Don‘t we all have those days where you get home for the day and walk into some small disaster that just takes the wind out of your sails? Yesterday this was me, my plans for a gourmet all out dinner turned into something completely different. One of my favorite “quick” meals is always a steak on the grill. Our stores have recently started carrying some of the best locally raised beef and its safe to say we’ve been enjoying lots of beef dishes recently. Follow along on how I turn an improvised dinner into something that is just as satisfying as a fancy meal.
To start, I should tell you about our new line of beef at our stores. A few weeks ago I promised a surprise On our social media accounts, if you have followed along on my social media accounts you know that our stores transitioned away from buying ”box beef” from our wholesaler back in April, when pandemic shopping was at is height and beef shortages were becoming a real problem. Our stores took things into our own hands and started purchasing cattle, having them processed at my brother and sister-in-law’s processing plant, 5th Ave Processing & Retail in Sterling Oklahoma (that is state inspected) and bringing these cattle into our stores for our butchers. Doing so allowed us to bring our customers beef at the same pre-pandemic pricing and we loved the idea of supporting Oklahoma farmers and ranchers by purchasing our beef from them directly.
Well, months down the road we have made a small change... we have started getting our cattle from Stuart Ranch Meat Company in Waurika Oklahoma! We love this change for so many reasons, one of them being that our original store, Shelton's Grocery is located in Waurika Oklahoma as well. We love knowing exactly where in Oklahoma our cattle are coming from but also because the Stuart Ranch has such rich Oklahoma history. The Stuart Ranch is the oldest family owned and operated ranch in Oklahoma. (Fun Fact: Matirarch Terry Stuart Forst was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame earlier tonight) Stuart Ranch Meat Company produces quality ranch raised beef that we are still able to have processed at 5th Ave (beef is state inspected), transported to our stores and our butchers are cutting from the quarter like we’ve grown accustomed to this past year. In a nutshell, same idea just a new source. There’s something about collaborating with another family run operation that has been even more fun. All you have to do is look for the Stuart Ranch Meat Company sticker on our beef packages to know exactly where you’re beef is coming from.
Now that you know the source, let‘s get back to our menu shall we? Last night I brought home a pair of New York Strip steaks home for dinner. I had plans for a few sides and some made from scratch Baked Mac and Cheese but life had other plans so I retreated to an old favorite. I love the ease of Sheet Pan vegetables. I always take the opportunity to clear out my refrigerator of whatever produce I have that needs to be cooked.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While its preheating cover a large cookie sheet with foil to make clean up a breeze, then start chopping away. Last night I chopped, portobello mushrooms, two bell peppers, two Anaheim peppers and two small broccoli crowns into florets. Once you have your vegetables chopped toss them into whatever is handy and coat with extra virgin olive oil or any oil of your choosing. I used Primal Kitchen’s avocado oil myself. I always throw my veggies in a large ziploc bag and seal to toss the vegetables around in the oil as it makes for less mess. I used a packet of McCormick Grill Mates Mojito Lime and emptied half into the ziploc, sealed and tossed the vegetables again. Spread your veggies onto your prepared sheet pan and bake for ten to fifteen minutes, taking your time to shake the pan or stir the veggies every day 5 minutes. By doing this you can ensure that your vegetables don’t burn (especially the broccoli).
Now, for the fun part, while your vegetables are cooking... add something sweet to the mix. I had a carton of pineapple in the fridge. Pineapple is great on the grill but it is also wonderful roasted. Toss the your chopped pineapple in the same ziploc as your vegetables (make sure to add a little olive if need) and sprinkle with some of the remaining seasoning packet. After your vegetables have cooked the first ten minutes, add your pineapple to your sheet pan and roast for ten more minutes. You can leave in a little longer if you prefer your pineapple more browned. Trust me on this one, the caramelized flavor of the pineapple with your savory vegetables is an amazing combination.
Roasting your vegetables gives you the perfect amount of time to preheat your grill and season your steaks. We prefer our steaks to be cooked medium-rare to medium so it doesn’t take very long to cook. Once your steaks are cooked and have rested, you are ready to enjoy a very satisfying dinner.
I hope that this recipe encourages you to step out of your normal box of side dishes for steak pairings! Sometimes having a simple side can be very fun, especially when you combine interesting flavors. If you’re in our area and you’ve tried our new Stuart Ranch Meat Company raised beef, I would love to hear your feedback. Please send me any questions, comments, praises or critiques in the comments section or through the chat feature on the main blog page! I can’t wait to hear from you!