by David
Adams
Tombstone, Arizona Territory, Wednesday,
October 26, 1881. The day dawned cold and blustery (it snowed the day
before). Breakfast that morning could have been a concoction of beef,
beans, eggs, bread, and coffee. For some, it was just one last drink
at the end of many all-night poker games. But, by 2:30 that afternoon,
it wouldn't make any difference to 10 of Tombstone's citizens. In 30
seconds, 3 will run and the remaining 7 will make history and legends,
real or imagined, will be born. They're there for a shoot-out, not a
cookout. And, it didn't happen at the O.K. Corral as the moniker suggests.
It was a vacant lot behind the O.K. Corral on Fremont Street near the
corner of 4th Street sandwiched in between Fly's Photography Gallery
and the Harwood Boarding House. With their backs to Fremont Street stood
City Marshal Virgil Earp, his deputized brothers Wyatt and Morgan, and
their associate, Doc Holliday. A few feet across the dusty turf stood
Ike Clanton, Billy Clanton, Wes Fuller, Billy Claiborne, and brothers,
Frank and Tom McLaury. By 2:32 in the afternoon, Virgil and Morgan Earp
will be wounded and Billy Clanton, and Frank & Tom McLaury will
be dead. The rest is history, as they say. Numerous Hollywood movies
and countless authors continue the controversy to this day.
While all the movies based on the
actual gunfight are purely directorial fabrication, the most 'factual',
with exceptions, is the 1993 movie Tombstone that starred Kurt
Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, and Bill Paxton. Tombstone is a marvelous
parcel of Americana and, today, a tourist attraction beyond compare;
a place of living history that is rich in folklore and generational
legacy. More than 25 years ago, it was my pleasure to have participated
in the preservation of the 'Old West' and Tombstone's charisma - and
its cuisine intermingled with traditional Cowboy and Mexican dishes.
Prospector Ed Schieffelin founded
Tombstone in 1877 when he struck a mother lode of rich silver ore. If
you've never been there, Tombstone is located in Cochise County south
of Tucson. It's situated between the Dragoon Mountains (where Cochise
and his men negotiated with General Howard in 1872 near Council Rocks)
and the San Pedro River Valley (where Spanish Explorer Coronado traveled
seeking the "lost cities of gold" ). For a short time in the
1880's Tombstone was the largest community from Texas to San Francisco
with 10,000 residents. In the early 1880's, there were no less that
110 licensed drinking establishments (Saloons to you Tenderfeet). One
could dine in elegance, drink and, in general, 'raise hell' if so inclined
(and many did) at such establishments as The Grand Hotel, The Cosmopolitan
Hotel, Corrigan's Saloon, Vogan & Flynn's Saloon, The Crystal Palace
Saloon, The Oriental Saloon (the Earps were part owners and resident
Faro dealers there), and Campbell & Hatch's Billiard Parlor. In
contrast to its 'Town To Tough To Die' reputation, it was cosmopolitan
for its day and the ladies could even buy the latest in Paris coterie
in its fashionable shops along Allen Street. The Earps, Clantons, and
McLaurys weren't the only colorful residents of the day, either. There
were such notables as 'Buckskin' Frank Leslie, 'Turkey Creek' Jack Johnson,
Johnny Ringo, 'Texas Jack' Vermillion, 'Curley Bill' Brocious, 'Big
Nose' Kate Elder (Doc Holliday's live-in girlfriend), Florentino Cruz
a.k.a 'Indian Charlie', Nellie Cashman, and Sheriff Johnny Behan among
others.
In the early 1980's and 100 years
after the famous gunfight, it was my pleasure to have been a frequent
Tombstone visitor and, eventually, a re-enactor at the annual Helldorado
Days celebration. But, celebration or not, when in Tombstone, one can't
always be Wyatt Earp or Billy Clanton 24 hours a day. One has to eat,
as well. My two favorite restaurants were the Lucky Cuss Restaurant
and the Top O' The Hill Restaurant. The Lucky Cuss (named after a local
silver mine) was owned and operated by my late friend, Jack Hendricksen.
Jack's restaurant stood on the site of the original Grand Hotel that
was frequented always by the Clantons and McLaurys. Jack and his staff
prepared the best beef ribs in southern Arizona. Sweet, smoky, and absolutely
melt-in-your-mouth in the Cowboy tradition (Remember, 1880's ranchers
raised beef, not baby-back pork ribs). Jack and his sidekick, the ever-present
town regular, John Kane, were always there to regale visitors and patrons
with Tombstone history. It wasn't surprising that the award-winning
producer, David L. Wolper, gave them roles in his 1972 documentary,
"Shootout at the O.K. Corral" narrated by Lorne Greene (TV's
Bonanza Series). Sadly, Jack, John, and The Lucky Cuss are gone now
and I shall always miss them. The site now houses Big Nose Kate's Saloon.
The original 1880's bar of the Grand Hotel, formerly situated in the
basement, is now up stairs in the Kate's saloon and is the only original
bar in Tombstone still in use today. Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Ike
Clanton actually bellied-up to this bar and drank. If you ever get the
chance to do the same, you'll be leaning on a piece of authentic, Old
West legend. However, and much to my delight, the Top O' The Hill, still
operates on Highway 80 opposite Boot Hill Cemetery. If Jack's ribs were
the best in Tombstone, the Top O' The Hill's Huevos Rancheros rival
anything you've tasted in the Southwest! The secret is the sauce. It's
dark, rich, and full of flavor that whispers Serrano, Habanero, Jalapeño
Chili Peppers. Huevos Rancheros can be prepared in a variety of ways.
The best thing is to experiment with the sauce because all else hinges
on this key catalyst of the dish. My personal sauce recipe for enchiladas
is the runner-up with family and friends who remain divided at Sunday
brunch as to which is best. But, in keeping with the Tombstone tradition,
I offer the original given to me over a quarter of a century ago in
'The Town To Tough To Die'. Perhaps, if the Earps, the Clantons, and
the McLaurys had this the morning of the showdown, there wouldn't have
been a gunfight; recipe swapping on the streets of Tombstone and a siesta
maybe, but no gunfight. But, that's another conjecture that could very
well be as controversial and debatable as the actual events of October
26, 1881. Warning! Take a Zantac before preparing this recipe at full
strength and be sure the refried beans and heated tortillas with melted
butter are in full abundance. 'Ya never know pardner,' maybe Wyatt,
Doc, and the rest of the gang may drop in for breakfast.
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