Hi Rose,
This recipe comes from "The Southern Heritage Breads Cookbook". I love this book because it is filled with a lot of "old" pictures and stories.
I will quote the heading first:
"The cowboy always made his biscuits with water, claiming that they were lighter and did not dry out as fast as milk-made ones". He baked his biscuits in a Dutch oven with coals on the lid to brown the tops...
COWBOY BISCUITS
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. plus 1 tablespoon shortening
l cup water
2 tablespoons bacon drippings, melted
METHOD;
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; stir well. Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle water over flour mixture; stir until dry ingredients are moistened.
Shape dough into 2-inch balls, and place on lightly greased baking sheets. Brush tops of biscuits with bacon drippings. Bake at 425 degrees for 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Yield: 18-20 biscuits.
NOTE; Although this gives oven directions, you can grease the dutch oven and place right over the coals, and place additional coals on top.
P.S. I think a shallow iron skillet would work too, as long as you had a cover.