1,000 Lbs. Beef for Barbecue Sunday
May 28, 1972
BARBECUE SITE. Business end of the Lassen County Cow Belles 10th annual beef barbecue scheduled for this Sunday is this deep barbecue pit located south of the grandstand on the county fairgrounds.
A thousand pounds of carefully prepared beef will be buried deep in hot coals from this oak wood fire to cook slowly for a full 12 hours before serving. A potential beef eater checks the fire’s progress.
Lassen County Cow Belles are set to feed one of the biggest “round-up crews” of the year this Sunday for their 10th annual beef barbecue at the county fairgrounds.
Provisions are on hand to feed more than 1,500 people, starting with 1,000 pounds of choice rolled chuck roasts that will be barbecued underground for a full 12 hours before serving time.
Once again Tom Jenkins of Susanville will mastermind the beef cookery department. First he will carefully season the beef and wrap it in aluminum foil and then gunny sacks. Fires of oak wood will be started in the deep barbecue pit north of the fairgrounds grandstand and by Saturday night the carefully prepared beef will be buried underground in a deep blanket of hot coals to cook slowly for the full 12 hours. Serving of the barbecue starts at 10:30a.m. Sunday and will continue through to approximately 5p.m.
To the beef, Cow Belles will add 80 pounds of barbecued beans, 80 loaves of French bread, 100 homemade cakes and 75 heads of lettuce and 250 tomatoes for tossed green salad.
All Lassen County Cow Belles, 102 members strong, work together to produce this event, proceeds from which provide a $500 agricultural college scholarship annually to a deserving Lassen County student as well as provide funds for other community projects and industry services.
Cow Belles looked back over a decade of history as they prepared this tenth event. In 1962, they fed 450 people, last year it was close to 1,700.
This year Cow Belles were happy to point out that food in general and beef in particular is still the biggest bargain the consumer can buy. This year the Cow Belles kept the price of the barbecue tickets for “all you can eat” at the same price they have been for more than five years.
Co-chairmen of this year’s event are Mary Bengard of Eagle Lake and Janet Chappuis of Standish. Other Cow Belles heading the various committees are: Marge Buckner, food purchasing; Dorothy Capezzoli, serving; Dorothy MacDonald, decorations; Donna Beckett, tickets; Gloria Farris, meat; Alma Flux, cakes; Bertie Fraley, bread; Louise Bennett, coffee; Elburna McClelland, salad; Margaret Doyle, salad dressing; Evelyn Rowland, hot dog stand; Janice Flux, refreshment stand; Dorothy Morelini, clean-up; Lyn Allen, publicity.
The barbecue is being held in conjunction with the Lassen County Junior Rodeo sponsored by the county cattlemen’s association.
