Objectives WEEK

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▪ At the end of this session, the student should have:
• Describe and explain the characteristics of Western USA
Cuisine.
• Outline how the mountains and the prairies became

Western USA important in the raising of cattle and sheep, as well as the
proliferation of potatoes.
• Identify and explain variety of dishes, techniques and

Cuisine ingredients specific to Western USA Cuisine.

• Discuss the different culinary influences that shaped the
cuisine of Western USA.
• Implement Western USA cooking techniques in preparing
and presenting representative Western USA dishes
employing standard principles, concepts, and quality
factors
• Critique and evaluate prepared dishes based on standards
of quality for representative dishes.

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Western USA States WEEK

Western USA States WEEK

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▪ Idaho ▪ Idaho - “The Gem State,” known for the state
fruit, which is the huckleberry; the state
▪ Montana vegetable is the potato, and the state fish is
the cutthroat trout
▪ Wyoming ▪ Nevada - is officially known as the "Silver
State" because of the importance of silver to
▪ Nevada its history and economy. It is also known as
the "Battle Born State" because it achieved
▪ Utah statehood during the Civil War (the words
"Battle Born" also appear on the state flag); as
▪ Colorado the "Sagebrush State", for the native plant of
the same name; and as the "Sage-hen State.“
▪ Montana - “The Treasure State,” also known
as “Big Sky Country” and the “Mountain
State,” has the state fish as the blackspotted
cutthroat trout and the state animal as the
grizzly bear

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Western USA States WEEK

Western USA WEEK

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▪ Wyoming - “The Evergreen State,” also known ▪ Several different groups,
as the “Cowboy State,” “Big Wyoming,” and the each with its own proud
“Equality State,” where bison is the state history and traditions,
mammal, cutthroat trout is the state fish, and the
state sport is the rodeo.
have contributed to the
Southwest’s distinct
▪ Utah - “The Beehive State,” where the state fruit
includes both sweet and tart cherries, the state character. The Native
vegetable is the Spanish sweet onion, the state Americans in the area
historic vegetable is the sugar beet, the state that is now the states of
animal is the Rocky Mountain elk, and the state New Mexico and Arizona
cooking pot is the Dutch oven. have had more success
▪ Colorado - “The Centennial State,” where the maintaining their
state animal is the Rocky Mountain bighorn languages, religions, and
sheep, the state fish is the green cutthroat trout, traditions than American
and the state folk dance is the square dance.
Indians in other parts of
the United States.

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 Western USA WEEK
Western USA Topology WEEK

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▪ In the Rocky Mountain states – ▪ America’s western
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and plateau is classified as a
Wyoming – the miners, cowboys, steppe, or a high plateau
and frontier families that ventured into region with a semiarid
this once harsh and remote land had climate, shallow
a courage and self-reliance that is sedimentary soil, and
reflected in the independent streak of extreme weather.
their sons and daughters. ▪ Such land supports only
▪ Their cooking is called Western the hardiest vegetation:
Ranchlands cuisine, a style that tough, low-growing
spread to other areas of America. shrubs and a limited
Ranchland's cooking is based on variety of grasses.
pioneer provisions and features beef,
an ingredient they possessed in
virtually limitless supply.

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Western USA Topology WEEK

Western USA Topology WEEK

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▪ The change in vegetation is primarily due to a ▪ On the western plateau
change in precipitation patterns. Although land east wildfires are frequent,
of the meridian normally receives enough rainfall to caused by both lightning
support temperate grasses and grain cultivation. strikes and humans.
▪ The Rocky Mountains are Although frightening and
also the primary cause of destructive, these fires
the western plateau’s provide a valuable function.
infamous wind and During the shortgrass
stormy weather. The prairie’s dormant season
Rockies block warm wildfires burn off the old
Pacific breezes, creating a top vegetation, creating
continental climate lacking carbonized organic matter
moderating ocean effects. that provides much-
needed fertilization for the
roots.

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Western USA Topology WEEK

Western USA Topology WEEK

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▪ Before European arrival in the ▪ One animal almost totally
Americas, a staggering variety of dominated the shortgrass
wildlife ranged the Great Plains. prairie landscape: the great
Waterfowl found refuge in river short-horned bison,
valleys, and dry-land birds such commonly known as the
as pheasants, grouse, and the American buffalo
now endangered prairie chicken
sheltered on the plains. Hawks,
eagles, vultures, and other
predatory birds cruised the wide
prairie sky.
▪ Jackrabbits and prairie dogs
lived among the shrubs and
grasses. Deer, elk, and
antelope migrated through the
river valleys and traversed the
Rocky Mountain foothills.

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 Spanish Influence WEEK
Spanish Influence WEEK

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▪ When the Spanish first ▪ The introduction of meats
came, they found 98 other than wild game is
Native American attributed to the Spanish,
settlements, called who brought livestock
“pueblos,” along the Rio with them. They
Grande. The Spanish were introduced sheep to the
amazed to discover that region in 1598, and by the
the Native Americans had 1880s, millions of sheep,
already developed an cattle, and hogs were
irrigation system capable being raised, many of
of bringing enough water to which were shipped to
the desert fields to sustain other regions of the
a variety of local crops, United States.
primarily consisting of corn,
squash, and beans.

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Spanish Influence WEEK

Western Ranching WEEK

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▪ Although the Mexican government ▪ One problem now stood
had encouraged American in the way of western
settlement in Texas, after it ranching: the region’s
became part of the United States Native American
in the mid-1800s, greater population. The
numbers of Americans began American government-
establishing ranches there. To sell forced expulsion of Native
their cattle, Texas ranchers drove American tribes from the
them primarily to New Orleans central plains in the early
and cities in the Plantation South. 1800s had pushed
However, the Civil War seriously numerous tribes west
disrupted commerce throughout
the South and stopped cattle from
reaching market.

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Western Ranching WEEK

Western Ranching WEEK

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▪ Once the “Indian problem” ▪ Disputes over grazing
had been resolved and the territory sometimes led
Great Plains virtually to violence and even full-
cleared of bison, word got scale range wars. If a
out that millions could be small rancher had several
made in cattle ranching. years of bad luck, he
Before long, a higher class could easily default on his
of entrepreneurs began bank loan and face
settling the western plateau. foreclosure. Many were
Wealthy Easterners, forced to sell out to a local
Englishmen, and cattle baron and become
Europeans claimed huge hired hands on their own
tracts of Western land and former ranches.
established great ranches –
called “cattle barons”

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 Western Ranching
▪ Advances in agricultural
technology and the
development of drought-
resistant wheat
eventually made it
possible to farm many
parts of the western
plateau.
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Foodways and Habits
▪ Because beef cattle are the
main product of a typical
western ranch, it’s no surprise
that in Ranchlands cuisine the
main protein food is beef. In
Ranchlands cuisine, beef is
often substituted for chicken in
favorite dishes, as in chicken-
fried steak or beef pot pie
▪ Although most ranches had a
flock of chickens, they were
kept primarily for eggs.
Chicken was considered a
special-occasion food and
served infrequently.
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Foodways and Habits
▪ By the late1800s most ranch
house kitchens were furnished
with a cast-iron woodstove
complete with an oven and
warming box. In addition, many
had a stone fireplace with a
rotisserie and cooking
hearth.
▪ In the hot summer months,
much of the cooking was
done outdoors in a fire pit
near the kitchen. Outdoor
cooking remains a hallmark
of Ranchlands cuisine.
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WEEK
Western Ranching WEEK
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▪ The cattle boom abruptly
busted during the winter of
1886–1887, when the coldest
weather in recorded history
froze cattle in their tracks and
blizzards buried them in
snowdrifts. To this day,
However, ranching and the
cowboy lifestyle are the subject
of many popular books and
films and have become major
elements in American popular
culture. More important to
students of cuisine, ranching
created a unique American
regional cooking style.
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WEEK
Foodways and Habits WEEK
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▪ Unlike other American culinary
regions where women traditionally
do the cooking, Ranchlands
cuisine was primarily developed
by men.
▪ Most ranch house kitchens were
run by a paid employee who was
frequently a retired cowboy and
almost always a man.
▪ Despite having a minimized food
culture, ranchers and cowboys
nonetheless demanded well-
cooked, substantial meals.
Ranches that served poor food had
a hard time keeping help and, once
word got around that their cooking
was bad, had a hard time hiring
good workers.
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WEEK
Foodways and Habits WEEK
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▪ When the bacteria in a
particular dough mass become
too numerous, the acids they
produce create conditions that
kill many kinds of yeasts.
Luckily, a few types of wild
yeast thrive in acidic
conditions. This fact makes
possible a special type of
bread that has become a
signature dish of Ranchlands
cooking and other cuisines of
the American West. Because
this unique bread has a tangy,
acidic flavor, it’s called
sourdough.
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 Famous Western USA Ingredients
▪ Colorado Lamb - World renowned
for its excellent flavor, low fat
content, and large eye in the rack.
Lamb is one of the largest
agricultural products of the Rocky
Mountains.
▪ Epazote - A wild herb with jagged,
serrated edges with a strong flavor
reminiscent of kerosene. The young,
small leaves are best and can be
used like greens in soups or
stews. It is frequently used in
cooked beans of all types to reduce
their gaseousness. It is also known
as “ambrosia,” “lamb’s quarters,”
“wormseed,” “stinkweed,” and
“pigweed.”
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Famous Western USA Ingredients
▪ Buffalo - Also called “bison,” a
member of the Bovidae family and
believed to be a descendant of
wild cattle. Buffalo is once again
being raised for consumption and
has become popular owing to its
rich, sweet taste and low fat
content compared to beef.
Buffalo should be cooked a lower
temperature and a shorter time
than beef.
▪ Elk - A very large relative of the
deer. The meat is very dark and
coarsely grained, without
significant marbling. Smoked
elk’s tongue is considered a
delicacy by many in the Rocky
Mountains.
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Famous Western USA Ingredients
▪ Horchata - A sweet beverage
made from milk, ground raw
rice, and almonds and
flavored with cinnamon. It is
garnished with toasted
pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and is
said to counteract the effects
of eating very hot chiles,
leaving only the essence of the
flavor.
▪ Huitalacoche - Also referred to
as “acuitlacoche,” this is a
fungus that grows on corn. The
fungus is used in fairly large
pieces as an ingredient in
many Southwestern dishes and
is prepared similarly to
mushrooms.
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WEEK
Famous Western USA Ingredients WEEK
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▪ Cutthroat Trout - A variety of
freshwater trout with
distinctive markings on its
neck.
▪ Dandelion - A wild leafy plant
with a bright yellow flower
harvested by the Native
American Indians. The leaves
are usually blanched and
served in salad. Dandelions
should be eaten before they
flower, after which they are
bitter.
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WEEK
Famous Western USA Ingredients WEEK
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▪ Venison - A generic term for
any variety of deer meat. One
of the most popular varieties of
game, venison needs to be
hung and marinated before
cooking, unless the animal is
very young.
▪ Wild Boar Boar - meat is a
deeper red than pork, and is
somewhat less fatty. The
meat of the young boar is
tender, but older animals have
considerably tougher meat
with a gamier taste.
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WEEK
Famous Western USA Ingredients WEEK
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▪ Nixtamal Kernels - of corn
partially processed with slaked
lime and similar to hominy, the
ground kernels are mixed with
seasonings to make a dough,
like masa, to make tamales.
Nixtamal is also used whole in
soups and stews. It can be
used as a substitute for posole.
▪ Palisade Peach - Indigenous
to the western slopes of
Colorado near the city of Grand
Junction, palisade peaches are
world renowned for their sweet
flavor and firm texture.
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 Famous Western USA Ingredients
▪ Pine Nuts - Also known as
“piñon nuts,” they are
harvested from the cones of
pine trees growing at high
altitudes in the Rock Mountains
and the Southwest. Considered
to be the largest uncultivated
crop in North America, pine
nuts can be roasted or
ground to add a distinctive
flavor to any dish.
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Famous Western USA Dishes
▪ Agua Fresca - Originating in
Mexico, a fresh fruit drink
made from pureed fruit,
sugar, and sparkling water.
The fruits most commonly used
are tamarind, watermelon,
banana, strawberry, and
mango.
▪ Atole - An ancient soup made
from ground dried corn or
masa harina. Sometimes
made with blue corn, atole may
be thinned and sweetened and
used as a beverage. It can also
be found as a fermented
beverage.
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Famous Western USA Dishes
▪ Cold Flour - A parched corn
that was pounded into a
coarse meal similar to
polenta, mixed with sugar
and cinnamon, and eaten as
a cereal. This was an
important provision of the
chuckwagons that traveled
west along the Oregon Trail.
▪ Indian Flat Bread - Also
referred to as “Navajo fry
bread,” this all-purpose flat
bread is made with corn flour
by the Native Americans of the
Four Corners region.
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WEEK
Famous Western USA Ingredients WEEK
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▪ Potatoes - One of the most famous foods in the Rocky Mountains
is the potato. Over 100 varieties are farmed, mostly in Idaho and
Colorado. In fact, Idaho Potato is now a registered trademark.
Idaho Potatoes are usually grown in volcanic soil and irrigated with
fresh mountain runoff water.
Alaskan Sweetheart Baby All-Blue Ozette Purple Peruvian
Red Bliss Red Sangre Russet Yukon Gold /
Yellow Fin
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WEEK
Famous Western USA Dishes WEEK
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▪ Buffaloberry - Used primarily
to make jams and jellies, this
wild berry, orange or red in
color, is somewhat bitter in
flavor. Found throughout the
mountains and plains, it ripens
in early to late fall. If picked just
after a frost, the buffaloberry is
sweet enough to use in pies.
▪ Chico - A dried kernel of
corn, sometimes referred to as
“parched corn.” Chicos are
steamed and added to soups
and stews.
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WEEK
Famous Western USA Dishes WEEK
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▪ Fried Green Jerky - A traditional
dish of the Pueblo tribe made from
dried beef that is softened, fried
with onions and chiles in lard,
and simmered with fresh chopped
tomatoes.
▪ Jerky - Cured and salted, air- or
oven-dried strips of beef or bison.
▪ Piki Bread - A traditional
unleavened bread made by the
Hopi tribe with blue corn. It has
many thin, papery layers and is
cooked on heated piki stones.
These stones have been seasoned
with bone marrow or cooked
sheep’s brains and serve the same
function as a cast-iron skillet or wok.
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 Similar Ingredients used in both Tex-Mex
Famous Western USA Dishes WEEK and Rocky Mountain Cooking WEEK

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▪ Posole - A dried form of
nixtamal, used like masa
harina for making tamales
and tortillas.
▪ Posole also refers to a
Chiles Cilantro Jicama Masa/Masa Harina
traditional Southwestern
soup or stew that uses this
type of corn. Posole is
available in four colors—blue,
red, yellow, and white. Posole
is a convenient and safe way to
store corn for long periods, but Mole Nopales Queso Fresco
it needs to be reconstituted
with water prior to use.
Nixtamal or hominy can be
substituted for posole.
Salsa Tamale Tomatillo Tortilla

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