Welcome to another fun Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party!
Please share your recipes, crafts and DIY projects with our friends!
Before we get started let’s say, “Congratulations” to last week’s winners!
You can find the links to our Host Favorite Picks here at Daily Dish Magazine!
This post is sponsored by Certified Angus Beef® brand in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are my own.
I recently attended an educational trip for Influencers and Brand Ambassadors to Kansas sponsored by Certified Angus Beef ® brand and Sunday Supper, LLC. All opinions are my own. What an honor was to spend time with members of the Certified Angus Beef ® brand team that brings the best beef to you from Gate to Table. All photos unless otherwise noted are my own.
Today I’m sharing 10 tips from Under the Cowboy Hat for buying and grilling the best beef. Along the way you’ll meet dedicated ranch families that raise cattle, a Cowboy Cook that makes trail food taste great and tips from chefs to grill that perfect steak!
Enjoy the journey!
Certified Angus Beef ® brand has its “Roots In Boots”. The brand is owned by the American Angus Association®, a not-for-profit created to increase demand for high quality beef. The brand supports local farmers and ranchers across the U.S.
Over half these farms and ranches are at least 3 generations old. Our first stop was at Blythe Ranch in the Flint Hills of Kansas.
The Flint Hills harbor the last natural prairie area in the United States.
*above photo credit see note
Here cattle graze on fields that has been around for centuries.
The key to keeping a prairie alive is burning.
Controlled burns limit tree growth and keep those wide, open spaces intact. Grasses and wildflowers have roots that reach up to two feet in depth and quickly recover and produce nutritious tender shoots cattle enjoy. Ranch families like the Blythe family, believe in taking care of the land.
Debbie Blythe, “It’s about continuing the ranch in a way that’s good for the land, good for the cattle and good for the people, while enabling us to make a profit. Environmental, social, animal and economic sustainability must all go hand in hand.”
*above photo credit see note
*Tip #1 Sustainability is a term I heard over and over again on this trip. It ensures every cut of Certified Angus Beef ® brand beef you buy was raised according to the highest standards of taking care of the land.
Next we went to Tiffany Cattle Company.
*above photo credit Certified Angus Beef ® brand
Brothers Shawn and Shane Tiffany operate a complete feeding and marketing service. Here cattle are finished off for market. Great care is taken in assuring the animal’s welfare. Cows are allowed to herd. This keeps stress levels at a minimum.
We were amazed how clean the feedlot is kept. Not a fly in sight. Even the water troughs are scrubbed out weekly.
Diet is key here. At Tiffany Cattle Company, cattle are fed a balanced diet of grasses, Distiller’s Grains and vitamins and minerals. This diet was formulated by scientists for cattle health and well-being.
*Tip #2 Integrity in taking care of the cattle and the land. Balanced diet, low stress and daily monitoring of each animal produces beef of the highest quality.
Meanwhile back at the ranch…Cowboy Kent Rollins was cooking us dinner.
Life on the trail is rough but rewarding. Cowboy Cook Kent Rollins and his wife Shannon have traveled across the U.S. accompanying cattle drives to feed hungry cowboys.
The Rollins prepared a delicious meal for us using simple ingredients.
*Tip#3 Don’t fret about meal planning. Hearty food can be made from a few ingredients at low cost. Choosing the right beef is a great start.
At Cargill Culinary Inovation Center, we learned the science behind beef and beef cuts.
*Tip #4 Look for the marbling. Marbling texture – the white “flecks of flavor” in the beef that ensure consistent flavor and juiciness in every bite. Learn more about the 10 Quality Specifications that set apart from other angus beef products here.
*Tip #5 Know beef cuts placement on a cow.Beef cut from different areas will have different texture and flavor. The main sections are Chuck, Rib, Loin and Round. When you see “chuck roast” on a package, that cut is from the shoulder section. These muscles are used hard compared to “tenderloin” from the cow’s mid-section. Round cuts are from the posterior with more muscle usage.
*Tip #6 Choose the right cut.
*Tip #7 Cook the cut right.
Grilling Tips
Roasting Tips
Braising Tips
*Tip#8 Give cast iron a try.
Cast iron skillets, Dutch ovens and griddles make cooking beef more flavorful and easy. The high heat you get with cast iron allow for a beautiful sear cooking inside, or over a fire.
Clean Cast Iron Follow these tips for cleaning and caring for cast iron from Kent Rollins.
*Tip#9 Put it all together
Take the best beef (Certified Angus Beef ® brand of course), add your choice of seasoning, grill and enjoy! Debbie Blythe was kind enough to give us a jar of her favorite season blend. Debbie shares her recipe here on her blog, Kids, Cows and Grass.
*Tip #10 Always know where your food originates. Certified Angus Beef ® brand starts on independent farms and ranches across the U.S. The steak that you buy took three years to produce. Every cut can be traced back to the original herd on that hard working ranch.
*Special thanks to Renee Pajestka from and Renee’s Kitchen Adventures and Brianne Izzo from Cupcakes and Kale Chips for sharing their photos of the open prairie and Debbie Blythe with us.
Artisan Herb Bread Braid. Wheat and barley flour laced with fresh parsley, thyme, rosemary, garlic and lemon zest.
Welcome to another fun addition of Bread Bakers!
Everyone loves pretty braided bread.
You can intertwine ropes of dough to create a culinary showpiece!
Strands of sweet dough can brushed with cocoa, cinnamon and sugar or fruit.
Savory bread can sport hot oils made from chilies, garlic butters and of course, herbs.
No special skills are required. If you can braid hair or rope, you can make braided bread. I like to use 4 strands for my loaf.
I start by dividing the dough into 4 equal pieces. Each piece gets hand rolled and stretched to about 18 inches in length.
It works best to pinch 4 ends together to form a base.
Start with the strand farthest to your right. Overlap the third strand.
Next, cross the second strand over what is now the third one. That is the beginning of a standard braid.
To incorporate number 4, the one on your far left, overlap it with what is now number 2 and continue braiding back and forth to the end. Pinch remaining tail ends together. Tuck pinched ends underneath.
Bake at for about 25 minutes until browned and hollow sounding when tapped.
Brush with oil about last 5 minutes of bake time or immediately after you take the braid out of the oven.
Cool on rack. Pull apart when almost cool or completely cooled.
I prefer and use Bob’s Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour and Red Star Premium Yeast. This is just a recommendation not a paid endorsement. All purpose flour and bread flour may be used. Any dry active yeast or instant yeast may be used according to their package directions.
Food for Thought…What kind of fillings would you weave into your braided bread? I’d love to hear your ideas in a comment below!
This month’s Bread Baker’s theme is Braided Breads and is hosted by Gayathri Kumar of Gayathri’s Cook Spot
#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page.
We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.
Boozy Watermelon Slushies serve up frozen watermelon and Zinfandel with touch of lime and raspberry. Refreshing sippers to cool summer heat.
Watermelon and summer go hand in hand. Big slices of ripe, red juicy watermelon appear on picnic tables everywhere.
If you’re like me, you tend to over buy watermelon. The last thing I want is to run out!
Consequently I have leftover watermelon. So what do I do with it? I freeze it!
Frozen watermelon can be a great treat by itself. You may need to thaw it a bit to get it apart!
I like using frozen fruit in drinks. You can skip the ice. No more watered down slush, shakes or smoothies.
The trick to using frozen fruit in drinks is to not over process it. Peaches, melons, cherries and berries all make great cold drinks.
Here is a strawberry cantaloupe smoothie using frozen fruit. You can serve it over ice too!
This watermelon drink gets its zing from Zinfandel and Chambord. I balanced the flavor with a bit of lime juice.
If your watermelon isn’t as sweet as you would like, just add a bit of simple syrup or honey!
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
For a mocktail, omit alcohol and substitute with water, lime juice and simple syrup to taste.
Watermelon Slushies can be made without alcohol. Replace the wine and Chambord with water, lime juice and simple syrup to taste.
Food for Thought…Which frozen fruit would your make into slushies? What kind of wine would you use?
For even more inspiration check out these Simple Mixed Drinks for a Refreshing Summer by Sunday Supper Movement
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.
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