TEXAS                                   OKLAHOMA

Kent Black                                Keith Jennison

Black’s  – Lockhart                  Elmer’s    – Tulsa

Joe Duncan                               Charles Smith

Baker’s Ribs – Dallas              Leo’s BBQ -  Oklahoma City

Kelly Duncan                            Jev Vandegrift

Big Daddy’s – Lavon               Van’s Pig Stand – Shawnee

Cliff Payne                                  Joe Wells

Cousin’s – Fort Worth             Smokin’ Joe’s Rib Ranch and RV Park – Davis

The competition will take place on October 6.  Pitmasters will be cooking their signature St. Louis pork ribs and sauces all day in Downtown’s Main Street Garden (St. Paul and Main Street) for a 7 p.m. special private judging by a panel of food experts, sports industry members, and community leaders.  From this “blind” judging (where judges will not know who cooked what recipe and judge only on food) , two winners, one from Oklahoma and one from Texas will be selected.  (The panel of judges will be announced in advance of October 6.)

Jump for more.

Then, the two winning pitmasters will cook their winning recipes up all day on Friday, October 7, to be sold at The Texas/OU Red River Barbecue Shootout Celebration in Main Street Garden from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.  The Ultimate Champion Winning Pitmaster will be determined by a People’s Choice vote among the 2,000-plus attendees expected at the event.  This will also be a “blind” contest, during which attendees will be invited to purchase a Shootout Rib Plate with “Ribs A and B” identified only and for which they will place a vote. A $1,000 prize, and additional gifts and prizes will be presented to the Champion Pitmaster at 8:30 p.m.

Then on Friday, October 7, Main Street in downtown will be the spot to be for music, food and fun. As a part of the celebration, DRG Concepts and Downtown Dallas inc. are bringing in music from Dallas’ Eleven Hundred Springs, Norman’s Damn Quails, and Austin’s Backporch Mary.  The bands will perform all evening on October 7, starting at 5:30 p.m. The concerts are free and open to the public.  Everyone is invited to bring their lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the music on the lawn at Main Street Garden.

Food, including the Red River Shootout People’s Choice Rib Plate, as well as beer, wine and margaritas, will be available for purchase at the October 7 event.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

jump for his tips…

1. Coat grill rack with non-stick spray or vegetable oil before preheating to prevent food from sticking.

2. When grilling fish, grill with the skin side down or on aluminum foil (coat with non-stick spray).

3. Red snapper is quick and easy to grill. But, make sure the grill and fish are well oiled, and handle carefully.

4. Salmon is a favorite for grilling, because it doesn’t dry out. Rich in natural omega oils, you can pop it on the grill without oiling. Start by grilling the salmon skin side up. This allows the natural fat under the skin to be drawn into the filet, keeping it rich and moist.

5. If you’re grilling scallops, use fresh ocean scallops. These should be a pinkish tan or ivory color, not unnaturally white.

6. Freshwater trout is great on the grill. The skin becomes thin and crispy and the meat is full of flavor.

7. To keep tuna burgers moist, choose the freshest tuna steaks you can find and serve them medium-rare to medium – don’t overcook.

8. When grilling BBQ ribs, pork butt, or tenderloin, cook unwrapped for 50 to 75% of the cooking time to infuse smoke and flavor. The remaining time wrap with heavy aluminum foil to retain moisture and tenderness

9. When grilling burgers and steaks, allow grill to get to a high temperature before placing food on grill. Let steaks or burgers grill several minutes prior to turning, which will sear in the juices.

10. When choosing an inexpensive steak, opt for flank steak rather than skirt steak, which can be tougher. Flank steak is thin and cooks quickly. They’re usually marinated before being grilled. Wrap the steak in foil as it comes off the grill and let it stand for 10 minutes. Slice it thinly on a diagonal across the grain to sever the tough fibers and make the flavorful steak more tender.

11. When is cheaper better? Chicken thighs may be one of the cheaper cuts, but they do great on the grill! Thighs are more flavorful and the extra fat in the skin makes them better suited to grilling.

12. For the juiciest chicken and chops, you want to sear them on both sides on high heat for several minutes and then bring the grill temperature down to complete the cooking process.

13. Grilling vegetables in aluminum foil, with oil, prevents them from falling through the grill gates.

14. Just a few minutes on the grill gives bell peppers a sweet smoky flavor. Don’t over roast them: As soon as the skin puffs up and turns black, they’re ready.

15. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise, coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; grill for 15 minutes.

16. You can leave the husk on the corn while grilling. Once you see the shape of the kernels burning through the husk, your corn is ready. (If you grill with indirect heat, you’ll need to grill the corn for about an hour, so put your corn on the grill first.)

17. Grilled Caesar Salad – ? Sure – the Romaine lettuce ends will char, but it stays remarkably crisp and sweet, with a char-grilled flavor.

18. Always allow grill to cool prior to cleaning, but I recommend cleaning after each use.

19. To extend the life of your grill (and smoker), store in a dry place or keep covered after each use.

20. Do not grill alone; spend the time with family and friends. (It’s more DADGUM fun!)

Dao, a Dallas restaurant veteran and sassy addition to the North Dallas casual dining scene, has chosen to go with the second-nature dishes of her youth. Her signature Pho—so rich and customizable—requires that the eater wield both chopsticks and spoon and packs a low calorie count thanks to grilled meats and clear broth. The combination is as good for an afternoon shopping stop (especially when you’re needing a pit stop after Ikea) as it is for curing a cold. My leftover pho tai chin (thinly shaved beef & brisket in broth with bean sprouts and fresh rice noodles) knocked my hubby’s head cold out of the park by morning.

Best news of all, both locations (Frankford Rd. and the soon-to-open downtown location in the Wilson building) deliver (keep an eye out for their pink mopeds). So you can settle in with some shaken beef or banh mi at home tonight and have enough left over for lunch tomorrow.

Read the FrontBurner post for more details, and feel free to hate on me for not actually liking seafood. I’m just trying to do you fish-loving folks a favor.

Grilled artichokes and about-to-be-grilled langostinos a la Tim Love. (Photography by Sarah Reiss)

For a debutante, last weekend’s Barbados Food & Wine and Rum Festival (featuring, among others, local boy Tim Love of Lonesome Dove and Love Shack) was both a figurative and literal hottie. From searing grills to humidity that felt like getting a big wet one from Mother Nature, heat was both constant companion and inspiration as foodies from all over the world tripped between the Fairmont, George Washington House, and the tony, tony Sandy Lane for demos and tastings by chefs Tim Love, Tom Colicchio, Ming Tsai, Marcus Samuelsson, Anthony Giglio, and Rob Feenie.

Luckily, I took the good camera with me. Jump here for the awesome photo gallery.

Barbados is famous (and Zagat rated) for its roadside fish shacks and rum shops.

Time was tight, but I’m glad I committed to some quality time inside  Tim Love’s 100-ft. circle of fun (made even more jolly by the lubricating presence of senor Jose Cuervo) where I was introduced to another hot idea: that nearly everything — from ricotta cheese to pickles to beets – is made better by spending a little time on the plancha. Searing soft cheeses (if you can manage to keep your hands off them and let the bottom sear before you try flipping — from the back; always from the back) renders them nutty and roasty, prime for coatings and toppings (see beets and hash brown pics below).

Down the coast, tail-to-snout genius Fergus Henderson elaborated on his Jedi-master approach to assessing doneness (use the force, Luke) while oven roasting bone marrow and spinning yarns that involved his honeymoon, a sleepy wife, and a plate of trotters. Meanwhile, his assistant shaved beef heart into transparent slices, flavored it with rum and olive oil, flash grilled it, and presented the tender result with freshly grated horseradish in creme fraiche. (Henderson is one of the coolest guys around; if you do not know him already, check out his St. John Restaurant, Hotel, and Bakery next time you’re in London. He’s the only guy I know who can make a pig’s ear sandwich sound appetizing. Hey, no judgment.)

Craft’s Tom Colicchio combined roast pork and … wait for it … steamed clams in an inspiring, albeit dubious, flavor pile-up, while advocating for national childhood nutrition reform and fielding Top Chef Q&A.

At the risk of ruining a good thing, I have to mention the fish sandwich from Cuz’s beach shack that my friends and I picked up on our way to the airport. The first bite of this fried fish/fried egg/cheese/Bajan hot pepper sauce pile-up literally caused my 6 foot, 200+lb. friend Ben to well up with tears of joy. (Hey, what did I say? No judgment.) The tears of sadness came later, with the last bite.

The only thing that was not so hot: the 13-hour, two-leg travel day — an inconvenience that is about to become a distant memory thanks to American Airlines’ introduction of direct flights from DFW to Bridgetown starting Dec. 17.

Did I mention I took the good camera with me? Here’s the payoff:

Tim Love's grilled, pickled cucumbers.

Tim Love proving that you can grill ricotta. It's all in the wrist. Be patient, then flip from the back.

Et voila! Grilled ricotta over grilled beets. Sounds weird; tastes amazing.

Cuz's shack, next to the lifeguard station at Pebbles Beach (left) sells, quite possibly, the best fish sandwich on the island (right).

Leeks ready for the grill (left), Tim's can't-fail camp bread (right).

Pina coladas at Tapas restaurant (left); Tale of Two Cities parade during brunch at The George Washington House.

Tom Colicchio's clams over roast pork.

Fergus Henderson's oven-roasted bone marrow (left); the effervescent king of offal himself explains his Jedi-master approach to assessing doneness. Yes, that is a beef heart he's holding.

Tim Love's plancha-grilled cheese atop crispy hashbrowns.

Event hostess (and Travel + Leisure food editor & features director) Nilou Motamed introduces Tim Love at The George Washington House brunch cook-off.

Tom Colicchio's groupies at his cooking demo at Sandy Lane resort.

Want to join Tim Love’s circle of fun or the cult of Fergus Henderson? You’ve got plenty of opportunities both here and abroad. Look for them in 2011 at food festivals around the globe (check their respective websites for details). Or, if you find yourself  in the UK, head to Henderson’s new St. John Hotel. If Fergus and his wife Margot’s love of partying in Barbados was any indication, the hotel, and anything associated with it, should be a rockin good time.

Barbados Food & Wine and Rum Food Festival was a joint venture between Barbados Tourism and American Express Publishing’s Travel + Leisure, FOOD & WINE, Departures & Executive Travel magazines.

I resigned from The Dallas Observer and now full time at the Critic’s Guide that will premiere Monday morning.

The Critic’s Guide is the brainchild of Dave Faries, another dude who quit the Observer. Faries and Doyle will be joined by Mark Stuertz, yet another dude who quit the Observer. Why didn’t Dave just call it Food By Dudes? Critic’s Guide debuts  on Monday. I  FREAKIN’ CAN’T WAIT.

Les deets.

FORMER DALLAS FOOD CRITIC INTRODUCES ONLINE

FOOD AND WINE MAGAZINE TO THE METROPLEX

Dave Faries Launches Critic’s Guide Next Week

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

October 14, 2010

Dallas, Texas – Noted food writer and critic Dave Faries, formerly of The Dallas Observer and Prague Post introduce Critic’s Guide; an exciting new online magazine covering the Dallas-Fort Worth dining scene.  Critic’s Guide is set to debut the week of October 18 at www.criticsguide.com.

Featuring four professional restaurant reviews by Faries and James Beard award-winning writer Mark Stuertz each week, Critic’s Guide also showcases local chefs, cocktail culture, dining trends, wines, vegetarian restaurants, cigars and more. In addition, visitors to the online magazine will find a searchable guide to recommended establishments and a useful events calendar.

Amongst the restaurants slated for review next week are The Green Room and Stephan Pyles’ new multi-course extravaganza Fuego.

With more than 20 years’ experience in journalism including TV and radio, Faries spent seven years writing for the Dallas Observer and three years in Europe.  Additionally, Faries served on the panel naming the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants list and edited several restaurant guides. He has also produced PBS documentary features for the series Outdoor Pennsylvania and the nationally distributed full-length documentary The Vanishing Civil War.

Mark Stuertz earned a James Beard Award for his food writing with the Dallas Observer. With a career that began two decades ago as a distinguished wine and food writer in San Francisco, Stuertz has most recently contributed to the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

”Critic’s Guide is a magazine solely focused on dining and nightlife.  We hope to be a comprehensive source information and fun for those interested in food, wine, special events,” says Faries. “We will have several recognized contributors including Steven Doyle, Brad Cameron of the popular blog Dallas Vegan.”

For more information go to www.criticsguide.com, call 214-609-2045 or follow on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Dallas-TX/Critics-Guide/115634368491156 and Twitter @CriticsGuideDFW.

Danyele McPherson and Matt McCallister and prepare Fuego

After months of anticipation, months more of discovery, and a year of of experimentation, Fuego, the small restaurant within a restaurant, has opened inside  Stephan Pyles, the restaurant.

For now, Fuego is the most exclusive eating event in town–the menu features a few preparation techniques used by molecular gastronomists combined with cooking and baking in a wood fire oven.

The synthesis of high culinary art combined with the latest culinary science, freshest organic local ingredients, and some iconic foods of the world  is  now available for you to taste.

Fuego at Stephan Pyles is only open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The small area at the bar seats only four people at two seatings  (6:30pm and 9pm). There is no  menu (until the end). Chef/owner  Stephan Pyles, execuchef, Matt McCallister, and sous chef Danyele McPherson are making some magic. (If you go, ask McPherson what was her grade was waterboarding when she attended CIA.) These three prepare “seven to ten courses” (that is according to the publicity -  according to my math the night I ate, there were 14) right in front of the guests.

They describe each one and talk about it with you as you eat. It is an intimate and totally involving experience in which the food stars. If you desire, you can defer judgment over the drinks as well, and have a matched wine (which is sometimes a non-wine beverage) with each course. In that case, a wine waiter effortlessly moves drinks in and out in time with the delivery of the food. At several points, Pyles himself comes by, casting a judgmental eye on the food and talking excitedly about the grander scheme of this experiment.

Enough of the generalities, let’s look at the menu in a little more detail.

We were greeted by a Watermelon Mojito whipped up in a bowl filled, and periodically refilled, with liquid nitrogen. It froze the liquid in the watermelon, and the accompanying (locally sourced) mint, in seconds. By way of contrast with the frozen cocktail, lime foam adorned the top.

The first course was Foie Caramel Apple. The apple was cooked sous-vide in foie fat, rolled in foie cream, then rolled in foie brittle (hard caramel). The whole thing was popped on a cocktail stick and ‘planted’ in a small pot of grass (not eaten!). The sous vide cooking (20 minutes at 155 degrees) had softened the flesh of the apple to a foie-like consistency and the covering in foie from the rolling evoked the classic combination of foie gras with acidic fruit.

Next, an example of the kind of ‘trompe l’oeil’ cookery popular in the Planet Green show Future Food. Encased Gazpacho actually put the soup in a casing of cocoa butter. The trick here was to first make spheres of gazpacho using reverse spherification, then immerse them in cocoa butter.

There followed a Dirty Martini. We were presented with a large spoon containing what looked like an olive. However, when you bit into the olive it exploded in your mouth like a giant caviar egg. The flavors were those of a true martini. This is made with a puree green olives, lemon juice, olive brine, dry vermouth and gin. The puree is made into spheres using reverse spherification as with the previous course.

Next Vinegar Air with Potato Chips. Take deep-fried local Yukon potatoes (that’s the standard part). The ‘air’ is actually a foam made from malt vinegar, gelatin and soy lecithin. Add some salt and you have a take on salt and vinegar chips.

Garden Carrot was an unprepossessing name for a quite intricate preparation of ingredients centered on extolling the humble carrot (sourced locally when available but, in a current supply shortage, from Chef’s Garden in Ohio). An heirloom carrot was cooked sous-vide in carrot juice, rolled in carrot powder and cumin then plated with black sesame sponge cake (Sesame seeds are toasted, pureed and put into sponge cake batter. This batter is put in to an iSi canister and charged with CO2. The result is put in a bowl and micro waved for 35 seconds), crème fraiche powder and tarragon ice cream (sublimely smooth from having been made using liquid nitrogen!).  You eat the carrot, shoots and all. The accompanying beverage was Dry Soda Kumquat Soda.

Next up was Oyster or Not. On the left a west coast oyster from Fanny Bay B.C. On the right, seawater, borage flowers and mignonette jelly. This creation from the cranium of chef Matt McCallister is based on his contention that West Coast oysters have an aroma of melon and cucumbers and that borage flowers have the cucumber aroma as well. You be the judge. The accompanying wine posed pan-European diplomatic questions as to whether the Basque region should be granted autonomy from Spain. Its label was all X’s, and contained very little Spanish! It was 2008 Egia Enea Bizkaiko Txakolina. A Hondarrabi Zuri varietal white wine from the Bizkaiko Txakolina designated wine growing area (DOC) in the Pais Vasco region made by Egia Enea. Very hard to find around Dallas, but the root beer of Bilbao. It is citrusy and extremely acidic with a tendency to be naturally petillant. A food wine well suited to the oysters, but not the Not.

Continuing the seafood theme next was Octopus with Melon Soup. This was a perfect choice for this 104º day. The octopus had been charred before inclusion which created a delicate roasted taste. The watermelon was seared in the wood oven behind the counter. This was Dish of the Night with one of our party of four. It was well matched with 2009 Château Routas “Rouvière” Rosé, Côteaux Varois, Provence. A well-made rosé that is over 50% Cinsault.

The Oxtail Marmalade Bao Bun was a combination of old-world meat and Asian packaging. The oxtail was cooked and the meat separated out. A marmalade of onions was made. The two were added together with some horseradish cream and chili oil. This was Dish of the Night with one of our party. Perhaps the restaurant could put them on the regular menu as “Plate Load of Oxtail Marmalade Bao Bun.” I’d show up.

Potato, that most versatile vegetable, figured next. Cold, it was made into Cold Potato – Caviar (potato ice cream draped in caviar). Hot, it was Hot Potato – Truffles (whipped into foam and topped with black truffles). The contrast was interesting and I would take the cold preparation alone as my Dish of the Night. Fittingly for something as proletarian as caviar potato it was served with beer: Chimay, Blue Label, Pères Trappistes, Belgium. The caviar was sustainably farmed in Siberia.

On to Foie mousse, Candied bacon, Wood Roasted Blueberry Jam. Amid a sea of exotic technique and ingredients, this was an anchor to The Conventional Wisdom. Classic brioche paired with foie gras, even to the point of serving it with Sauternes (2005 Château Suduiraut). The blueberries for the jam were roasted in the wood oven, smoked with a smoking gun using pecan wood.

In Oven Seared Coulotte of Beef, Corn Pudding, Samphire and Shallot the beef was cooked sous-vide and then charred in the wood oven. It was served with heirloom tomatoes (dressed with olive oil, sherry vinegar and sea salt) and caramelized (sous-vide) shallot. This beef may be the first cut of meat that is 40% locally sourced (60% of the farm is in Oklahoma the other 40% is in Texas) The heirloom tomatoes and other vegetables are locally sourced from Motley Farms and Tom Spicer’s F.M. 1410.

That finally got us to dessert, but little did we know there were three of them. Jamón Serrano Ice Cream with Fig created an ice cream with the taste of Serrano Ham and topped it with a roast fig. It sounds weird, but it works. In fact, next time I would like more ham. Weirder perhaps is the serving bowl: did that thing come from a head shop?

Mangos and Sticky Rice also had brown butter ice cream on a base of coconut and lemon berbena. The Toms (Motley and Spicer) supply the latter.

Black Olive Cake with White Chocolate Center was a black olive cake with white chocolate, then white chocolate foam with black olive powder. This was a clever reversal of ingredients. The Dish of the Night with one of our party. Note the bowl:  A Muranoesque take on a marrow bone. The desserts were served with 2009 Ricossa, Moscat d’Asti from Italy. A straightforward sweet wine.

Finally, we finished off with a plate of Mignardises before departing full, but not stuffed. The quantities had been well chosen.

Now, this is what we had, but your menu will likely be different: Partly refinement, partly seasonal change, partly customer feedback. Even though this was the first weekend, execution was already running very smoothly. There were no long waits between courses; no dishes that crashed. As Fuego matures, you are likely to find the chefs even chattier as they put things together even more felicitously and the menu starts to settle down a bit. There is nothing else like Fuego in Dallas at present. It is dinner plus theatre, all in one sitting. And just for you and three of your closest friends.

Fuego costs $125 per person. $200 including the assigned wines. Most seats are already booked up for this month and the line is likely to lengthen as the summer ends.

Here is a transcript of our phone conversation.
NN: What is the concept for The Moth?
SW: Huh? I hate that word. I am not calling it a gastropub which has been done to death but never really even done right. It is [Moth] a bar with better food. It will be chef-driven and will open March 1, 2010. The food will be easy and honest. We are interviewing chefs right now. We will deal with local stuff but let me tell you, if it is no good we won’t use it. So there.

NN: Oh, a BBF?
SW: Yes. And let me tell you—we not doing sliders, mac and cheese, flatbreads, or anything with aioli on it. If I see the word aioli again, I will shoot myself. I’m am sick of it all. We may have a wood-burning oven but if we do a pizza it will not be a flatbread it will be a $%^&*@ pizza and it will be a small part of what we do.

NN: Your other restaurants, Flying Saucer and Flying Fish, seem to have a common denominator. Did you call it The Moth because it flies?
SW: I have no idea why I am calling it The Moth. I like it. I like the way it sounds. That is as deep as I am. There is no visual or spiritual element or significance.

NN: Describe the menu.
SW: Well, it will be predominately small plates. At lunch there will a strong ladies element with a nice menu of healthy selections. At night it will turn into more a guy’s place. The beer element is 50% of the drink component but we will also have more wine and liquor than the Flying Saucer.  We will also have a great outdoor patio.

NN: What else?
SW: Well the developer is putting in three other restaurants in the development.

NN: What is the development called?
SW: *#%@, I can’t remember. Something like LOL for Lower Oak Lawn.

NN: Hmm. That is an unfortunate acronym. They should call it LoOla so that people won’t be laughing out loud.
SW: Hmm. You should write that.

If you have a question for Mr. Wynne or would like to apply for a job. Leave a comment.

Chef Francis Mallmann at Central Market in Dallas.

Last night our editorial intern, Kellyn Curtis, headed over to Central Market for a tough assignment–a cooking class led by, “The Thomas Keller of South America,” Francis Mallman. His recent cookbook, Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way is gorgeous. Here’s what went on at CM on Lovers last night:

Dallas cooking enthusiasts got a little taste of Argentina Monday night at Central Market’s cooking school. Chef Francis Mallman, one of South America’s biggest culinary stars, prepared three dishes the Argentine way and paired them with some great wines.

Chef Mallman became Argentina’s best-known chef by preparing haute-French cuisine. But he soon got bored and decided to go back to the basics by cooking with wood fire and cast iron – the way the gauchos used to do it. The change paid off. He owns three South American restaurants and has written several cookbooks.

The class entitled Seven Fires/Three Winds started off with a salad. Sounds simple enough, but according to the chef even the simplest things can be difficult to do well. But he made the burnt carrots with goat cheese, parsley, arugula, and crispy garlic chips salad look easy. He paired it with a Trivento Torrontes Select, a crisp wine with flavors of tropical fruit and citrus.

The next item on the menu was a whole boneless rib eye with chimichurri served with a Patagonian potato galette. Chef Mallman pointed out that chimichurri is the most Argentinean sauce for meat. Chefs have tried to make variations of the original, but Mallman says there is only one true chimichurri. He waited until the last minute to coat the rib eye with the sauce so that the two different flavors would remain separate. For this course, he chose a red wine – Trivento Malbec Select.

He finished off the night with burnt oranges and rosemary paired with a Trivento Pinot Noir. This is one of his simplest recipes but the flavors and texture were intense and complex. Warning: don’t attempt this dish indoors – it will engulf the kitchen in smoke.

It’s a dip. It’s a sauce. It’s a marinade. It’s a delicious unique blend of sweet & spicy…think garlic, red chile and caramel.It’s fat free too. Excellent to marinate TJ’s salmon, swordfish, scallops, shrimp, tilapia, tuna and more. Put a tablespoon in your hamburger meat. Mix with olive oil for a salad dressing.

See what I mean about excitable? Geezer alert: His pitch reminds me of this. Oh, those were the days.

The eight-time MLB All-Star has been a rancher for most of his life. When he isn’t busy being the President of the Texas Rangers, he’s moving cattle on one of his two ranches. In between, he sits in a board room, discusses global meat markets, and makes decisions for his company Nolan Ryan’s Guaranteed Tender Beef.

SideDish: When you were playing baseball, did you dream of being a meat purveyor?

Nolan Ryan: I’ve been in the cattle business for 35 years. I guess I’ve had the meat company for—hey, don’t hold me to it, but it’s been about six or seven years. I can’t say I really thought about getting into the meat business. I was much more involved on a day-to-day basis, you know all the marketing, before this job (President of the Rangers) came along. So now I head down [to the ranch] when the team goes on the road.

SideDish: So is pitching the beef business difficult?

Nolan Ryan: I really like the ranching part but when you first get on the producer’s side, you think you know what goes on in the end product. But until you get into that side of it, the marketing of the product, you find you really have to want to be in the business. You have to learn about what drives the demand for the end product. It’s a tough business. We’re going through a horrible drought right now, the worst in 35 years.

SideDish: Tell us about your cows and products.

Nolan Ryan: I’ve run personally myself 2,000 [cattle]. But the company has cattle from other programs and producers. We have five feed lots in South Texas, one in North Texas, and one in California. We use a composite Beefmaster and breed them with a red or black Angus depending on what we need. We graze on grassland and with grains harvested by area farmers and we don’t use added growth hormones or antibiotics during the last 100 days of the feeding period. We never feed meat by-products of any kind.

SideDish: I understand all of the burger stands at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington use your beef. I hear there are plans for a new, expanded concession area with tables and chairs that will feature more options.

Nolan Ryan: [Looks down at the ground, smiles, and shakes his head] Yes, they’re in the process of opening a new stand, a grill–a kind of destination type place with different products. I haven’t seen the final menu yet. I’ve got a lot on my plate.

Ryan’s beef is available at Kroger’s and other stores and restaurants in the Southwest. Here is more info on cuts and quality.  Ryan’s new eatery at the Ballpark will debut on April 6th. I’m waiting for details from non-baseball PR types. (Photo courtesy of Nolan Ryan’s website.)