My Cup Runneth Over

Spring Break 2k15

What a whirlwind Spring Break it's been!  I've got two days left and it will be gone before I even know it!  Seems like I just hop from one event to the next with hardly a breather in between!  But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Super Cute Outfits

The week started with traveling to Colorado for our "Denver Beef Experience."  And what an experience it was!  We began in Greeley, Colorado in an adorable Bed and Breakfast (one of my favorite things) and a 4 mile adventure to the convenience store.  The next day we had the amazing opportunity to tour JBS Greeley Beef Plant and Five Rivers Feedyard!  In essence, we were able to see the entire picture when it comes to raising cattle.  I was very excited to see production on such a massive scale, with nearly 80,000 cattle on feed and 5,000 being harvested per day. Those numbers are so incredible to me and a true testament to the efficiency of production present in the beef industry!

Bison and Elk Steaks!

That night, we traveled to downtown Denver.  We were put up in The Curtis (not too shabby digs *wink wink*) and had dinner at The Buckhorn Exchange.  The Buckhorn specializes in exotic meals, such as various wild game.  I settled for a bison filet and elk steak, both of which were pretty good!  The restaurant also had tons of mounts and I was actually pretty happy I was able to identify the majority of them!  I had to dig a little while back into my wildlife knowledge, but it sure did come in handy!

"Texas Gone Arizona Style"
Steak & Potatoes

The next day, we were able to spend some time taste testing different doneness levels, recipes and styles of beef.  This was probably one of my favorite experiences, as I now feel like I can understand what consumers are tasting.  All beef is nutritionally equal, but there are obvious taste differences between levels of doneness and grain finished and grass finished.  We were also able to cook Iron Chef Style and prepare our own beef dish to be taste tested by my fellow team members and chefs of the Beef Innovations kitchen!  We finished up with a very informative meeting at "Where Food Comes From," a progressive company specializing in source verification and then another delicious dinner.

On our last day, we went back into Denver for a meeting with USMEF (United States Meat Export Federation) on the value of meat exports.  Trading on a global market is beyond fascinating to me.  Did you know that exports add about $300 per carcass to beef animals?  We are able to create a market for products that consumers don't want here domestically, like liver, tongue, head meat and other organ meats.

USMEF

You might be wondering about any flying mishaps I might have had, and I proud to report that I did not get randomly stopped in security and only had minor problems on the flight back!  I had a tight layover in Dallas and had to sprint to make my plane to C. Stat (of which we then sat there for an hour due to technical issues. Of course).

About sums our friendship up.  Logan is annoyed, I'm laughing.

Catching Crabs!

When I got home, I decided to go to Houston Livestock Show (since I've never been) and watch the steer show.  The sisters of one of my great friends, Logan, were showing and I watched one of them show and then spent a couple days with their terrific family!  We spent the next day at Galveston beach, and even though it was cloudy and cool, I still managed to burn.  Lucky me.  We caught six crabs and I learned pretty fast they are aggressive little suckers!  The first crab we caught, Sebastian, would attack a stick and hang on to it with his claw.

It's been a terrific Spring Break, and honestly, my favorite one to date!  Surrounding yourself with good people and even better friends always makes for a good time!

Until Next Time Folks!
Alicia

Why the Show Industry is the Best Thing to Happen to Beef

As showmen and women, I'm sure you've all heard someone tell you that show cattle aren't worth their weight and that the show industry is just too extreme in their trends.  I've been told that we make 'em too big, too soggy, too hairy, the list goes on and on!  And for some commercial settings, I couldn't agree more, but there is value in the show industry.  In fact, there is lots!

At the end of the day, we are all still cattle ranchers and have
the same common goals in mind

I have to opportunity to talk to hundreds of commercial ranchers and let me tell you, I get some funny looks when I tell them that I show cattle.  I've actually had some good arguments about the virtues of each type of cattle and why they are valuable.  Now, anyone that knows me, knows that I am a die hard fan of hair cattle.  I know it's impractical and makes them hot and usually reduces gains, but they are just so beautiful when they are all fit and clipped!  And I personally have a lot of fun working hair everyday.  That being said, there are two things the show industry is excellent at, involving youth, and being innovative.

I'm just partial to show cattle!

We all know as ranchers that our industry is lacking youth.  As the average age of ranchers hovers around 57, and growing older, it is imperative we start getting youth interested in agriculture.  The show industry is helping us to do that by offering monetary incentives that are far better than what the market has to offer, and by giving opportunities to urban youth that might otherwise never become involved.  I am a product of the show industry, as I was a suburban kid with a passion for horses that has since led me into the field of agriculture.  I can honestly say that I would not be where I am today if it weren't for programs like 4-H and FFA.

Show cattle require several hours of work per day to
get them ready, including rinsing, blowing & halter work

More importantly, the show industry is innovative and willing to try new products and new ideas, far more than that of the commercial industry.  That is fact seldom few can argue over.  Only about 3% of the cattle in the U.S. are artificially inseminated, and the majority of those 3% are show cattle.  Technologies like embryo transfer, and cloning are also being pioneered and fostered within the show industry and are allowed to show their value on a large scale.  In addition, many supplemental feed products get their foothold here before moving on to production cattle.

Most show cattle are A.I.'d which allows quick increase
in the quality of the genetic pool

So, when somebody tries to tell you that show cattle are just too extreme and that you are slightly crazy, politely agree, but then tell them that we are driving the future of beef!!

With Love From the Heart of Beef,

Alicia

Cooking For One Made Easy

I don't know about y'all, but sometimes cooking for one is real tricky!  Between all the effort it takes to make the meal and "taste testing", I usually don't even want to eat it when I'm done!  Beyond the fact that most recipes make GIANT portions, so you end up eating the same thing for a week straight!  These factors sometimes make it easier to just go to Layne's (Our local fried chicken eatery) or CJ's Barbecue.  Especially because they are on the way home from work.  Now, we all know that eating out gets expensive quickly, and can cost you your waistline in a hurry!

Fancy Steak for one y'all! Recipe follows!

So what to do about this predicament?  Well, my solution is to figure out how to make recipes smaller, perhaps enough for two servings.  Now we all know that I LOVE me some beef, especially a good steak, but that usually requires grilling.  And I am definitely challenged when it comes to that job, besides, it it just so much effort to set up.  I much prefer tossing something in the oven and forgetting about it for 20-30 minutes.  Well, thanks to beefitswhatsfordinner.com, I learned that you CAN cook steak in the oven!  You just have to set it to the broil setting and about 400 degrees, and presto, you have a delicious steak!

Just the other night, I tried out this method with a couple of delicious choice tenderloins, and it was perfect!  I paired it with some roasted red potatoes, and had a nutritious, and delicious meal for one!  Below is the recipe!

This stuff is liquid gold!

• 1 Tenderloin Steak
• Season it as you like (I used salt, pepper and Bodacious Red Soppin' Sauce)

I cooked mine to medium (160 degrees) which was about 20 minutes at 400 degrees

• Red potatoes (no peeling required!) diced into 1 in. pieces
• Season with Salt, pepper, chile flake and Soppin' Sauce!

These took a bit longer than the steak, I think it ended up being about 30 minutes because I like my taters crisp!

So no more excuses y'all! This was one meal fit for a queen, and took about 45 minutes to make!

Alicia