The Hoedown Throwdown - Cowboy Cookin'

Well, this one's in our blood. Our family on Mom's side were Nebraska cattle ranchers and are the inspiration for so much of what we do and how we live.  The Rocking R is in our soul.  Cowboys and Cowgirls work hard from early until late and they need a good, hearty supper to give them the strength and nourishment to get up and do it all again the following day. This week we are digging in and embracing our heritage with a little bit of Cowboy Cookin'!
Lets kick it all off with a bit of cowboy wisdom, "Always drink upstream from the herd". Yup, that's some darn good advice!

Shredded Brisket with BBQ Sauce
Originated, Thoroughly Tested and Finalized by: Vanessa Madigan

Well Howdy, around our house we are meat eaters and we always have some kind of roast or brisket in the fridge.  As much as I am an animal rights weirdo, I can't seem to stay away from beef.  So, I try to find local, grass fed, free range beef as often as possible.  It may cost a bit more, but the taste is amazing and it helps your local ranchers which is super important.  I love this recipe because you can use a variety of cuts including roast or brisket, you may just need to vary the cooking time. Oh, and bonus... you can use the pulled beef without the sauce for a delicious burrito filling!



Ingredients:
5 Lbs. Beef Brisket, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes.
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs pepper
1 Tsp dry mustard
1 Tsp paprika
1 Tsp chili powder
1 medium onion chopped
2 jalapenos chopped
2 green bell peppers chopped
4 Tbs Olive Oil
3 14 oz. cans of beef stock
For BBQ Sauce:
1/2 cup vinegar (apple cider vinegar works well)
1 cup tomato Ketchup
1 6 oz can tomato paste
2 Tbs Tabasco Sauce
2 Tbs prepared horseradish
1/4 Tbs pepper
1 Tbs cayenne pepper
1 Tbs dry mustard
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 tsp salt
This is a vinegar based sauce and is quite tangy.  Please feel free to substitute your favorite style of BBQ sauce in its place.


Directions:

• Season cubed beef with the salt, pepper, dry mustard, paprika and chili powder.
• Heat the Olive oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot, when oil is hot add seasoned brisket and brown on all sides.
• Add the chopped onion, jalapeno and bell pepper and cook until onions are slightly translucent.
• Add the beef stock to the pot and bring to a simmer.
• Once the pot is simmering cover with lid and cook until meat is tender, about 2 hours.
• While your brisket is simmering you can make your BBQ sauce!
• Combine all BBQ sauce ingredients (vinegar, ketchup, horseradish, pepper, cayenne, mustard, sugar and salt) in a sauce pan, heat over low heat stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved and all ingredients are mixed well.  Remove from heat and set aside.
• When the meat is tender, remove from pot and place in a baking dish, definitely scoop up all of the yummy onion and peppers as well!  Using two forks split the brisket apart, shredding it.
• Add your homemade BBQ sauce and toss together coating the pulled brisket. 
• Serve on your favorite fresh bread or bun or just enjoy it all by itself!
• P.S. this recipe is even better topped with some crunchy and tangy coleslaw!

Cowboy Beans
Originated, Thoroughly Tested and Finalized by: Andrea Madigan-Wilken

Cowboy Cuisine and Ranch Fare are Just a couple of examples of how western food has moseyed its way off the ranch and into the city slickers kitchen.If you can, imagine waking up everyday before sunrise. Working the ranch and tending to the crops (no weekends or holidays to lift your spirits) only to return home after sun down, dog tired. What is keeping this overworked man still so grateful for another day of labor on the land? He is surrounded by Good Cooking. I thought "cowboy cooking" consisted of things like hard tack and stale bread. On the contrary, these frontiersman require hearty, well seasoned meals to keep them happy and productive. One of these classic ranch style favorites is Cowboy Beans. This recipe will satisfy even the most ravenous of hunger pangs you can roundup, whether on the farm or at the office.

Ingredients:

 1 lb. Ground Beef

1/2 lb. Bacon

1 onion (chopped)

24 oz. Baked Beans

15 oz. Pinto Beans

15 oz. Kidney Beans

1 1/2 cups Ketchup

3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp. Vinegar

1 Tbsp.Dry Mustard

1 1/2 Tsp. Chili Powder

14 oz. Crushed Tomatoes

Salt and Pepper

1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Sour Cream (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350*
• Brown and drain ground beef (set aside)
• Chop bacon into bite sized pieces, add the bacon to your skillet and cook until golden and crispy.
• Remove bacon from skillet and set aside.
• Leaving 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease in the pan
• Saute onions in remaining bacon drippings until onions become soft and translucent.
• Add meat and bacon to onion and stir well
• Add all of the beans to meat mixture and stir until incorporated
• Transfer meat/bean to a large cast iron casserole or frying pan
• In a med. bowl combine remaining ingredients to make sauce
• Pour sauce over top of beans and ground beef mixture
• Cover loosely with foil
• Bake for 1 hour or until cooked through and bubbly
• After 50 min. remove cowboy beans from the oven
• Discard foil then evenly sprinkle cheese over top
• Return to oven for 5-10 min. until cheese is melted.
• Serve alongside corn read. Enjoy!