Y'all, last week we went up to the Old Spanish Trail Association's annual conference, which was a blast and I'll be posting some entries regarding same in pretty short order. Now one of the presenters who really caught my imagination was a fellow named Charles Perry, President of the Culinary Historians of Southern California who gave a talk, "Cuisines along the Trail: Beef, Mutton & Game," but it really focused on the history of barbecue, in particular the old-fashioned pit roasting method.
These days, no one roasts a whole cow underground any more because it's slow, expensive and labor-intensive, but that didn't even slow Charles down. He got one going at the ol' Palomares adobe and I'll be posting about that next, for it really was quite spectacular.
BUT - all that talk about pit barbecue got Jane reminiscing about one of Hugo Reid's letters. Now Hugo was a Scottish sailor who jumped ship in L.A. back in 1832, and married a Tongva woman called Victoria, who was one of Dona Eulalia's favorite proteges. They ended up with the Rancho Santa Anita grant (originally called Rancho Huerta de Cuati), which became Arcadia and some of the surrounding area. In 1852, right before he died, he wrote a bunch of letters to the Los Angeles Star, LA's first newspaper (which was bi-lingual) about the missions and Tongva/Gabrielino culture.
So this was a letter written in 1852 about a mission barbeque, which was probably held in the late 1820s or early 1830s. For reasons that will become obvious, it was a memorable occasion. This isn't for the squeamish.
Hugo Reid's Letter # 20
Better Times
The Padre Jose Bernardo Sanchez had, for some time previous, been a colleague of Salvedeas [Zalvidea] but attended only to matters connected with the church. On the translation of Padre Jose Mariato San Juan, he became his successor. He was of cheerful disposition, frank and generous in his nature, although at times he lost his temper with the strange, unruly set around him.
He was a great sportsman and capital shot, both with rifle and fowling piece. Although no one could complain of Salvedea, in regard to his kind treatment, still there was a certain restraint in his presence, arising from his austerity and pensiveness, which even custom did not erase from the mind. Padre Sanchez was different; his temper was governed according to circumstances. In Ecclesiastical affairs, his deportment was solemn; in trade he was formal; in the government of the Mission, active, lively and strict; in social intercourse he was friendly, full of anecdote, fond of a joke, even to a practical one. Picnic parties were of weekly occurrence and generally held at the Mill, when, independent of a yearling heifer baked under ground, many other good things reigned on the table.
I cannot refrain from relating an anecdote connected with those parties of pleasure, as it shows the relish the old man had for anything ludicrous. A few of the actors are still alive, but the greater part have been gathered with the Padre, to the dust they sprang from.
Don J. M. M., an old Spaniard, who had large commercial relations with the Mission, having a negro cook, called Francisco, who was science itself in all relating to the kitchen, the Priest and M. made up a plan to carry out a joke at the expense of their guests. So having procured a fine fat little puppy, he was stuffed and roasted in a manner that would have tempted the most fastidious epicure to “cut and come again.” This was brought on as a last course under the name of lamb, with an excellent salad to correspond.
All eat of it and praised it much, with the exception of the two concerned in the joke. -- After concluding with a glass of wine, the old man enquired of his guests how they relished the Dog? No one would believe it, until the negro made his appearance with the head and paws on a plate.Then a mixed scene ensued, which brought tears into the old man's eyes, while he nearly killed himself with laughter.
All, of course, were squeamish, but while the quiet portion retired to ease themselves, in discharging the detested food, the pugnacious remained to fight M. first, and do the other afterward. The Padre eventually procured harmony, but for many a day after, roast lamb and salad were viewed with suspicion by the former partakers of his cheer.
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