Beef on the road

The Mr. had a conference to attend in San Antonio this week (where he won an award — sweet!) and I decided to take advantage of this whole being-your-own-boss thing and tag along. After all, it’s nice to get a little change of scenery even if you are working all day from the hotel room. I mean, who else wishes someone would make your bed and clean your tub every time you go to lunch?

We did some pretty good eating en route and once we got there. After all, we have to take advantage when we’re some place with more than one restaurant to choose from!

Here are a few of the highlights…

On the (long) way down there, we stopped along the way at a restaurant I’ve been hearing about since high school. Seriously. And you know what? The Beehive Saloon in Albany, Texas, was worth the wait. We got chicken fried steaks on the lunch, which came with some of the best seasoned fries ever, some good dark bread and a trip to the salad bar. I forgot to take a picture, but you can check it out here.  

That night, we went to Hooters. I know, I know. It sounds weird. But Hooters became a tradition for the Mr. and I when we were dating, and we’ve since started a goal to eat at one in every state. We’re at 8 states right now — not bad considering we’ve only known each other 3 years and been married 2. Oh, and fellow beef advocates, you’ll be interested to know I’ve never had chicken there. Who needs to, with such an awesome burger and curly fries?

Wednesday at lunch, I headed to Texas Land and Cattle for one of my favorite dishes I rarely get to have since I don’t live anywhere near one anymore. It’s their smoked sirloin and it’s super peppery and very delicious.

That night, we drove to the south side of town to meet one of the Mr.’s good friends who lives about an hour and a half south of the city for dinner at a LongHorn Steakhouse. I was happy to see flat iron on the menu. Even though it was a little overcooked, it was still quite good.

And even better? The dessert. This Chocolate Stampede was one of the best desserts I have had in a while. And it was so big that 3 of us ate less than half of it!

It was great to eat some good beef on the road, but it’s also great to be home. You know, aside from the lack of housekeeping service…

Peppercorn steak

We love peppercorns around here, and I’m always looking for ways to use them. Recently, though, I started thinking about the yummy peppercorn steak Cattlemen’s Steakhouse in Oklahoma City, Okla., makes, which just happened to be featured on this episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. (Love that show!)

I did a little Googling and was excited to find the official recipe online here.

Tonight, I tried it out and it turned out beautifully. Of course, I had to share!

Here’s what ours looked like:

(This may be my first time to capture so much steam in a picture. Weird!)

WebLove: Meet 1 family behind McDonald's beef

I knew I wanted this, my 100th post on Make Mine Beef, to be special. And while it's not an inventive recipe or invaluable beef buying tip, I think it's pretty great. In fact, you might just say I'm lovin' it.

Top 3 in Texas

Good afternoon, blogosphere! I was in hopes I’d be able to bring you a cooking post by now, but a week’s worth of travel means a still unfinished kitchen. So, in the meantime, I thought I’d talk a little about beef away from home.

As much as I love to cook, I also love to eat out. That’s definitely the best part about traveling (well, that and fresh sheets on the bed every day) in my opinion, especially when you can go somewhere and get a good steak. And while my list of top steakhouses may not be as a much of a must-read as Texas Monthly’s edition, I thought you all might enjoy hearing about my favorites.

I could have easily made a long extensive list broken down by regions, atmosphere or pricing, but decided instead to showcase my top 3. They are that good, and deserve the prestige (Hey, it’s my blog. I can call this prestigious if I want, right?) of being 1 of 3.

So, in no particular order, here goes.

Perini Ranch Steakhouse This one is a Texas legend, and a must-visit. It sits on a ranch in remote Buffalo Gap and is a completely rustic, come-as-you-are kind of place that just happens to be owned by a world-class cowboy cook. I recommend the peppered strip steak and bread pudding. For more information, visit periniranch.com.

Bob’s Steak and Chop House This place is a prime steak-only joint that does not disappoint. Ever. They have white tablecloths, but it’s not stuffy. They also have the most heavenly cream style corn ever. I recommend it on the side of a filet or bone-in ribeye. For more information and locations, visit bobs-steakandchop.com.

Margaret Heinen's Western Sky Steak House Located in San Angelo, this is the kind of place you’d expect to see on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. You’d never know it from the outside, but this 40+ year old establishment has some of the best steak you’ll ever eat (and really good Mexican food, too). I recommend the tenders (or a filet for a smaller portion) with German fries, and an onion ring appetizer. For more information, visit westernskysteakhouse.org.

What about you? What are your favorites in your part of the country?