Cutting-Edge Texas Cowboy Cooking + History of Chuckwagons

An inside look at Plano’s new StowAway tackle boxes, Berkeley’s newest lures, leadership skills built in the outdoors, and more!

July 08, 2025

Good Morning. ☀️

Nothing funny or witty about it, our hearts go out to Texas, with continued prayers heading your way. 

In today’s edition:

The HOOK: Green Beret Tim Kennedy Talks MMA, Cull Hunting, and Absolute Stillness

When Tim Kennedy was through with his military career and his MMA career, he got hooked on hunting by wanting to know where his meals came from and how it was taken from field to table. Kennedy talks with Hook & Barrel about his years in the cage, cull hunting, and the importance of absolute stillness:

Find out more about here.

DID YOU KNOW? 🤔

Chuckwagons were mobile kitchens first created in the 1860s to feed men working on cattle drives, and to keep Western settlers and loggers fed far away from any outpost of civilization. They primarily stocked beans, salted meats, coffee, and makings for sourdough biscuits, but many chuckwagons on cattle drives also kept a store of beef near the bottom of the wagon with bedrolls set on top to act as an insulator. Cowboys usually had a lot of steak on the range, and when they finally came into town, they went right for canned peaches and fried chicken.

HIGHLIGHT

Plano’s New StowAway Tackle Boxes and Berkley’s Latest Lures
Plano has dropped three new additions to its StowAway line of modern tackle boxes, each with endlessly customizable interiors, and even a waterproof model. And to fill those StowAway boxes, Berkeley has a pile of new baits in its PowerStinger, Stunna, and Swamp Lord lines.

FRESH TRACKS 🥾

Behind the Yuengling Lager Legacy
Yuengling, America's oldest brewery, has been slinging lager in Pennsylvania since 1829. The scrappy startup survived Prohibition by churning out ice cream and near-beer, and went on to become an American brewing powerhouse. And it’s been family-run all those years: six generations. Learn the secret that has kept this PA institution at the top of its game:

Matt Light: From NFL to Building Tomorrow’s Leaders
Matt Light, NFL champ turned philanthropist, traded gridiron glory for mentoring kids through his Light Foundation. From Purdue to three Super Bowl rings with the Patriots, he’s now building leaders via outdoor camps in Ohio. Think fishing, hiking, and life lessons for teens, with a side of corporate team-building. His goal? Instill grit and gratitude in the next generation. Not bad for a guy who once blocked for Brady.

Tom Perini: The King of Cowboy Cooking
Get an inside look at the kitchen of Tom Perini, the cowboy cook who turned a knack for chuckwagon grub into a Texas barbecue legend with the Perini Ranch Steakhouse: a meat lover’s mecca in Buffalo Gap. From mesquite-grilled steaks to his famous bread pudding, Perini has been dishing out "real Texas food" for over 40 years, keeping cowboy cuisine alive while racking up James Beard nods.

PIC OF THE WEEK 📸

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