How to Make Real Cowboy Coffee

I make cowboy coffee with eggshells. :) Here is the recipe: - it's the same from all over the internet.

Ingredients:

• Water
• Coffee grounds
• 1 egg, fresh not boiled - never from boiled eggs - you will get sulfur.
• Some say to toss in a little dirt, but I pass on that. It's a joke on greenhorns.
• I do put a dash of salt in the pot after it has been sitting for 20 minutes (old waitress trick.  If you know, you know.)

Instructions:

• Crack the egg and separate the shell.
• Wash the shell thoroughly so there are no remains of the egg white or yolk.
• Cover the shells with a paper towel (to protect your hands) and crush them into smaller pieces.
• Add crushed egg shells to coffee grounds, using a quarter of the egg shell for one cup. (that's what the internet says, but I just throw the whole damn thing in there, and I use a jumbo egg shell. I like brown ones. )
• Brew your coffee as usual.

I don't know what percolator to recommend to you, but I have noticed that at events like Coffee With a Ranger, the Rangers use the old-fashioned, blue enamel percolators from Stansport or wherever. And they always make GREAT Coffee. :) Just look for those enamel pots in thrift stores, or buy one from any sporting goods section at your favorite store. Mine is a Balkan/Greek style pot , copper lined with aluminum (photo below.)


If you buy one used: please boil it in a huge pot of water 3x to remove any oils from previous use. You'll thank me later for this. You should start fresh, and over time, your pot will be "seasoned". To clean the pot: never use soap of any kind. Just boiling water to sterilize it. This way, the oils from your coffee will build a bit to season it. (some people think that's gross. I think it works.)

One last thing: I use Cafe Morro espresso from the dollar store - yes, the dollar store. It's fantastic if you can find it. It comes in a 6 oz brick . Yellow package. I just translate the measurement from espresso to coffee - in other words a heaping tablespoon per 1.5 cup of water. Cafe Morro is ground extra fine, so fewer grounds to stick to your teeth. :)  Of course, cowboys and cowgirls wouldn't really care if they did. ;)