Cowboy Life in Texas | Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern | Travel Channel

the feisty, sassy, ​​saddle-skilled American

cowboy

no joke the guys nearby are doing it here in South Texas it takes a lot of courage it's better than bacon sorry America to win over the Spurs how can something so deadly know so well? The Chisholm Trail is filled with larger-than-

life

characters with an insatiable appetite for heart-stopping adventure and colorful cuisine that I can't tie up worth, but I can cook a couple balls in search of the modern

cowboy

, well, motherfucker who It's a good part of America that will never die I'm Andrew Zimmern and this is Bizarre Foods May your belly never complain May your heart never hurt May your horse never trip May your girth never break The cowboy is the last great American icon A badass romantic symbol of our frontier past when western movies made waves in Hollywood real men seemed to fade into history, not so in Texas, the birthplace of cowboy culture, you may not find the Marlboro Man, but you may encounter its 21st century incarnation if you know where Look, the cowboy

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style is still alive and you can still experience life as it used to be for the most part, except for the fact that I have a cell phone in my back pocket if you want to find the modern day cowboy. begins in San Antonio, Texas, the head of the Chisholm Trail in the 19th century, this cattle road herded millions of Longhorns to the railroads in the north, the cattle drives of the 19th century are considered the Golden Age of cowboys, but it is just one side of the true cowboy story.

Life began hundreds of years earlier, just 20 miles south of downtown, on 1,200 open acres sits the Land Heritage Institute dedicated to preserving the cultures that lived here long before European settlers set their sights on the United States. Joined. Well, I started doing what I do now in 1953. So for a couple of years now, yes, Carl Rodriguez is the president of the San Antonio Charo Foundation, a group that celebrates the original Texas cowboy. It is very pleasant for me to communicate with the people who were in my country before me, that is important because we are one generation away from losing this culture.

Ramón Vásquez and his family are from the Koha wheel Tekken nation, the Indians who settled in this earth thousands of years ago. Impressively, the remaining tribe fights to keep their heritage alive, which includes the excellent horsemanship skills these cowboys called Vaqueros. It developed on the haciendas during Spanish rule, this image that we have in America that the cowboy is the great symbol of our country. Actually, the first cowboy is right here, the teapot is not John Wayne. Oh no, they are our distant cousins. In formal competitions, it emerged. among the ranch hands who turn ranching skills into competitions these competitions were the antecedents of modern rodeo the list of things I wish I could do on my horse look how easy it is but the history of karo also has its roots in the

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that the The small intestines of a cow are cleaned, They are fried until golden and crispy and eaten with a corn tortilla covered with fresh salsa or in this case straight from the comal it is better than bacon sorry sorry America Menudo is a hearty stew made from beef stomach in a base of ground chili Here in a metate, pig's feet are added to enhance the flavor of the broth.

Look, Gloria Ramón's mother has carefully watched the boiling pot for hours making sure the meat is tender and full of flavor, well, that's a nice pit, oh the best thing in the world is an earthen oven, I mean it just doesn't get anything. Better a family gathering of this size requires barbecue, a term America now associates with a generic barbecue technique. Originally, Vaqueros is the main dish consisting of a whole cow's head yesterday, that head was wrapped in agave leaves and herbs, smiling at me and then placed. in an earthen pit lined with mesquite wood and hot stones where it is slowly roasted overnight at a low temperature until the meat practically falls off the bone follow that head that is history in a bowl people do not understand how much meat is in a bowl head oh yes yes, that's delicious, okay, we're making use of the whole animal, it was a necessity and now it's a responsibility, developing into a serious culinary style that is incomparably tasty and they blew us away and we already knew what to do with it , this is what you need. pay top dollar now you're in a fancy restaurant that's ridiculous but very delicious very delicious pig's feet are the perfect complement to the delicious stew, look at that perfect, perfect, there you go, enjoy, thank you, this is my favorite thing in the whole world, know something a little spicy there hmm, beyond delicious, omg , we are proud. heritage and ancestry that we enjoy teaching our children because it is very important and it starts with our food, it starts with our language, in contact with our songs and our friendships, this food is the kind of food that you share with the people you really like because it requires a lot of hard work, it takes hours then these hands take out the meat and make sure everything that comes on your plate is perfect thank you no thank you mmm this is the type of cuisine that crosses cultures and makes you feel like family we' I'm very grateful that you came to visit us and on behalf of the American Indians of Texas, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you, thank you, thank you, you are a doll, I think you are fantastic, oh and you too, but don't do it .

Tell your wife that, 400 years and 30 minutes north, the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo is one of the largest in the country, with more than two million visitors a year, just like its Vaquero predecessors. The early Texas Cowboys always flaunted their skills in the ring for many years. The rodeo is the only direct connection to America's rich cowboy history; like all festivals, there is plenty of food to satisfy the hungry crowds. Fairgrounds this big, you know, you'll have a lot of crazy food booths. That is, if it's part of the authentic cowboy experience. It remains to be seen then, what makes a food a cowboy?

I know it when I see it. The Bacon Cheeseburger with a Glazed Donut is a crime against humanity. It's an insult to the donut and the cheeseburger. Hmm, that's a whole world of turkey leg. The turkey leg is a very cowboy part. Part of cowboy culture of course involves bandits, so I think stealing is also a legitimate thing here, sweet and smoky and you make it a little spicy. I think the thick grilled bologna sandwich has to be as cowboy as the food. thick or roasted it may not even be bologna, the true thrill of the rodeo can be found in the ring where a legend has been risking life and limb for almost 50 years, it's not if you get hurt, its victory and what a bad love, guts and glory for a mortal. possibility of fame his legacy is rodeo and cowboy is his name cowboy culture has always been linked to showmanship and the rodeo has remained one of the enduring symbols of the United States some of the bravest men in the ring are bullfighters Unlike their Spanish cousins ​​these heroes distract the angry beast by goring a fallen rider there are a lot of people who say I would love to do this and they are done after the first day let's put it this way we have a lot of job security because it's not like that if you get it hurts is when and how bad to know that in front that scares him Leon Coffey is a veteran in this sport it's life or death mm-hmm they are a little pointy every day they can hit you with 2,000 pounds of pressure that's enough to take away your head to a man completely mm-hmm the entire right side of my face is all plastic and so mm-hmm it is the mentality of a firefighter and there are very few people who possess that with a resistance over the decades.

Leon has become a beloved figure at the San Antonio rodeo my granddaughter just can't get enough of your butt while Cafe retired from bullfighting in 1993 Leon still entertains crowds every night as a rodeo clown how many generations in your family have been working with horses for generations just like the cowboys centuries before Leon and his family are part of the untold story of the American cowboy, there is a great American icon of a man on a horse and that man he generally looks like John Wayne not Baretta, he once had a blast about to get run over by a Bull and I say send the white man, don't send a black man, you know what I'm saying, skill took precedence over color of fur in the West, many cowboys were freed slaves, he imitates them, but the agricultural way of life, yes, it's not about culture, it's about it's about keeping animals alive it's about growing crops to feed people in a largely segregated country Cowboys created their own social norms oh is this what I think is homemade shakes that are spicy and smoky mm-hmm venison jerky by the way, from a deer someone shot?

I can go buy a venison store, meeting León and sharing his homemade jerky was a true cowboy experience. There has been mine, it's what I've been looking for at the rodeo food court, but so far it's been hit or miss. Churros are one of the

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that I feel like I automatically fall into the cowboy category simply because historically this is one of the great sweets of Mexico and they owned Texas for quite a while oh thank you so much Kyah goat milk candy mmm, Idols like this were worshiped in ancient times. I just want you to know that the San Antonio rodeo is a colorful spectacle 54 miles to the northwest.

A more traditional understanding of cowboys can be found in the city of Bandera, nicknamed the cowboy capital of the world. This town became an important center for the Chisholm Trail and cattle drives. Expanded West Bandera is a nice little town, there is a lot of history here. The legacy of the Bandera cowboys continues today. It is common to find as many horses as cars driving down Main Street. Bandera is also the training center for Tammy's Foam. She is a world champion in the sport of horse shooting. On the street like this I hear the soundtrack of the good, the bad and the ugly.

Horseback shooting is the fastest-growing equine sport in the United States and involves the skills that cowboys considered essential: skill with a firearm and the ability to handle a galloping horse. This is 11th Street cowboy bar different kind of cowboy I was going to see gas fueled chores I like your horses good job Tammy is offering to show me the ropes tomorrow and has brought her students Becky Carl and Lee to share their stories during A hearty Texas meal. I hope you're hungry. I'm never hungry, you can always eat something. Oh, the horse stable was once a blacksmithing operation that shot hundreds of horses.

TJ's in Old Forge restaurant now produces plenty of Texas food, like bacon-wrapped quail ribs and pork legs. full of delicious bull thighs and this is very good a quail stuffed with jalapeño with bacon very good I wish they sold them in the cinemas it is good how is your rib? mine is great mine is wonderful very happy very very good mm-hmm someone try no one cares about your tuna Carl as a sportsman as a nature lover I'm so excited about this, how did you get into this honestly on a date? I was trying to be cool, I had a natural desire to hate losing and I just thought yeah I'm going to do this.

I'm going to do it with everything I have. What happened to the guy? I'll still have the horse. Tami keeps his word. She is the first cowgirl in history to beat men in the general shootout. title and like all cowboys, she has a close relationship with her horse and I look at my horse that I want all my world championships on and I can't thank that horse enough. I had a brain injury in 2012 from a drunk driver and he helped me. I went back to my rehab, he gave me my confidence, my courage, back. I trust him.

He is that to me more than anyone. It's a wonderful story. You have an appreciation for life. Life is short and it is shot at point blank range. The game in the Cowboys. knee means here in the ring it's more than a game it's a real challenge there you go you can't fail now you're always clean plus a quick draw it takes courage and metal for a cowboy to survive on the prairie if mishandled it's deadly this part of Texas a long time ago was the heart of the Comanche country so the cowboys who came on a cattle drive through here faced immense danger these days the most dangerous thing that cowboys and cowgirls face turns out that our balloons light up while the The city Bandera is no longer Indian territory.

Still worth riding andbuild in the Texas Hill Country today. It's for sport and not for survival, but it's a mm-hmm timed event that you like, so everyone always goes faster than they should. okay and then the speed will come later. I'm reading between the lines here what you're telling me, slow down, slow down, big fella, yeah, I heard that before world class mounted shooter, Tammy's Frantz, invited me to try my skills on her. training center on the outskirts of town Annie Oakley arrived before the headmistress, I mean you are the current version of the current generation even though you come from Perth.

I see what you did there. Tammy was drawn to the sport because of its connection to cowboy history and to put a female face on the male-dominated world of rodeo. She is also an expert teacher who attracts dozens of new recruits each year. hammer trigger okay good white hand up hammer trigger okay that's how you want to do it let me get you white drinking sugar White's pants until three o'clock just on horseback the goal of the course is to hit all 10 targets while keeping the maximum speed, so precision is key. How they practice. Let me tell you, this is the new West, keeping the pace constant and the shot from the shore. difficult even on foot keep hand straight hammer trigger keep cycling noLeave it there, you're right.

I did what you shouldn't do on horseback. It will be the real test. I guess it's the fastest thing a human being can do. Know. I mean, it's a while. event this is the deal it's you and me I mean a competition from when we got in the ring until now your old belt buckle and your head that's all I know I just shot 10 for 10 25 seconds I have a nice cold ginger ale says that don't stop, yeah, now it's on, now it's on, okay, this is your time to slow down, trust and communication with your horse, the cowgirl trifecta, she's good, a real cowboy, ain't she Welsh in its stakes, the rodeo remains a symbol of the American cowboy and cowgirl. and many believe that they only live in the entertainment field in Texas, it is not nostalgia, it is a necessity. 200 miles east and near the original Chisholm Trail lies Chapel Hill, where the hardworking cowboy is a way of life.

John and Tanya Elack chose this land to build on. Texas ranch life because of his rich land in history John, how many generations his family has been here. My grandfather came here in the 1850s, when he was 12, 13, 14 years old. He began walking the Chisholm Trail. Living off the land is something that comes naturally to this cowboy. How many acres do they have here? Probably around 1800, this ranch has mostly herds of Longhorn cows, huh, they're wild animals, they're free range and there are buffalo here that haven't been here in 150 years. I can tell you right now that animals left to graze freely on healthy pastures like that are some of the best meats, oh there you have it haha, there you have it buddy, a simple sauté of butter, jalapenos and onions over time turns this freshly caught sea bass into a snack for two, oh man, those get crispy, it's better than French fries, this is beautiful, my friend, that's delicious, mmm, man, it's that good, there are some good lessons to learn, getting a little closer to nature, that's true, being close to nature is wearing cowboy jeans and there are some diehards who refuse to give up the old ways, the wagon crew, proud descendants of the greatest heritage From our country, there is no modern technology here, just a cast iron pot on an open fire, a freshly slaughtered cast and a tipi taken from the side of the wall.

Because you snore, cowboys

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upside down, so meals were critical to a happy, hard-working team on the trails. As cattle drives grew and trails expanded, keeping cowboys fed was a key part. of the trip, the most important person on the cattle drive was not. the cattle master or main cattle driver was the camp cook the man who drove the wagon a short drive west of Gila Krantz is a camp dedicated to the real wagon experience how old is this little guy? Oh, probably a yearling here that's good for drinking sake, guys, or jerking off your pants while outlaw chef Terry Chandler has spent years perfecting open-fire cooking techniques in his historic wagon, serving up cowboy cuisine on ranches across the country. southwest and runs his own award-winning restaurant. in Fort Worth no one else can do this no one I mean, this is the fun part yes sir, for me to experience something that goes back to a way of life that doesn't exist yes sir, I wouldn't call it the last bottle of water in the desert but You're so close, well there are some of us in Texas who aren't going to stop a freshly slaughtered cap is the basis of one of the cowboys' most beloved recipes.

Son of a bitch stew when a calf is slaughtered like that, yeah, and there's no refrigeration, yeah, they made a stew out of the edible crap, all the innards that would spoil first, the stew consists of the organs of the calf, including the heart, tongue, stomach and liver, we will not do it. brains in our stew today our students are going to have brains sounds like all the guys on my team hey, we're used to working with that, every cook has his own version of the dish, but everyone swears that if a sob doesn't have guts he's not a sov we're looking to save the loam okay the only essential ingredient is the intestinal marrow this tube connected to the stomach of a calf gives the stew a sweet, milky tinge to its base Biddy I'll just say it right now fresh calf liver sorry , nothing better, end of discussion when a calf couldn't be saved, the cook had to improvise and there were a lot of rattlesnakes on the trails, so how do they catch it?

You just crawl over the hill and start grabbing them and throwing them at someone who has a bucket, you know, you make it sound like you pick up a bouquet, put it in the basket, it's not that easy, is it, this is like a gun. , if handled poorly, is deadly in the 19th century, a rattlesnake. The bite was often fatal, so sometimes it was better to make the first hit one less danger and a few less hungry cowboys, that's crazy, yeah, yeah. Rattlesnake is a versatile meat, but the preparation process can be complicated. Still moving without contractions for about three hours.

Alright Richard, the camp's resident blacksmith has skinned the part of him right there is the rectum of him, oh, he killed it, he paid for it. I guess you can't say that when I'm glad snakes aren't pregnant, rattlesnakes are born alive if you cut one open. The baby is there, it's true, they are the most poisonous of all. Are you kidding? Thank you for telling me now that the muscles still twist until they meet the boiling oil. The snake is fried quickly, but the stew will take several hours to cook. Pleasant and rustic flavors. of beautiful old ribs, what I was walking two hours ago, fresh, raw beef liver is one of the purest taste experiences on the planet, the heart is one of the most prized meats, so not everything is intended for the stew of this heart and not Man, it has a really rich flavor, yes, we are going to bake and wrap it a little, we are going to roast it, it looks like a splatter film here, the organs need time to soften and filter their flavor into the liver broth, it is simply delicious.

It smells so good here, okay, stir our guts a little, this thing here is a beauty, oh my God, unicorn, a dozen hungry cowboys can lead to chaos, what in the name of all that is sacred, are you? doing well? I wanted to take my shoulders off you. that counselor the couch wouldn't come in tonight no one is on duty with Keio the couch can smell the whiskey and when they smell the whiskey they know there's no one in the coyote Doody the pulled cart wasn't just a kitchen, it was a social center and the Cowboys They are true.

At home, in the field, I have to eat some of that snake. How can something so deadly taste so good? Roasted bone marrow is known for its rich, smooth cowboy butter flavor—that's a heart stopper. Mmm, oh man, it looks like a meat hug when there's food. this good you just need to look me in the eyes and tell me you love me, grilled ribeye skewers and jalapeño bacon wrapped beef hearts round out the meal, some of these right here, this is amazing, let's see what it tastes like , must be a joke. Yo, look at this, there's just cooked tripe in there, a little bit of tongue, a little bit of loin, you know, what I can tell from the smell is that the liver broth is delicious, make me throw my hat and dance around it again.

You go, you know, something's wrong with you, these guys laugh a lot, but this is serious food, get a tan, I'll tell you a good night story and you stand on the side of the wall because you snore, I'm not going to take off my boots. Outside, I'm not well either, good night, a break from the Cowboys is vital, since you don't know what the next day will bring. Scary, since everyone comes out standing here in the ring that was near the cattle drives. The Chuck Wagon cooks were the earliest risers. Terry Chandler. No exception, get up, I told you that as soon as the sun comes up, he'll have a dozen hungry cowboys in his hands.

I mean, this is the other part of why you do this right, yeah, it's what you're going to wake up and blur. or a beautiful lake, breathe that area, go have breakfast, believe it or not, I'm actually hungry again and you didn't snore as loud as I thought last night no, have a good night, don't understand Terry making his own version of the classic meal of cowboy skillet with calf brains and eggs, we're going to do something a little non-traditional, we're going to shoot some trees, although I'm sure their homemade chorizo ​​comes two ways, flavored with guajillo chiles that give the sweet spicy red Gaza sausage smells fantastic and a green one made with cilantro and epazote a tasty herb that grows wild all over Texas boy, oh boy, the breakfast looks delicious or even more delicious, here are the brains, it's a beauty, using the brains from yesterday's butchered cap, this breakfast is full of complex flavors but is easy to cook, speed is important when dealing with a hungry team, she is cooking for 10 or 12 of us, this hard work imagine a squad complete with nuri war jeans.

I don't have to imagine what they will have. They had no choice but to eat what I put out and if they made me angry, they would get a separate joke. Chuck Wagon's cook wielded a lot of power in the units. Oh, there ha, the cookie word was law and if you broke the rules. You didn't eat, which would be a shame under Terry's supervision. I mean, brains really do taste great, it's got enough organ on fire to keep me happy, but you throw that chorizo ​​in there, delicious, absolutely delicious. GameChanger, oh my goodness, the unique piece. of crispy bacon Not going to lie, nice little feature you might want to address, how are you?

Terry and his crew are preserving a piece of cowboy history and proving that simple, wood-fired food can't be beat as a way to pass the time. with brothers in the kitchen, that's what food and cooking is made of and to learn the lesson, gain the wisdom to make you guys laugh, it was absolutely amazing, this was a day and a night I will never forget, seriously, life on the Texas ranch is just a few miles from Terry's Camp with 8 restored homes on the grounds, visitors can explore stay the night and experience an authentic working ranch today Johnny Lick and his two ranch hands Craig and Chris are planning to castrate and specularly mark your calves, it is an important task and a real look at the modern life of cowboys the invention of barbed wire finally ended the open range but the technique of cattle herding has remained the same we have that calf just right there it wants to separate let's get close to me Andrew yes, stand on this side and blow closer, it is the subtle but strong direction of the cowboy leading the calf back to the herd, tell him he would return, handle him, help him and then rest, Leave it alone right now, we've got them inside. the pocket, so this pack is pretty much ours so far, alright, once they are in the ring the Cowboys can get to work on safely holding their calves, they will use a rope technique that demands precision, here we go heads and heads and perfect timing the exact reason these skills are revered in today's rodeo incredible incredible no joke those guys are good I will also share with you no joke terrifying since everyone comes out standing here in the ring the brand started on the cattle trail to deter thieves from stealing prized property swing it swing it back and forth still used on ranches today to identify their steers good brand rope brand cut foam rinse repeat oh good throw Craig Wow boom the castration is necessary to curb aggression in growing bulls.

Now this is vitally important because it takes away theirtestosterone meat improves they are less fighters just two ropes holding this angry calf oh well that was close this can be a dangerous business don't keep them in your pocket because they get a little stinky after a couple of days only if you forget they are there No, look, a real cowboy doesn't let one of the tastiest parts go to waste, that's a meal for two people, that's Thanksgiving. Beef balls are usually battered and fried, but I don't want to mask their mild earthy, salt, lemon, onion, hot chili flavor.

Everyone likes them fried. I prefer them sautéed like this. I'll be interested to see what you think about these. Well, I've tried them. I'm just in a Brandon. pot, you know, when you cut them up, yeah, throw them in there, eat them like that, the branding fire is the right heat to brown them to perfection. I never thought she would cook it like that, but I said, eat the whole plate. I can't make strings worth anything, but I can cook up a good game of balls. That's a very good night. I'm impressed. I'm ready. Craig's goal for the weekend is set.

That's good. I like it. The hoot isn't the only staple in this Texas. ranch, you have a mini lasso, that is, if you can catch the Old West, it's not a certain place at a certain time, it's a state of mind here in Texas ranch life, the owners take pride in the sinews of the land that have been returned for generations, so you have all these chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks wandering around here, they are free-range and let me tell you, it makes for some pretty good food. John Ilyich raises the cattle while his wife Tanya and his daughter Ashlyn maintain the farm.

I mean, here's the What you can't eat red meat all the time don't tell dad red meat all the time if it were possible, a prosperous chicken coop has one male rooster for every dozen hens, but roosters are not the easier birds to raise. He becomes very aggressive and protective of his offspring, do you have one? You have an anion that wakes you up too often in the mornings. All this, well, waking up isn't a bad thing. He jumps on my back when I try. to get the eggs out of the henhouse ah that one that one I don't know if we can get in but today I don't like one of the worst bullies will end up in the pot so hold on to all this Okay and let me see what I can do, be careful with the Spurs, okay, do you have a mini lasso?

Eating this fresh can take a lot of effort, oh yeah, okay, then come on, it makes us make an ornery rooster doesn't guarantee delicious meat, but a farm-raised bird does the right thing due to its natural diet and higher fat content look at the color of that fat this is a good eat this is the tastiest meat you just don't want the toes those toenails are the worst nightmare for chicken feet lovers and the rest of the chicken feet It will add depth of flavor and collagen to the broth. My grandmother would be so proud that all cowboys love a Philly meal, so potatoes, kale, carrots, and green onions are added to the soup.

The preferred hearty accompaniment is a traditional cornmeal biscuit that the elixir calls Corn Put Brahma. and they are great to keep in your pocket, it's like on a cattle drive or a cowboy it could be a wonderful thing, like the good baked version of beef jerky and corn puts was a convenient snack on the cattle trails, but it's even better when you dip in rooster stew to always feed a hungry person who leaves the ranch whether for lunch or dinner a meal this delicious is a fair reward for an exhausting day and realizing corn pancakes I like corn pancakes John no I'm going to lie to you well, this smells fantastic like fresh vegetables from the garden, rooster/chicken that was killed this morning, soup, there's just nothing better, cornbread.

I mean, simple is good, could you write about dipping them in there? This simplicity is timeless and defines the life of jeans. If you squint you could be in the 19th century, you know they had a pretty good time, yes, but while a lot of things have changed, a lot of things stay the same and I think people who are reclaiming parts of that or are pretty solid also have the jaw like Marlboro. Man ran out of hard work, honesty and living in harmony with the land, is the motto of the cowboy who lives these values ​​that go back hundreds and hundreds of years and this spirit endures in Texas, the people who have maintained I live this lifestyle are as diverse as the United States.

Herself, these men and women, like the Cowboys before them, have forged their own path by holding on to traditions and setting a new standard for modern rural life, so remember the next time you're in cowboy country, If it looks good, eat it.