Section 2. Individual cooking.
Sometimes rations for several days are issued to the soldier at one time, and in such cases you should be very careful to so use the rations that they will last you the entire period. If you stuff yourself one day, or waste your rations, you will have to starve later on.
Generally the cooking for the company will be done by the company cook, but sometimes every soldier will have to prepare his own meals, using only his field mess kit for the purpose.
The best fire for individual cooking is a small, clear one, or, better yet, a few brisk coals. To make such a fire, first gather a number of sticks about 1 inch in diameter. These should be dry. Dead limbs adhering to a tree are dryer than those picked up from the ground. Split some of these and shave them up into kindling. Dig a trench in the ground, laid with the wind, about a foot long, 4 inches wide, and 6 inches deep. Start the fire in this trench gradually, piling on the heavier wood as the fire grows. When the trench is full of burning wood, allow it a few minutes to burn down to the coals and stop blazing high. Then rest the meat can and cup over the trench and start cooking. Either may be supported, if necessary, with green sticks. If you can not scrape a trench in the soil, build one up out of rocks or with two parallel logs.
The following recipes have been furnished from the office of the Quartermaster General, United States Army:
Coffee.--Fill the cup two-thirds full of water and bring to a boil. Add one heaping spoonful of coffee and stir well, adding one spoonful of sugar if desired. Boil five minutes and then set it to the side of the fire to simmer for about 10 minutes. Then, to clear the coffee, throw in a spoonful or two of cold water. This coffee is of medium strength and is within the limit of the ration if made but twice a day.
Cocoa.--Take two-thirds of a cupful of water, bring to a boil, add one heaping spoonful of cocoa, and stir until dissolved. Add one spoonful of sugar, if desired, and boil for five minutes.
Chocolate.--Take two-thirds of a cupful of water, bring to a boil, add a piece of chocolate about the size of a hickory nut, breaking or cutting it into small pieces and stirring until dissolved. Add one spoonful of sugar, if desired, and boil for five minutes.
Tea.--Take two-thirds of a cupful of water, bring to a boll, add one-half of a level spoonful of tea, and then let it stand or "draw" for three minutes. If allowed to stand longer the tea will get bitter, unless separated from the ten leaves.
MEATS.
Bacon.--Cut slices about five to the inch, three of which should generally be sufficient for one man for one meal. Place in a meat can with about one-half inch of cold water. Let come to a boll and then pour the water off. Fry over a brisk fire, turning the bacon once and quickly browning it. Remove the bacon to lid of meat can, leaving the grease for frying potatoes, onions, rice, flapjacks, etc., according to recipe.
Fresh meat (to fry).--To fry, a small amount of grease (one to two spoonfuls) is necessary. Put grease in the meat can and let come to a smoking temperature, then drop in the steak and, if about one-half inch thick, let fry for about one minute before turning, depending upon whether it is desired it shall be rare, medium, or well done. Then turn and fry briskly as before. Salt and pepper to taste.
Applies to beef, veal, pork, mutton, venison, etc.
Fresh meat (to broil).--Cut in slices about one inch thick, from half as large as the hand to four times that size. Sharpen a stick or branch of convenient length--say, from two to four feet long--and weave the point of the stick through the steak several times, so that it may be readily turned over a few brisk coals or on the windward side of a small fire. Allow to brown nicely, turning frequently. Salt and pepper to taste. Meat with considerable fat is preferred, though any meat may be broiled in this manner.
Fresh meat (to stew).--Cut into chunks from one-half inch to one inch cubes. Fill cup about one-third full of meat and cover with about one inch of water. Let boil or simmer about one hour, or until tender. Add such fibrous vegetables as carrots, turnips, or cabbage, cut into small chunks, soon after the meat is put on to boil, and potatoes, onions, or other tender vegetables when the meat is about half done. Amount of vegetables to be added, about the same as meat, depending upon supply and taste. Salt and pepper to taste. Applies to ail fresh meats and fowls. The proportion of meat and vegetables used varies with their abundance, and fixed quantities can not be adhered to. Fresh fish can be handled as above, except that it is cooked much quicker, and potatoes and onions and canned corn are the only vegetables generally used with it, thus making a chowder. A slice of bacon would greatly improve the flavor. May be conveniently cooked in meat can or cup.
VEGETABLES.
Potatoes (fried).--Take two medium-sized potatoes or one large one (about one-half pound), peel and cut into slices about one-fourth inch thick and scatter well in the meat can in which the grease remains after trying the bacon. Add sufficient water to half cover the potatoes, cover with the lid to keep the moisture in, and let come to a boil for about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the cover and dry as desired. Salt and pepper to taste. During the cooking the bacon already prepared may be kept on the cover, which is most conveniently placed bottom side up over the cooking vegetables.
Onions (fried).--Same as potatoes.
Potatoes (boiled).--Peel two medium-sized potatoes (about one-half pound) or one large one, and cut in coarse chunks of about the same size--say 1-1/2 inch cubes. Place in meat can and three-fourths fill with water. Cover with lid and let boil or simmer for 15 or 20 minutes. They are done when easily penetrated with a sharp stick. Pour off the water and let dry out for one or two minutes over hot ashes or light coals.
Potatoes (baked).--Take two medium-sized potatoes (about, one-half pound) or one large one cut in half. Lay in a bed of light coals and cover with same and smother with ashes. Do not disturb for 30 or 40 minutes, when they should be done.
Canned tomatoes.--One 2-pound can is generally sufficient for five men.
Stew.--Pour into the meat can one man's allowance of tomatoes and add about two large hardtacks broken into small pieces and let come to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, or add a pinch of salt and one-fourth spoonful of sugar.
Or, having tried the bacon, pour the tomatoes into the meat can, the grease remaining, and add, if desired, two broken hardtacks. Set over a brisk fire and let come to a boil.
Or, heat the tomatoes just as they come from the can, adding two pinches of salt and one-half spoonful of sugar, if desired.
Or, especially in hot weather, eaten cold with hard bread, they are very palatable.
Rice.--Take about two-thirds of a cupful of water, bring to a boll, add four heaping spoonfuls of rice, and boil until the grains are soft enough to be easily mashed between the fingers (about 20 minutes). Add two pinches of salt and, after stirring, pour off the water and empty rice out on meat can. Bacon grease or sugar may be added.
Corn meal, fine hominy, oatmeal.--Take about one-third of a cupful of water, bring to a boil, add 4 heaping spoonfuls of the meal or hominy, and boil about 20 minutes. Then add about two pinches of salt and stir well.
Dried beans and peas.--Put 4 heaping spoonfuls in about two-thirds of a cupful of water and boil until soft. This generally takes from three to four hours. Add one pinch of salt. About half an hour before the beans are done add one slice of bacon.
HOT BREADS.
Flapjacks.--Take 6 spoonfuls of flour and one-third spoonful of baking powder and mix thoroughly (or dry mix in a large pan before issue, at the rate of 25 pounds of flour and 3 half cans of baking powder for 100 men). Add sufficient cold water to make a batter that will drip freely from the spoon, adding a pinch of salt. Pour into the meat can, which should contain the grease from fried bacon or a spoonful of butter or fat, and place over medium hot coals sufficient to bake, so that in from 5 to 7 minutes the flapjack may be turned by a quick toss of the pan. Fry from 5 to 7 minutes longer, or until by examination it is found to be done.
Hoecake.--Hoecake is made exactly the same as flapjacks by substituting corn meal for flour.
Emergency rations.--Detailed instructions as to the manner of preparing the emergency ration are found on the label of each can. Remember that even a very limited amount of bacon or hard bread, or both, consumed with the emergency ration makes it far more palatable, and generally extends the period during which it can be consumed with relish. For this reason it would be better to husband the supply of hard bread and bacon for use with the emergency ration when it becomes evident that the latter must be consumed rather than to retain the emergency ration to the last extremity and force its exclusive use for a longer period than two or three days.