Behind the Burger
Created by the New Mexico Beef Council, we are telling the stories behind the beef in New Mexico.
Behind the Burger
From Calf to Community: Building a Ranch That Lasts with Jimmie Fitzgerald
Early mornings on horseback and late nights in a tractor aren’t a contradiction—they’re the operating system of a ranch that actually works. We sit down with Fort Sumner’s Jimmie Fitzgerald to trace how a Texas upbringing, New Mexico grass, and a stubborn love for doing things right built a family operation that farms, grazes, and finishes with purpose.
Jimmie opens up about making the hard choice to move, take over, and then expand—adding ranches, growing the farm, and building a yard so the business could feed more than one family. He explains why carrying capacity is a year-long calculation, not a good-looking month, and how being a “grass barber” protects both the range and the bottom line. We dig into the practical playbook: branding and weaning vaccines that prevent wrecks, reading cattle twice a day, and weighing often because a half-pound of gain multiplied across a set is real money. He shares how alfalfa, wheat, and silage connect the dots between pastures and pens, turning weather swings into manageable decisions rather than emergencies.
The conversation stays grounded in people. Jimmy talks about earning respect as a younger operator, the neighbor culture that makes brandings work, and why teaching kids to do hard things is the true payoff. We also pull back the curtain for consumers—how to talk to your butcher, what to look for in a steak, and why questions lead to better beef on your plate. And yes, we end at the grill with a sleeper cut you should try next: tablitas, cross-cut ribs seasoned simply and cooked hot for big, marbled flavor.
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Welcome back to another episode of Behind the Burger, our podcast from or with the New Mexico Beef Council. I'm Caroline Romo, and I am here in Fort Sumner with Jimmy Fitzgerald. And um, Jimmy, will you introduce yourself and thanks for coming coming on the podcast? Me.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, thank you. Um Jimmy Fitzgerald, live in Fort Sumner, grew up in Texas. We moved here a few years ago. I live here with my wife Sarah and our kids, Slate and Della. And uh we farm and have a yearlin operation and run Cal Kiefs.
SPEAKER_01:Perfect. And what's kind of the background? What where'd you grow up and and how'd you get into uh this this lifestyle?
SPEAKER_00:So I grew up in Jacksboro, Texas. Uh my family always had a Cal Kiev deal, and then we had a construction business as well. We did that. And so I grew up around equipment, which has helped me a long way in life. Um, as we got older, started doing some Kivs and started doing that. And then it's getting more populated around there, and everybody's moving out from Fort Worth, and our land values are going through the roof, and so we had to kind of decide, hey, we're gonna make a change. And Sarah's dad unfortunately got sick, and so kind of opened up a window here. Either they need to get out or take over. So we moved out and bought everything out and took over.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and that's been that's been going pretty well. And and uh you guys have the the farm, the grow yard, and the ranch.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, he'd always had a ranch and the farm. And uh, whenever we got here, I knew I had to expand because at that time he was still running as well. So we added two more ranches and I expanded the farming operation. And then after we took over, I've just combined them all and built the yard and it's been a good deal.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I think that's something that I was trying to explain, try to explain to people, especially, you know, hopefully we have consumers listening or you know, people that aren't familiar with agriculture, is that in order for a family business to stay a family business, you have to expand. And so when you have a large operation, it's it's a survival method, right? In some ways, is you get to feed multiple families, you can't stay uh, you know, you can't you can't stay small in some ways, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yes. Yeah, we see it a lot. I have a lot of friends that, you know, there's just not a room for them to grow. They stay there and do what they can and fill in and end up starving to death and trying to make it, and then it gets a bad taste in their mouth, or they want to go do something else to provide for their family, and then the opportunity does come up where they can go back and they don't have a desire anymore. Yeah. So that's what we did.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, yeah. And I I think that's a really neat opportunity that you guys had and uh and great foresight, right? Yes. What's the most rewarding part of being a rancher?
SPEAKER_00:Uh seeing the seeing the fruits of your labor, I guess. You know, we start out and we'll have the little baby calves and the kids love it, and they get to go and see them, and then you know, those calves were running through the summer, and then, you know, we wean, and hey, they did pretty good this year, and then we bring them in, and you don't you don't think they have much upside, and then we'll shape them up and kind of even everything out, go to wheat with them, and they get wow, they got bigger and man, they look good, and then you ship them off, and it just feels good because I watched an animal go from conception to 800, 900 pound steer, and it's just it's neat to see that. And the kids they like watching that, and then the cycle just starts over again. So it's not like you get to see it one time and then move on.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I think it's a great, great example of being able to see it truly in front of your eyes, see the growth and see your your business growing or your your uh cattle growing. It's it's one of the few things where you can see the fruits of your labor in a very physical way, right?
SPEAKER_00:That's it. We bring in Kevs in our yard, and it's interesting to see, you know, if you don't dedicate your time and spend time with them, well, there's your big death loss. You know, we red pins twice a day, and you say, hey, you know, that was miserable, but look, we did pretty good. We didn't lose very many. So I I think that's very interesting.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, absolutely. Uh I mean, the animals that I mean, that's something too that that I always hope the consumer knows is that that the amount of time and energy and people that are focused on the well-being of cattle is just unimaginable. The amount of people that that have eyes on the cattle and and make sure and even the the ways we monitor cattle, sometimes people aren't getting that good at monitoring, right?
SPEAKER_00:That's it.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um they'll think we're getting rich because they see, oh my goodness, these steers sold for this much money. We'll break it down to how much we made an hour, and it's not very much. But we do it because we like it, not because we're gonna get rich.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. And I think uh even the lights in the feed yard is is proof of that, right? I saw you had a a light that that obviously that means you had to load cattle in the dark or or uh check cattle in the dark because yeah, it's a it's a 24-7 roll in a lot of ways. Uh, what about talk about New Mexico's landscapes? How does New Mexico's landscapes and climate kind of shape your methods?
SPEAKER_00:So some things I think really help. Um, you know, we're pretty dry and the grass out here is sure enough stout. So it's a lot different from back home. Uh our carrying capacity is not as high as it is at home, but our grass is stout and those kids sure do good on it once it kind of hardens up a little bit, dries out. Um, as far as our landscape, you know, it's it's hot, but it's not humid. That helps a lot, especially, I don't know, October National Dead Calf month seems like. And out here we don't have it as bad as we did back home. You don't get those 40 degree days or that just wet and drizzle and miserable. And here we just don't have it. So I really like it. Our summers are harder because you get a lot more dust. We're a lot sandier, a lot of dust. So we could kind of fight some long stuff. But other than that, it's a lot better.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So you you mentioned carrying capacity. And if the listener doesn't uh doesn't know our doesn't know beef or doesn't know ranching, um, carrying capacity and stocking rate that has to do with how many cattle are on the grass at a at or on a um acreage at a time, right? I'm sure you could explain that better than me.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so our carrying capacity, so just say for example, back home, we're 15, 17 acres of cow, and out here we're 40, 50, 60. Um, a lot of people just be just because you can put them out there and they look good for a month, look at the whole year. Don't look at just that one month window. And so we're a little more on the conservative side. Um, you know, you can you can sure eat that grass off and it won't grow back. So I'd rather leave a little feed, and then whenever we go back out in the summer, hey, we've got standing feed from last year. It may not be fresh green growth, but it's something to hold them in case disaster does happen. So we we're definitely very cognizant of our carrying stock and rates, and it may change from year to year. This year we're having a really good year. We may load up a little bit more than we normally do, but we're always conservative because what's the rest of the year?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and I think uh I think you told me at one point, I think it was you, maybe when we were at your branding, is that that you're you're a grass barber in a lot of ways, right? You've got to grow the grass. That's that's the the grass's number one priority in a lot of ways.
SPEAKER_00:So you can't feed them through it and you can't haul water. Those are two things that people think, well, it's getting dry, we just need to start feeding, and we're gonna feed and feed. Well, look what feed costs a ton. Put that in to your break even. We run sheets on everything, and we know hay, it's sometimes it's better to do something different. You know, that helps a lot having the farms. We can bring alfalfa hay, number one alfalfa hay, it's gonna test really, really high. We'll supplement, we'll replace cake with it. We'll haul hay out there, a little bit more time and labor, but you know, it's helping our bottom line.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely. And and the farm helps with that. So uh what is maybe one of the biggest challenges you all face in your ranch or your farming?
SPEAKER_00:You know, we're we're paying for land and we're paying for cows, and it's just pay attention to the bottom line. Don't be scared of hard, you know, we're we're paying for land and we're paying for cows, and it's just pay attention to the bottom line. Don't be scared of hard work, you're gonna work your tail off, but it it is rewarding. And our hope and goal is that one of these days when we do get older, hey, we can maybe provide our kids with the place that is paid for that they get a little bit leg up and they can go and do. So I think that would be a hardship that we do. And as you're young, um, you're not viewed as everybody here I would say has been pretty good, but you're not always viewed as being knowing what you're doing. You're just some young guy and always growing and that's not gonna work. Well, it's working. So I think you just have to kind of sit back and slow roll it a little bit sometimes.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I like to joke with my husband that that uh and even friends that I'm okay with being underestimated. That's okay. I can be underestimated. We'll we'll work through and and work hard and and prove prove ourselves, even if we're just proving it to ourselves. That's okay. Uh um can you give an example of how you care for your cattle to ensure their health and well-being?
SPEAKER_00:So when we brand, we're gonna vaccinate all then and we'll keep a solid eye on them throughout the year. As the grass does different things, you feed different, different things like that. You'll tell the difference. So there's always a happy line of monitoring them throughout their growth. Once they get to weaning, we give them more shots. We we pre uh we wean all our calves. We don't sell anything off the cow. I have the facilities to do it, so we do that. So we're monitoring them constantly. And I don't think there's anything wrong with, you know, hey, we had a lot of trouble this year. Let's change our vaccine program. You don't have to need to be the person that, oh, this is a good idea or this is a good idea. You kind of need to stay solid in your methods, but I don't think there's anything wrong with looking outside the box. We've tried a couple of different things that have really made the weaning process easier, and you can tell a difference in your gain. And that's other things I say is weigh your cattle. You know, you can tell something as simple as half a pound, that's half a pound. You put that across their anches and that adds up to a substantial amount of money. So I think just kind of be in tune with what they're doing and what to change.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and and when you talk about vaccines, um, some things I think are important to to point out for animal health. Vaccines are are a really important part of it to prevent disease outbreaks, to prevent, you know, illnesses that that you know, by using the vaccines, we've wiped them out of cattle herds, right? And then and then also an important part is is the vaccines are never getting into the beef supply. So the vaccines have withdrawal dates, which require a, you know, a certain amount of time between giving the vaccine and harvesting the animal. And and some of and some of them get out of the system pretty quickly. But anyways, I just wanted to say that to for the for the sake of listeners, is that is that uh it's a very safe practice and a very well well uh studied, researched, and tested process.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, it is. And we don't we don't implant our kiffs from growth, we do natural program, we'll sell for that, you know, and but I'll punt too. If it looks like these calves are on the bottom end and we're pretty small and we need to put them in the yard and we need to push them a little bit harder, we're not opposed to it. But we try to stay more that route. The um I'd rather eat a calf that's healthy than a calf that's skin and bones and just a dog eat sucker. And I don't think as our charged humans that we're supposed to take care of our animus. And I feel like if we just say, well, we're not gonna give them that, it hurts my heart to see cattle like that. So I think we're supposed to keep them healthy.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely, absolutely. We we take our kids to the doctors. Yes. We gotta we gotta take care of our cattle. And if it's if medicine is required, then we're gonna we're gonna take care of it. Um so what's one thing that most people don't know about raising beef in New Mexico?
SPEAKER_00:I would say kind of what we touched on earlier, it's a multifaceted business, and there's a lot to it besides just go to the grocery store and pick you up a steak. Um, I think even it's just the fact of looking at your steaks, there's 15 different things to look for in a steak, and you can pick out your better beef. And I would say research where it comes from. I know we don't do it, but a lot of people do the whole farm to table thing. And it's neat to see that process. It really teaches you a lot about the industry. I would say if people have questions, ask. You know, there's a lot of y'all are a great source on providing knowledge to people. I would say reach out if you have questions throughout the whole process. Ask.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. Yeah, we're open to questions. And and then even too, we recommend people go into your meat counter, your grocery store, if it's a small local grocery store or even a chain, go to the meat counter and ask them. Even, even at, you know, the the big wholesalers, I'll go in and ask them for the best, best prime rib or and they bring out and they'll show me why it's the best. And and I even should know what I'm looking at, right? But I still learn every time I talk to somebody behind a meat counter. That's a great way to to ask about your beef too. And then if you want to, you know, talk to a rancher or or you know, our organization represents ranchers, we'd be happy to answer questions.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, we're blessed. We have a really good meat place here in town. And I know good and well that they want you to have the best cut of whatever you're looking for. And if there's a way that they can help you get what you want, they sell more beef. You're a happy customer, it's a win-win for everybody. So don't be afraid to ask.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely. Well, and and people like talking about what they know about and what they're passionate about, right? That's that's why the podcast is working. Um, but we yeah, so absolutely go to the meat counter or the or the uh meat store. I was gonna say like like Fort Sumner processing when they sell uh that's your local one you're talking about, right? Yes. Um, what is your favorite part of the beef industry?
SPEAKER_00:I think there's very few industries you could look at farming that involve family. You know, they there's places that everybody has a story about going to their granddad's farm or their granddad's ranch, or oh, we we used to go help brand, or we used to help go and to do that. And we've tried to really push that through our outfit is bring your kids, bring your family. It's inclusive. But if also if somebody has trouble, everybody stands together, everybody bonds together. We neighbor on branding stuff, and you know, you can pick up the phone and say, I'm really sorry this happened, and we got a bunch of stuff mixed, and they're gonna come help you. And, you know, they're gonna feed you the best meals you've ever had and they're gonna appreciate it, and they're gonna tell you thank you 50 times before you leave because they truly appreciate it. And we'd do the same thing.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. I think I I agree that there's not many industries or places you can go where where you're gonna get that that family and that community that's just unimaginable. And even the the food at a branding. So it's like I'm always trying to beg to get get invited to a branding because I because I know you're gonna get fed some sort of great meal, and it's like the college kid in me and just looking for a free meal or something. But really, it's that community and that and that romanticism of of uh of seeing community and seeing family uh together.
SPEAKER_00:In the morning, you'll be able to drive somewhere and everybody has their happy place or their peaceful place, and you can't look around and not see God everywhere, and that you know, this is a creation that we're part of, and it's a it's special. It's beats the pookie out of sitting in a traffic jam.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, absolutely, absolutely. I agree.
SPEAKER_00:It's beautiful out there, and I don't know, you see the little kids and you see the kids, and it's special.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely, absolutely. I think what a what a neat thing. There's so many great things. It's even hard to ask the favorite part of be the beef industry because getting to live that lifestyle um for outside looking in is is admirable and and uh uh inspirational to sign up for this, continue to expand, um, and and you know, run this business. What what makes you keep going?
SPEAKER_00:My kids. Um, I would say that's the short answer, the biggest deal. You know, if we make a little bit of money along the way, that's great. It's gonna go to something to further their life. Um that's all I want. I at the end of the day, we work or tell off or whatever. And I think you ask anybody that's in the industry, there might be a handful that say, I do it because I want to get rich, but most everybody is because they want to pass something on to their kids. I you can teach them 15 different work ethics whenever you're doing it, and they don't like it, but they know it's part of it. My kids are the day, so I don't want to do that, but I know I have to. And that's exactly right. And that goes through any part of their life, no matter what they're gonna do. You may not like it, but you gotta do it. And so I I think just the future and just family is the reason I do it. That's my drive.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. And that's the greatest inspiration is is our kids. Um, is there anything that you would want listeners to know about the beef industry that you haven't already said, or or even if you want to talk about your operation more, but just just anything.
SPEAKER_00:You know, kind of our operation. Uh, we really didn't talk a whole lot about the quote kind of what we do, but you know, we farm, we all forn and wheat, and they all tie into our ranches. They tie into my yard, they tie into whatever. And if if we get a little hay rained on, you know, it may not be a real marketable product, we'll feed it through the yard. We got wheat we turn out on, and then we'll harvest it after that. Um, our corn, chop for silage. We'll sell some, chop some for silage and put it back. So it kind of goes hand in hand, and I think that rolls on to a lot of different businesses. Just don't think just cookie cutter, this is what you do. You buy your feed, you sell your the they can interlink and uh make a better operation in a whole. And so I that's what I would say is just don't do everything the way that granddad did it. Look at kind of maybe outside the box and keep up with your numbers, run your sheets, and maybe it'll be successful.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely. Um, I and I think uh I think I said it when we were reporting, or maybe it was yesterday, is the the walking the feed off the farm is a is a great uh solution that I think that going back to that because you have you have the feed is such a great, great way you feed the cattle, feed it to the cattle and and keep it all in-house and then and then you you suddenly have vertical integration, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yes. Yeah, yes. I think when Arborie decided to move out here, I told Sarah we were gonna move out here and live the romantic New Mexican lifestyle. And I told her, I'll do anything, but I'm not gonna be a farmer. But you you can't say that because there's things you don't want to do, whether it's fixing a water gap on a million-acre ranch or it's shoveling stalls or mucking mucking stalls or scooping out bonks. There's things you don't want to do, but they make the operation work. And that's kind of where it's uh with my farming. You know, I may be on a horse at daylight and I may be sitting in a John Deere tractor at two o'clock in the morning trying to get done. It just takes it all.
SPEAKER_01:Oh yeah. Well, the older I get, the more I know not to say never, right? Yeah, yeah. You can't say I'll never, I'll never drive a uh this truck or you'll never because anything, anything, uh things change and and we have to adapt. And even as a human, I think not being uh not being uh you know, too good for any job is such a great trait, right? Of just we got to get our hands dirty and we gotta do everything because cause I'm not too good for anything, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. I think that's important, like the guys that work with us, you know, we have a phenomenal group of guys and it's very family oriented, and I hope that we treat them where it's somewhere they want to be at. But you know, that they'll do anything. They'll any no matter what the job is, they'll say, okay, and they'll do it. And you need people like that around you, and this sure makes our life run a lot better.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. And what what would you say about kind of storytelling and and talking about what you do? How important is that? I know obviously we're we're asking you, we might have voluntold you uh to be on the podcast, but what how important is that in this industry of of being willing to tell your story and and you were even willing to let the you know national organization come and get some footage? Why are you willing to to put yourself out there?
SPEAKER_00:So I think that ignorance or not wanting to learn anymore that's ignorance is detrimental to us to any business. Be looking at something else. Now, I may say something here that somebody says, Well, shoot, we got 20 acres down in the bottom. We might could grow some feed. Well, that's something they had never thought about. It's a great idea. I love listening to when I sit in tractor, I spend many, many hours in a tractor. I listen to podcasts constantly. I I can do that or listen to the radio. I can listen to somebody about their old Chevy truck drinking down by the lake or whatever. Or I can listen to a podcast to somebody that's in business, has had the hardships, has reflected on it, knows, hey, I'd do that different next time. Well, that might take a step of messing up out of my book. So I just always try to further your knowledge.
SPEAKER_01:Oh man, being open to learning is is great. Admittedly, I wasn't interested in podcasts necessarily. I just knew it was it was the next thing and it's great. And I just, it wasn't personally how I got my media. Well, now of course I'm listening to podcasts, and I listened to one recently, and I he was talking about building a business and and all of the things to protect yourself and all of that, and it's just extremely inspirational. And I I realized, you know, I'm I'm missing out a little bit. Uh so I so I've got a I've got a queue of podcasts now.
SPEAKER_00:In the past, you know, we didn't have podcasts as an avenue. My parents always ran small businesses. I grew up in it. So I learned business aspect from them. If I didn't have them, who would I have got it from? I mean, you could watch somebody, but it's a it's hard. It's hard to get started, hard to know the ins and outs of every little thing, and I'm still learning.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely. Well, and and we always say even ranching in any business is multifaceted. The things you'll end up dealing with, you'll you'd never be able to imagine or even explain to someone of all of the facets of it. Even even the fact that uh when we talk about uh ranching and and uh weather, so you you said there's two and a half inches, we got two and a half inches of rain last night. And that's something that in in my career, in my life, I understand and we talk about all the time. And sometimes I talk to someone and I ask them, oh, what what's your annual rainfall where you live? And they're like, What? Why would I know that? Oh, I don't know, it's just a great topic of conversation when you talk to ranchers because it's interesting. And even knowing the rainfall in New Mexico, how diverse it is, uh, you said you get like 15 inches, or you had 15 inches in like two months last year, right? Um, that's a really uh unique thing that you wouldn't realize that these these cowboys riding horses and and doing these things, you're also uh like a scientist and a weatherman and uh and uh you know business person and a uh CPA and all the things. So um I always think it's it's surprising how much how much more you have to do.
SPEAKER_00:So I had to take a lot of weather classes. Oh, yeah, or weather stuff because I fly.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And that's been the neatest thing is to watch weather patterns. I never thought I'd like the weather so much, but that's the other thing I'd tell people is watch the weather. And even not your short term wake up in the morning, drink your coffee, watch weather. Look at your long-term forecasts. They're not always gonna get it right. Sometimes they say it's gonna rain and it's 100 degrees, and vice versa. But if you can look, hey, we you know, it looks like we may have a wet spring. Well, maybe we hold some efforts back from the fall before. And you can kind of play with that. And I it's all long-term forecast.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, yeah, absolutely. We at at the National Cattlemen's uh the cattle convention, every year there's the cattle fax weather forecast. And that's I think the most attendant event of the whole of the whole week. It's I think it starts at right at 8 a.m. and everybody is crowding in standing room only to listen to the meteorologist talk about long-term forecast. And his forecast in February was that we'd have a pretty wet monsoon in New Mexico.
SPEAKER_00:Yes.
SPEAKER_01:So far feels that way.
SPEAKER_00:It is, and I that's what I was seeing too. I was looking at the fronts and I thought, you know, I think, I think it may do it. So we took on some extra cows, we took on some extra Kevs this year, and so far it's working.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Uh now if it changes, we'll have to buck. But so far we're so good, we're good, and that's because we looked at it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely. And then and then being adaptable if it changes. Yes. Yeah, absolutely. Great quality. Okay, so kind of uh wrapping up at the end, I I joke that this is the most important question. Um, unless you have anything else to add about your operation or just the industry, I can add that.
SPEAKER_00:No, I would say that if I'm far from an expert, but if somebody has a question or something they want to visit about, we're open. And I don't know, I just want I just want everybody to know that. Just, you know, you can get in contact with us, and what we tell you may not be right, but it's something that's worked for us.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. What I what I found to be true about ranchers in New Mexico specifically is is you always answer the phone. I've called a lot of a lot of uh our either our board members for the beef council or cattle growers, anybody, and the amount of times they answer their phone is just surprising to me. And and so uh I have so much respect for that that that uh I can ask questions. I can I even if I'm a stranger calling, I'll call some producers and ask them advice or what they want the the beef council to be doing. And the the response is, yeah, I've got time for you. Yeah, what do you need? And it's that's just a an incredible quality.
SPEAKER_00:So I think it's the beef industry. We operate as a collective. Yes. You know, we all sell individual, and you might have got a nickel more than I got on my cattle, and I'm secretly wish I'd have got better, but you know, we got a dime more than we were gonna get because we did something together or something. So I think just working together is key.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely, absolutely. All all ships rise with a with a rising tide, right? Yes. Uh so so then, okay, now I'll get to my last question, and it's you know, jokingly the most important. What's your favorite way to eat beef? Hmm.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, so I love a good steak. Um I'm not always the best at going sitting down at a white linen tablecloth, wear a suit, kind of deal. But I love a good steak. I like a good simple steak. Um, we cook a lot of tablitas on the grill. And uh so you can get your traditional ribs, and they just take and cross-cut these things where they're gonna be, you know, what three eighths thick. It's about where we get them cut, and it'll they're phenomenal. And so I throw them on the grill. A lot of people will marinate them nearly like a fajita marinade and then cook them. But here lately we haven't been doing that. I stole salt and pepper, throw them on the grill, and there's all our beef we feed. So there's a lot of marbling in that, and they're pretty good. And people, most people haven't ever had them, and they'll come over and have, well, what is this thing? Because they look like a little bitty thin flank steak or something, but they'll eat it and then they come back and get more, and then they take leftovers, and then next time you cook, could we cook some more tabletis? So that's my favorite.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, that's great. I now that you said that, I think I've eaten that off someone's grill and I didn't know what it was.
SPEAKER_00:Well, you didn't know the name for it. We used to just kind of sit around and hang out and rope the dummy or whatever, throw them on the grill and eat them and you eat them with your fingers, and they're a little messy, but and they're good.
SPEAKER_01:That's perfect. And I think it's uh yeah, anytime you're putting beef on the grill, it's a great, great way to serve your friends and and have some fun.
SPEAKER_00:That's we have a freezer full of it and we use it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Uh as you should. As you should. Well, perfect. Well, thank you so much for being on the podcast. Appreciate your time and and then also appreciate what you do for the industry. I think um working to feed the world and then being open to uh to tell the story and then also saying you're you're welcome to to questions. Uh just thank you for that. And and uh again, thanks for being on the podcast.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, ma'am. Enjoyed it.
SPEAKER_01:Thanks. Behind the burger is a podcast produced by the New Mexico Beef Council with the goal of telling the stories of the cattlemen and cattlewomen of the New Mexico beef industry. Thank you for joining us for today's episode. If you would like more information, please visit nmbeef.com. Whether it be a burger, a steak, or another beef dish, we hope you are enjoying beef at your next meal.
