Sustainability and Beef

Periodic recurrences of drought are the biggest challenges any rancher faces. After all, ranchers are basically taking inedible grasses and turning them into high-protein foods that nourish the human body. And when you don't have rain, you don't grow grasses.

I think when you have gone through droughts like we have had in the last decade, it becomes evident you have to take care of your environment and your resources. You have to maintain your grasses and be good stewards of the land. If you don't, you have to deal with the impact of your actions and the recovery aspect that it takes to get back to normal.

As producers, we realize that everything we do is interconnected. If you maintain your grazing land, then you're also conscious of your water situation. So you monitor your rainfall, your runoff, and your ongoing water quality.

And none of that matters if you don't look out for your animal's welfare. My philosophy for quite some time is to pay particular attention to handling practices that provide for low-stress handling of cattle and the impact it has on the quality of the product. We've taken the position that we do not hurry the cattle or push them and we find that the end results are much better.

So that's my definition of sustainability. I believe in a balance of nature. I have a presence there, but I pretty much try to have as little impact on the ecosystem as is necessary.

Why We Care

At Nolan Ryan's Beef, we realize we're not the only protein option you have to choose from. That's why we continually work to show you why we care about our product. It's why we work to ensure that you recieve the highest quality, most nutritious and safest beef anywhere.

Everywhere I travel I find a global appreciation for beef. That's a good thing because that respect is generated by cattle producers who care about their product. My confidence in the level of care is the primary reason I put my name behind the beef that I and my ranching colleagues put in our program.

As a company, we get great benefits from providing our consumers the information about our beef that you seek. This realtionship had made our level of awareness of what you want higher than ever before. And it's made us look at our business of raising cattle differently than ever before. We greatly appreiate the part you play in making Nolan Ryan Beef an exceptional food product.

Our company's commitment will never change simply because we constantly work to make sure you are 100% comfortable with our beef products each and every time.

What Endorsing Beef Means to Me

I'm committed to Nolan Ryan’s Beef being the best beef product that I and my fellow ranchers can produce. I put my name behind the product because I know people will get a quality, consistent eating experience in return for their purchases.

I achieve those requirements by putting my own cattle in the program. Each cut of beef that we sell gives me a better understanding of our product’s performance and challenges and how we can continually improve it. It gives me a much better understanding of what I endorse because I’m involved. For instance, how many times have you seen celebrities endorse a certain type of car? Those celebrities might even drive that model, but there’s no way they have that attachment to it as if they actually produced it and it was part of their day-to-day life.

As our goal is to create a product that provides a pleasant eating experience every time, then we’ve accomplished what we set out to do when the customer experiences an enjoyable meal. Every time that happens, people view your product as one that they'd purchase again. And that's what I want out of this product that carries my name.

Family Grilling Out

Our children have busy schedules now that they’re parents. And those schedules have changed the dynamics of our family get-togethers and the great grilling events we always try to have.

Our daughter, Wendy, her husband and their two-year-old boy stay plenty occupied in Amarillo. And Reid and Reese down in Central Texas have to rearrange their schedules constantly now that their kids are getting into sports. Both Reid and Reese are both coaching and attending basketball and baseball games that their children participate in.

Our children are now seeing things as Ruth and I had to when they were growing up. They have to juggle schedules and accommodate as many responsibilities as they can to leave plenty of family time. And for the Ryan family that always has included time for grilling steaks. We find there is no better solution than to just break away and set a time to get together.

We recently bought Fort Sterrett Ranch between Sonora and Junction, Texas. We bought it not only because it’s excellent ranching country, but also to provide recreation for our children and grandchildren. It’s become our summer getaway where we all spend a lot of time by the North Llano River. Those get-togethers always include grilling steaks, good conversations and lessons learned for the grandkids. It’s the best way we’ve discovered to soften the impact of today’s fast-paced lives.

The Value of Beef

President Reagan in his last Oval Office address said that the first lesson about America is that all great change occurs at the dinner table. He was talking about family values, their importance to our lives and how parents can instill them in the generations to come.

At Nolan Ryan Beef, we have to agree with that statement. There is no doubt that, from a family perspective, the evening meal is the most important meal of the day. That’s where all the lessons about values come into play for the average family.


Take the mother who puts that food on the table. Despite all the pressures of the day, she still goes grocery shopping as the lead person who decides what her children eat and the value she gets for the dollars she spends. She also seeks the intangible values that come from sharing a safe, healthy, properly nutritious, great-tasting meal just as much as she studies the economic value.

The end result of all her care is creation of a bond between parents and children that inspires appreciation of family values. That process surrounding the dinner table can only be a good thing.

Meet the Nolan Ryan's Beef Staff

When thinking of the topic for this month’s blog I thought that my readers would enjoy getting a chance to meet the people behind the scenes of Nolan Ryan’s Beef, what their favorite steak is, and a few helpful tips for cooking the perfect steak!

Charlie Bradbury is the CEO of Nolan Ryan’s Beef. Being in the cattle business for over 30 years, Charlie knows how to select and cook an excellent steak. When Charlie has time to get to the grill he loves to cook ribeyes. He says that the key marinade for him is to squeeze a little bit of lemon juice on the meat as well as soaking the meat in Dale's marinade for at least thirty minutes. Some grilling tips that Charlie always relies on is to make sure that your grill is hot before you place the steaks on the grill. When checking to make sure that the meat is at the desired doneness, never cut the meat, use a meat thermometer instead.

Ted Lawson is our Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Nolan Ryan’s Beef. He loves to grill tenderloin every chance he has. When he prepares steaks he likes to season it with Dale’s marinade, and add a little bit of liquid smoke for flavor. The philosophy he lives by is that you should only turn the steak once on the grill to get the results you want.

Terry Smith is our Vice President of Operations. When he is at home grilling for the family his steak of choice is a ribeye. Terry is a strong believer in not using any marinades on his meat because it takes away from the natural taste. His favorite saying about grilling is, “If you’re a looking, you ain’t cooking!” Keep the grill closed so the meat can cook properly.

Chris Meighen is our Foodservice Representative. Being an avid griller he loves cooking up a great ribeye steak. When preparing his steaks to hit the grill he loves to coat the meat with a dry rub, ensuring that it will have a great crust on the outside. His motto for cooking steak, “Don’t overcook!” Great tip Chris!

Nichole Francis is the Marketing/ Communications Coordinator. Whenever she is grilling for her friends and family she loves to cook tenderloin steaks. About an hour before she plans to grill she prefers to season the steaks with salt, pepper, garlic salt, italian dressing, and worcestershire sauce. A couple of helpful tips are to take the meat off of the grill a few minutes early, cover with aluminum foil to let the juices re-distribute within the meat (it also keeps cooking while covered to desired doneness). This will ensure a great tasting steak!

Bob Persky is our Sales Associate. When not on the road working, Bob loves cooking ribeyes on the grill. His favorite seasoning is our Nolan Ryan Signature Steak seasoning. A great tip that most people do not realize is to take your meat out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you put it on the grill to take the chill off. Having the meat at room temperature ensures more even cooking.

Mysti Richardson is in charge of Quality Control for Nolan Ryan’s Beef. Her steak of choice is a New York strip steak. She says, “I do not like to use a strong marinade, I do not want to cover up the flavor of the beef. I prefer a steak seasoning like our Nolan Ryan Steak Seasoning, or just sea salt and pepper.” Her useful tip when grilling is to not overcook the meat, and to let the steak rest for a few minutes before cutting it. This will keep it tender and juicy.

Cydney Mathis is our Perishables Coordinator/ Administrative Assistant. She loves cooking ribeyes on the grill whenever she can. A few hours before she plans to grill she marinates the ribeyes in italian dressing and sprinkles on some Nolan Ryan’s Signature Steak Seasoning for extra flavor. Her tip for great grilling is to, “Make sure you are around family and friends, it makes everything taste better!”

Lastly, Shellee Adkins is our Sales Representative. She is the health guru of the office. When cooking delicious and healthy meals for her friends and family, she relies on the trusty ribeye. Her special marinade to use is 1 cup of red wine vinegar, ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic pressed, salt and pepper to taste. Two steps to follow when grilling is to make sure the grates on the grill are clean, and always spray the grates with cooking spray to ensure the meat will not stick. If you have extra marinade drizzle it over fresh cut veggies, wrap them up in foil and place them alongside the ribeyes on the grill for the perfect side dish!

We hope that these useful tips will help you out the next time you light up the grill for your friends and family. I am truly blessed to have an amazing staff that works hard, and insures great products to our customers. Thanks everyone for all that you do.

Nolan Ryan's All-Natural Beef Announces Sweepstakes

With the start of baseball season already underway it is a great time to dust off the grill and get cooking! This season, the fans of Nolan Ryan's All- Natural Beef can register to win a chance to meet me, Nolan Ryan as one of many great prizes during Nolan Ryan's Beef and Baseball Bonanza.

Great tasting beef from the grill is my favorite way to kick off baseball season. While some beef companies do not start heating up the grill until Memorial Day, we think Opening Day is aboout right for us.

Fans are able to register by logging onto our website, http://www.nolanryanbeef.com/ for a chance to win great prizes. The grand prize winner will recieve a meet and greet with me, autographed gear, a Hasty-Bake gourmet charcoal grill, and $250 dollars' worth of Nolan Ryan's Beef. We will also have first, second, and third place winners.

I want to personally thank all of our customers for their continued support for Nolan Ryan's Beef. I am truly blessed to be able to do what I love, and that is to bring high-quality, all- natural beef to families tables.

Let us know what you think via E-Mail or on our Facebook page.

Meat Case Freedom

The biggest change I’ve seen between the beef industry of a decade ago and what we do today is your freedom of choice at the meat case.

We all can remember when we didn’t have any options at the meat case. Today, though, at Nolan Ryan’s All-Natural Beef, we think about it a lot.

For customers who enjoy convenient, affordable beef, we’ve added a number of innovative products that fit the bill including our hot dogs, sliders and smoked beef sausage. These products complement our always highly affordable Guaranteed Tender line of beef cuts.

For our customers who have asked us to provide natural beef that has never received hormones or antibiotics, we have our Premium Reserve program.

And, for customers who want to enjoy our beef whenever they dine out, we are expanding their choices by increasing inroads with chefs to create more marketing opportunities for Nolan Ryan’s Beef. We’re really excited about the partnerships that we’ve established with restaurants including The Black Eyed Pea, Chapps Café and others.

We thank our customers for taking advantage of your freedom of choice at the meat case. You are experiencing our products more than ever before. Let us know what you think via email or our Facebook page.

Syncing Consumer Information

The information age has caused a remarkable transformation when it comes to what consumers know about beef.

Just a couple of years ago, few consumers really understood the difference between organic beef and natural beef or the merits of locally raised and traceable beef. But all that’s changed thanks to the massive flow of information at our fingertips. Nolan Ryan's Beef CEO, Charlie Bradbury, recently posted a blog about the differences in organic, grassfed and all-natural beef that has some very insightful information.

With global access to the Internet, consumers get recipes that give new ideas on how to prepare beef. They exchange ideas and analyze the foods that are best for their families. They pay attention when the Japanese and Europeans discuss the reasons to impose traceability of cattle. And they turn to the Web to find nutrition labels for the food that they eat before they go to the store to buy it.

We enjoy working with knowledgeable customers who tell us what they want. It’s because of these customers that Nolan Ryan's Beef is leading the response to this change.

We invite consumers to our website so they know exactly what they are purchasing from our company through our distinct product lines for minimally processed beef and no-hormone, no antibiotic beef as well as all our other products. Our website educates consumers about how we’re different from other foods available in today’s changing world. We, like our customers, appreciate where the industry is today and where it’s going tomorrow.

Organic, Grassfed and All-Natural ... What's the Difference?

As CEO of Nolan Ryan's Beef, I get questions all the time from customers. I’m always happy to inform consumers on our products and services. Kroger customer, Mary M. sent me a good question recently about the differences in organic, grassfed and all-natural beef, so I’m sharing my answer.

“Nolan Ryan’s Beef sells two brands of fresh beef and they are slightly different in their specifications.

1. Nolan Ryan’s Premium Reserve Beef, which is sold in Kroger stores and some restaurants
2. Nolan Ryan’s Guaranteed Tender Beef, which is sold in Super S Stores and Sun Harvest stores, and in many dining establishments

Both brands meet the USDA definition of all-natural. The cattle in both brands are born on ranch pastures and raised on their mothers on grass until they reach a weaning age – usually around 550 pounds and seven months of age, but that can vary tremendously with weather conditions and the amount of available forage. When the calves are weaned, they are moved to grass pastures where they continue to grow until they reach a weight of around 850 pounds, which is usually around 18 months of age. Again, this can vary a great deal. At that point, they are moved to a feedlot for the finishing period which lasts about 140 days, up until harvest.

Grain feeding is what gives beef the consistent tenderness and flavor that most consumers expect. Grain feeding is the most efficient way to produce quality beef and has a much smaller carbon footprint than a range finishing program, because it takes less time and uses much less water, land and labor. As far as the cattle’s welfare is concerned, it would be hard to design a place much better for a cow to live. A feedlot has all the feed, water, shade, space and companionship that cattle seem to crave. So, while the cattle in both programs spend 70-80 percent of their lives on grass, they are not grass finished.

The two programs differ in that the cattle in the Premium Reserve program never receive any added growth hormones or antibiotics. The cattle in the Guaranteed Tender program don’t receive an added growth hormone or a therapeutic antibiotic within 100 days of harvest. These differences create differences in the price point of the two products. Both of them are very high-quality beef products and both programs represent a very disciplined and science-based approach to producing a safe and nutritious product in the most humane way possible.

Neither of our programs is organic. Organic beef production is an entirely different beast. In these programs the cattle must be born on ranches that do not use commercial fertilizers, fungicides or pesticides and they must be fed only grain that is grown on cropland that is never treated with commercial fertilizers, fungicides or pesticides. In our research of these programs, we have learned that there simply is not a reliable supply of organically grown corn in this country, chiefly because it is so inefficient and has such a high carbon footprint. Consequently, most organic programs in this country are either grass finished programs, or they are sourcing beef from other countries like Uruguay, Nicaragua, Mexico, New Zealand and Australia where land labor and water are more plentiful and less expensive. We just decided to stay out of that end of the business.

To read more about our program, visit the all-natural page on our website.”

My Favorite Beef Meals

With the Thanksgiving holiday quickly approaching, I can't help but think about my favorite meals. I know Thanksgiving is traditionally about turkey, but I prefer a good beef dish over turkey any day.

When I was growing up, my mother prepared a roast every Sunday. To this day, I probably enjoy a good roast with brown gravy more than anything. Those are special meals as a kid growing up and they just kind of take you back whenever you have it.

When I got to thinking about that, I realized I have favorite beef choices for almost every occasion. There’s probably a story hidden behind each one of my favorites. I may not remember the story, but I do know when I’m in that dining situation, what I prefer.

Invitation Out: If I was going over to somebody's house for dinner and they cooked a roast with potatoes, carrots, celery, onions and brown gravy, I could probably go for that. As I said, that's my idea of a really good home meal.

Dining Out in a Restaurant: Both Ruth and I like to order a beef tenderloin filet when we’re dining out. It’s just a real attractive cut when dining out. One of my favorite places to eat them is the Little Rhein Steakhouse in San Antonio. I just enjoy sitting on the river on a fall or spring evening. They have really good creamed spinach too. I also enjoy really good barbecue in a restaurant.

Cooking at Home: If I had my choice I’d grill ribeyes at home. As a home cook, I need some leeway between potential distractions and the need to always watch the heat of the fire. So I turn to the ribeye or T-bone when I’m grilling. Those are both excellent cuts for the home grill. I cook my steaks to medium rare.

What will you be enjoying this Thanksgiving holiday?

Go Rangers! Go Beef!

Hi Nolan Ryan Fans!

This is Charlie Bradbury, CEO of Nolan Ryan's All-Natural Beef. We are thrilled with the success of Nolan and the entire Texas Rangers organization! I've known Nolan for 30 years, and I have to say, I haven't seen him this excited since he bought his first cattle ranch!

The Rangers success is a testament to the standard of excellence that Nolan sets for himself and his organization. It's the same standard that's applied to the hand-selected steaks and all the beef that bears Nolan's name. As a rancher, he really knows how to produce quailty beef and the selection process that creates a great steak-eating experience.

We're glad so many consumers are pleased with the beef products we sell. We're always excited when we hear from consumers about how much they love steaks from Nolan Ryan's All-Natural Beef. Just so you know, when a consumer contacts us through our website, those emails come to me. In fact people are often surprised when they get a response from the CEO. So if you have a question about Nolan's other passion, beef, just let us know by email or on Facebook.

So when I'm watching the game tonight, I'll be eating the "Official Beef of the Texas Rangers" from Nolan Ryan's All-Natural Beef. Our team will be cheering on the Rangers and Nolan tonight and throughout the series! Hope you will too!

Go Rangers!

Charlie Bradbury

It's Time!

For the 2010 American League Division Series playoffs that is! For the first time since 1998, the Texas Rangers are headed to the playoffs and I'm right behind them. We are so thrilled with how the team has done this year! A big congratulations to the Texas Rangers and all their fans! Please continue to support the Rangers and cheer them on!

What Has the Ryan Family Been Up to in 2010?

Ruth and I are spending lots of time in the DFW Metroplex where I'm president and now an owner of the Texas Rangers.

Reid and Reese stay busy with the Ryans’ minor league baseball operations in Round Rock and Corpus Christi. Recently, the Round Rock Express became affiliated with the Texas Rangers in a reunion of sorts of our family. They also run the Central Texas franchise for The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and recently opened their fifth store in Austin.

Wendy, her husband and 2-year-old son live in Amarillo. They are involved in her husband’s family ranching operation near Palo Duro Canyon.

Our children’s time is challenged just like mine. So when it comes to ranching it’s pretty much myself and the employees that I have.

What else is new in 2010?

The severe drought of 2009 was really hard on us. But the spring and summer were more promising as we watched our cattle find more grazing opportunities on all of our ranches.

With nature’s help, we will increase the number of cows we take care of this year, but we’ll do it from within our own operation rather than buying them. If we produce the mamas, we have better control over the type of beef we produce from our calves.

No doubt it’s a slow process. And it’s even slower because of our family’s schedule.

Nonetheless, we continue to focus on our beef operation. Recently we sold our San Angelo, Texas, ranch and bought a ranch between Sonora and Junction on the north Llano River in Texas. We call it the Fort Terrett Ranch because the land holds the ruins of the old military camp by that name. It was occupied by U.S. federal troops from 1854-1856 to protect settlers along the Old San Antonio Road. A lot of the beef we’ll put in the Nolan Ryan program in coming years will come from this historic old ranch.

Taking Aim at Success

I’ve only known a couple of baseball players who have combined a career in professional baseball with cattle ranching. And I’m one of ’em.

So it’s not unusual for someone to come up to me and ask me why baseball and beef? Why do these two disparate pursuits create such passion in me? What in the world do they have in common?

It’s hard to say which came first. When I was 10 years old and playing Little League in Alvin, Texas, I also was buying my first “herd” of three baby calves from a neighbor. I raised them myself; even talking my parents into letting me put them in our garage when a hurricane threatened our home on the Gulf Coast.

You could say I always anticipated being in the cattle business even after I was drafted by baseball out of high school. And I’m glad I achieved that goal. In a sense, ranching served as a diversion from the routine and pressures of baseball by enabling me to spend time in a different area.

I look at it this way:

When some people have a passion for golf, they get up in the morning and get excited and think their day is really special if they get to play 36 holes. I do play golf now and then, but you couldn't whip me and get me to play 36 holes. But, by the same token, I will spend the whole day looking at cattle. So that’s my passion.

Before Ruth and I had children, we’d go visit this older gentleman who had a Beefmaster operation in George West, Texas. I bought bulls from him, so we'd get in his pickup and go look at his cattle after lunch. Forty-five minutes after we started riding around, Ruth would be in the back seat of the truck sound asleep while I couldn’t wait to see more. And we’d ride around for hours.

You are what you do…

What it amounts to is that you get out of something at least equal to what you put into it. That observation is not only based on my personal experience, but also on teammates whom I have watched on a day-to-day basis throughout my baseball career. I saw the ones who were dedicated and worked hard, and then I saw the benefits they received by competing on that level. Other players might have been more talented athletically, but they weren't as committed, and, therefore, they were not as successful.

My philosophy today is that if I take the same work ethic and principles that deliver success, and I apply them in my daily life outside of baseball, then I have a shot at being successful in anything. And so that shot—the opportunity to create a winner—is the answer to what baseball and beef have in common.

The No-No That Wasn’t Known

Howdy fans! Aren’t the Rangers doing great this year?! Sorry it’s been a while since we updated the blog. I kind of figured that after I became president of the Texas Rangers ball club you might be getting oversaturated with my presence. After all, I’ve been doing so many media interviews across the nation that I dream of microphones in my sleep.

But I changed my mind after taking notice of the no-hitters that are thrilling major league baseball fans this year. They brought to mind something that happened to me back in 1990.

I was with the Rangers then and I’d just pitched my sixth of seven career no-hitters: this one against Oakland. The following day we were off and we flew to Seattle for the next series.

The next morning at breakfast—barely 36 hours after making sports headlines coast-to-coast for pitching a no-hitter—and a stranger comes up to me and says, “It’s Nolan Ryan. What are you doing now, Nolan? Coaching?”

So I know from experience that not everybody keeps up with current events by reading the sports page. And I also realize that if you want to hear about Nolan Ryan’s Beef, you want to come here and not to ESPN.

More on our beef in a moment ...

First of all, it’s great to be closely involved in another pennant race. After I retired as a player, I stayed involved in baseball through ownership of the Round Rock Express and the Corpus Christi Hooks. And I attended major league spring training for the Houston Astros and then the Rangers. But nothing I’ve done in baseball since retiring as a player compares to the 30,000-foot view of the game that I now have as the Rangers’ president.

Our team is playing arguably the best baseball in Rangers history. We’re only at the midway point as this is being written, and there’s a lot of innings still left to play. But it’s shaping up to be an exceptionally exciting year.

The key to the Rangers’ success has little to do with me. It’s a combination of skilled and talented personnel who work hard at perfecting the fundamentals and then put all that skill, talent and practice into play through good teamwork and a good plan.

That’s the real secret to baseball and beef ...

I’m fortunate that we’ve developed that same chemistry with Nolan Ryan’s Beef. I’m deeply involved with the beef side, but I’m also proud that our beef products just continue to get better even while I’m focused on a pennant race.

Just as with the Rangers, our beef team has skill and talent. They work hard every day perfecting the process of bringing you beef that consistently is all-natural and guaranteed tender. These are the fundamental qualities that you’ve told us you demand in beef. It’s been my honor to work with this beef team to develop a solid beef plan that provides you with the highest quality beef products you’ll find anywhere. I’d love to hear what you think about our beef. You can post your comments on Facebook or email us.

Mom's Roast

We get a lot of compliments from customers about how they enjoy cooking our beef products. I enjoy hearing all the comments, but I always have to smile when we get one about how much they like our beef roasts. I can always pretty much tell that person is close to my age and grew up in much the same home environment that I did.

When I was growing up in Alvin, Texas, my brother and sisters and I always knew what our Sunday menu was going to be. It was roast beef although my mother on occasion threw us off and went with chicken instead.

We weren't unique. I guess from after World War II until deep in the 1960s, most American families enjoyed a special meal almost every Sunday usually centered around roast.

That routine had a lasting impact on me. Even today I enjoy a good roast with brown gravy more than any other home-cooked meal. Same thing if I'm eating at someone else's home. I usually get really excited if they cook roast with potatoes, carrots, celery, onions and brown gravy. It's my ideal home meal.

I don't know exactly why a good roast has that effect. I just know those were special days and whenever I eat roast today it just takes me back to when I was a kid growing up. Perhaps it does the same for you. E-mail me with your thoughts on your favorite family meal.

The Ranch Week by Ruth Ryan

Not long after the Christmas day leftovers are all gone, it’s time to head to our South Texas ranch.

We started the ranch tradition when Nolan was playing ball. Professional baseball players are either in training or in competition from late February to late October. Children are in school from August to June. So the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day was the only time when Nolan and our sons, Reid and Reese, and our daughter, Wendy, all had nothing on their schedules at the same time.

Reid, Reese, Wendy and Nolan all enjoy deer hunting. I love being outdoors just as much. So this week became an important part of our life because we all appreciate everything to do with ranching. Today, we are fortunate to be joined in this special week by our children’s spouses and our grandchildren. And it’s not unusual for someone to bring along a friend or two.

When you have a big group for a week doing activities like working cattle or hunting, you need to plan your meals in advance. And we also ask everyone at the ranch to contribute something to the menu so no one person is always in the kitchen.

One of our newest traditions during this week is a great beef and venison chili that Reese makes. Another dish we always look forward to is an excellent tortilla soup that one of my daughters-in-law makes. But most importantly, this week is a great time for anyone with a new recipe to try out. Of the half dozen or so new recipes we sample during the week, we all get great ideas to take home to our own kitchens. If you like cooking, like all of us do, it’s almost like an extended Christmas.

We hope you enjoy these next few days with your loved ones and treasure the time with your family! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

A Special Gift by Ruth Ryan

I’m sometimes asked what has been our most memorable Christmas. That’s a hard one to say because we were a baseball family for 27 years as Nolan traveled around the nation with his team for much of the year. So when it came to Christmas, the best gift anyone received wasn’t wrapped. It was the fact that we all spent time together.

But there is one Christmas that really stands out — and not necessarily for the right reasons. It was when our kids were younger and we were still living in Alvin and Nolan and I decided to really splurge on them.

So we bought 3-wheelers for them to drive around the ranch. I still don’t know what possessed us to do it. I remember looking out the window and seeing the kids zipping down and around the barn, then the house, next over the pastures, then around the house again.

It was an exciting Christmas for the kids to say the least, but it caused me so much worry we retired the 3-wheelers. And from that time to now, we’ve emphasized our special Christmases over our more memorable ones. I’m sure most mothers out there do the same.

Our Christmas Traditions by Ruth Ryan

Merry Christmas, everyone!

This is Ruth Ryan and I’ve asked Nolan for some space on his blog during the Christmas season to answer some questions about our family’s holiday food traditions.

When I think of true traditions, I think about growing up in East Texas. Every Christmas, my mom and dad, Ingrid and Larry Holdorff, celebrated their Scandinavian heritage with food. They invited their relatives, neighbors and fellow church members to our house for snacks and conversation. Their snacks were a smorgasbord of their native foods including smoked herring, pickled beef and Swedish breads.

It wasn’t exactly the menu a young girl growing up in Texas would have chosen. But looking back, it is so wonderful that my parents carried on centuries-old traditions of their ancestors. Another of my family’s traditions took place every Christmas morning. My dad would make Swedish pancakes using cooking techniques that he learned from his Norwegian grandmother. He’d serve them complete with imported lingonberry jelly.

Nolan’s side of the family also had great traditions. His mother, Martha Ryan, was renowned in their home of Alvin, Texas, for the pies she prepared during the holidays. People came from far and wide for a visit and a slice of pecan and pumpkin pie.

Once Nolan and I started our family, we established our family dinner on Christmas eve. Every year, I’ll prepare a beef tenderloin, but sometimes we’ll also serve ham or turkey with all the fixings. For dessert, we enjoy the same pumpkin and pecan recipes that my mother-in-law’s made.

Now that our children have families of their own, the ones who live in the area return to their homes to celebrate Christmas morning. Then everyone comes back to our house later Christmas day. I’m so grateful that several years before my father passed away, our son Reese took the time to learn the Swedish pancakes recipe from his grandfather. Reese makes sure a plate of our traditional breakfast treat still greets family members as they arrive for the Christmas day family brunch.

So what we celebrate today is a blend of what Nolan and I experienced growing up with some additions of our own. We are so fortunate to our children want to carry on in that same spirit. I'll add additional posts this month so tune in for more Ryan family traditions.

The Best Daily Special

I love steak because it tastes great and is packed with the nutrients you need to keep busy lifestyles on track. But there's more to it than that for me.

Steak is important because it makes ordering off a menu quick and easy. That's something I place a high premium on as much as I travel. And I guess the reason for that goes back to my roots.

When I was a kid, we rarely ate out. Our meals were eaten at home and cooked by my mother. We might go to a restaurant once a year, and when we did it was a big deal. My brother, sisters and I knew that we had to be on our best behavior in public. We didn't dare act up.

I remember the first year I left Texas at 18 after signing to play baseball out of high school. All the sudden I was in Marion, VA, playing minor league ball and having to eat lunch every day at a restaurant. It was a small town and none of the players had a car, so we always walked together down the street to a restaurant. It was your typical small town café with a counter and booths, and all of us gathered there at the same time every day.

I can remember the challenges of deciding what I wanted to eat so I could order. I just never had those kinds of food choices before. At home, when Mom cooked, you ate whatever was put on the table. Now, all of the sudden, I had to select. My solution was usually just to order whatever the daily special was.

It wasn't until I made it into the big leagues in New York in the late 1960s that I began to eat steak regularly when I dined out. In those days, steak restaurants in New York all were named after someone famous, and it was a big deal to go to one of them. But eating steak completed my desire to simplify the process of eating out. I could choose steak time after time without spending a lot of time looking over the menu. It didn't hurt that I also loved steak.

That preference for simplifying the process passed to my children as they grew up and started making their own food choices in restaurants. I really didn't realize that had happened until my young son Reese went on a vacation with some neighbors from Alvin.

They stopped for lunch the first day, and he surprised our friends by ordering steak off the menu! He thought everyone ate steak at a restaurant during lunch because that's the way he'd been raised.

I apologized for not telling him differently, but I couldn't fault Reese. He knew as a kid what I didn't learn until I was an adult: Steak is the best daily special in the world.

My Secrets to Perfect Grilling

Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer grilling season at our house! One of my favorite meals when I'm eating at home is a ribeye grilled over a wood fire served with fresh sliced tomatoes. A thick ol' ribeye is perfect for a backyard grillmaster like me. You don't have to watch it every second that it's over the coals as you do a leaner steak like tenderloin. And it's a great-tasting cut time after time.

When the weather is good, I grill a lot because it's a quick and easy way to prepare a meal. I prefer to cook over wood coals, and my two favorite woods, mesquite and pecan, are readily available throughout Texas year-round. The downside to using wood rather than charcoal is that you have to plan ahead. You have to light the wood, let it catch fire and then wait until it burns down to coals before you can start grilling. So wood takes a little longer than charcoal, which is always a great second choice.

As the wood burns down into coals, I get the steaks ready by applying a rub. My special rub includes sea salt, coarse ground pepper, minced fresh garlic and dried oregano. I want to tell you: Put that on there, and it just doesn't get any better. I also like the Italian Grilling Rub in the recipe section on my website.

I like my steaks medium rare so I cook them about 5 to 6 minutes per side and turn them just once. The best tool to determine doneness is an instant-read meat thermometer. For medium rare, you want the internal temperature to read 140 to 145 degrees F and medium is 160 degrees F.

I like cold steak leftovers, so I always cook a few more steaks on the grill than I need for that meal. My family will either put the remaining steaks in a salad the next day or eat them in steak sandwiches.

Those are my secrets to perfect beef cooked on the home grill. I've got a different preference when I eat at a restaurant. But I'll save that for a future piece.