HOW TO MAKE COWBOY COFFEE
What is Cowboy Coffee?
Cowboy coffee is one of the few drinks enjoyed by cowboys on the trail. Old-timers who drank ‘Cowboy Coffee’ made it as simple to make. During a wagon train or trail ride, cowboys carried only necessities for food and beverages. This coffee is made outdoors, under the open sky, and over a crackling fire. Chuckwagon cooks created this beverage to give energy to physically fatigued cowboys. Roughing it on the open range required a coarse and hardy drink for the cowboys. The simple steps to make this enjoyable, old-time coffee are as follows:
NOTE: This Coffee SHOULD NOT be finely ground. Cowboy coffee is rough due to coarsely ground coffee beans. This type of coffee WILL NOT fully become extracted, resulting in a smooth texture.
Important: Let the coffee grounds settle to the bottom of the pot for best results. DO NOT use fine ground coffee.
What You Need:
- Large Coffee Pot (2 gal)
- Water
- 1 ½ cups of coarse coffee (per 4 cups of water)
- Ladle (or spoon)
Brewing Process:
- Fill the coffee pot ¾ full of water
- Place coffee pot over an open fire (until boiling)
- Once boiling, Add 1 ½ cups of coffee grounds (per 4 cups of water)
- Begin to stir and remove from fire
- Add approx. 1 cup of cold water. This helps the coffee grounds settle to the bottom of the pot.
Written Instructions:
After gathering all the materials needed to make cowboy coffee, fill the coffee pot ¾ full of water. Next, place the coffee pot over an open fire and let simmer until the water boils. Once the water is boiling, add 1 ½ cups of coffee grounds to the water. Be sure and measure correctly (1 ½ cups coffee grounds per 4 cups of water). Remove the coffee pot from the fire and begin stirring. While stirring, add approximately 1 cup of cold water to settle the coffee grounds to the bottom of the pot. Once the coffee is well stirred (approx. 5 min), pour into a cup and enjoy! Warning: The coffee will be hot!
