TRAIL MIX Ah, the mythical cowboy—he squandered not a second of daylight on the range. But after darkness fell, our archetype unwound in front of a glowing campfire, chowing down on beans and biscuits and slugging down coffee as black as the skies above. Now, a new cookbook—Bill Cauble and Cliff Teinert’s Barbecue, Biscuits & Beans: Chuck Wagon Cooking (Bright Sky Press, $24.95)—collects classic Western recipes for a new generation. In the book, which includes a foreword by San Saba boy Tommy Lee Jones (yes, that Tommy Lee Jones), the authors tip their hats to heritage with directions for making “Beef and Beans,” “Camp Chili,” and baking-powder biscuits. But the two Albany-area residents also offer modern dishes such as tart honeyed game hens and browned pork chops with pears. By the way, Cauble and Teinert have impressive credentials: They helped get the Western Chuck Wagon Association rolling. Like their cooking, they’re the real deal.
