Beef: Montana Raised, Montana Fed, Montana Processed
Just look at that menu. A coffee rubbed New York Strip. A demi glace with the filet. A ribeye with portobellos. And cowboy butter, bearnaise or chimichurri sauce to go with all the above.
Seriously, I've worked in fine dining restaurants in Washington, DC while paying my way through college and this is one of the best meals I've ever had. Making it even better- the beef was raised in Montana, taken to a feedlot in Montana, processed in Montana, and put on my plate at the High Horse Saloon in Billings, Montana. Big shoutout to Chef Andy, Reid Pyburn, and the whole crew at the High Horse for a job well done.
Background: I was able to attend an event put on by the Montana Stockgrowers Foundation (MSF). The steers were provided by the 21 Cattle Company and the Stovall Ranch. The event was highlighting the MSF's Cattle Drive program, which matches Montana born, raised, and fed cattle with local restaurants and retailers.
Turk Stovall is the 2nd Vice President for the Montana Stockgrowers Association. His ranch also provided the steers for the event.
Turk Stovall: Montana is really known for really high quality cattle, and a majority of those cattle are actually exported out of the state. And this state has done a great job of reinvesting into the processing sector and it is creating some new opportunities for ranches to connect to the Montana consumers. And so the Montana Stockgrowers believes that's really important, and we're really trying to create more relationships up and down that supply chain.
According to the MSF, "The Cattle Drive program is in its sixth year, with this year launching the value-added focus that intentionally pairs partners together to keep the entire beef supply chain in Montana."
By the way, Navy SEAL Veteran Tim Sheehy is someone whose name you've been hearing quite often these days. He has the Little Belt Cattle Company and is a partner with Turk Stovall in their feedlot in Shepherd, Montana. He joined us last week during the Montana Stockgrowers Convention to talk more about their efforts as well. You can also hear Turk Stovall in the 6a hour audio below.
Here's more info on the Montana Stockgrowers "Cattle Drive" program:
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Gallery Credit: Charlotte Barnett