into cooking unit, cover with appropriate lid, set on low and let cook for 8 hours.  At 7 and ½ hours, prepare egg noodles according to package directions.  Serve beef tips over egg noodles

Makes 6 servings.

Note: If a thicker gravy is desired, stir in one teaspoon of corn starch, at a time, until desired consistency is met.

Mary Cokenour