who amongst us doesn't remember the famous rice and vinegar thanksgiving

I'm sure a few times when their pound of meat was mostly bone, the response would be "Just boil it to make a broth." - but if you're a soldier on the move, you can't exactly let a broth form all day on the kettle. You've got miles to walk.

"Issuing orders not to fry the meat and saying to rather boil it"
I did not know my mother was a Continental Army officer

Makes you appreciate the humble ground beef.

Right up to the mid 20th century soups were encouraged because they hydrated and reduced constipation, a problem if you have a lot of hard bread and cheese in your ration

Plz plz dont ever change this channel. One of the best channels on YouTube. Its just nice to have somthing kind and chill to watch with no bs.

I'm going to tell you right now, no matter how bland your food may be, it will taste good if you're hungry enough.

Modern Day Soldiers: Highly sustaining meal, expertly crafted by a Nutritionist, 3000 calories minimum with coffee, tea, energy drink and sweets to boost morale.
18th Century Soldier: A cow's leg.

6:30 This is literally what Eowyn served Aragorn in the extended edition of Lord of the Rings.

I can imagine the phrase “to pitch in” was invented by soldiers pitching their ration into a kettle with everyone else to make a massive pot of food

Again, just imagining that stuff in my air-conditioned room while eating the air-fryer steak I had pre-rationed in the freezer for convenience fills me with so much gratitude for the creature-comforts that I can't help but take for granted. Appreciate the heck out of you, Townsends and crew! 🤟

I researched my family history and discovered my family fought in the Revolutionary War and 4 were at Valley Forge.  This channel makes their history alive for me.

Boneless meat -> roast over fire; bony meat... has to be a stew/soup kinda thing, can't let the bone go to waste. Maybe both, if you can cut out decent chunks.

Everybody seems to forget the romans...a well fed soldier is a happy soldier is a healthy soldier is a GOOD soldier

If you have a really well-sharpened knife, you can slice very thin pieces off the meat, which allows you to enjoy even the toughest parts. Even works with dry jerky.

Over in the United Kingdom by the 1850s, we needed an easy protein source to feed a vast army and also use what beef carcus was left to cut down on waste. So the delicious high protein Bovril drink was born which still exists today.
Of white I drink everyday. Absolutely jam packed with protein, essential aminos, B vitimins and others. Amazing stuff

Boiling meat also made the water safe(r) to consume

Yeah, I used to work in the meat department at a Whole Foods, and we would tell people all the time how some cuts cook faster and other ones should be slow cooked or they’d be too tough. I can just imagine someone back then not having in depth knowledge of meat cuts and being confused when some come out differently when they cook them the same way.

Don't forget their pay was docked for the acquisition of daily rations which they may or may not actually recieve.

0:40 - I hope that the barrel next to the fire is not a powder keg :D (or wine one...)