A Few of Our Favorite Things at Silo Springs Ranch General Store
The cuts we actually cook at home: cowboy & cowgirl favorites from our ranch kitchen
One of the things we hear pretty often at the ranch is:
“What do you actually eat?”
And honestly, we love that question.
Because the truth is, we absolutely eat what we raise. If we could be our own customers, we would. These are the cuts that end up in our freezer, on our grill, in our cast iron pans, and packed into leftover lunches during busy ranch weeks.
That’s actually why we started this “favorite things” series on Facebook in the first place. We wanted to share the cuts we genuinely reach for over and over again, and not just the fancy cuts everyone already knows (Ribeye is great, but there are lots of other great cuts too).
Some of our favorites are quick-cooking. Some stretch into multiple meals. Some are perfect for grilling. Some are best for practical “what can I make with what I already have?” cooking.
And around here, we firmly believe there are no kitchen police.
Cook how you like.
Leave ingredients out.
Add more cheese if you want to.
Try something new.
Cooking should feel approachable because we all have to do it all the time anyway.
Best Steak Cuts for Grilling at Home
Arlin’s Favorite Steak: Bistro Steak (Outside Skirt)
At Silo Springs Ranch, we call the outside skirt steak the bistro steak.
We also carry a traditional skirt steak (the inside skirt), but the bistro steak is larger and long enough to easily roll into steak pinwheels. Both are naturally thin steaks; you don’t get to choose the thickness, they simply are what they are.
The bistro steak is one of those cuts that feels incredibly versatile once you get comfortable with it.
Arlin loves it because:
it cooks fast
it grills beautifully
it has excellent beef flavor
it works for weeknight meals without a lot of fuss
This is the kind of steak that rewards confidence more than perfection.
Audrey’s Favorite Steak: Flat Iron Steak
I absolutely love flat iron steak.
It’s incredibly tender and one of the easiest steaks to enjoy if you’re nervous about cooking beef at home. It doesn’t have quite the same bold flavor as flank steak, but the texture is hard to beat.
And honestly? Arlin just grills them really well.
One thing I do think deserves more attention is flank steak. It takes a smoke flavor very quickly. If you have a grill but not a smoker, you can still get that smoky flavor with just a handful of wood chips and about 15 minutes of cooking time.
That’s one of the things we love about cooking beef at home: you don’t necessarily need fancy equipment to try something new.
The Best Roast for Homemade Sandwich Meat
Our Shared Favorite: Sirloin Tip Roast
This was the easiest category because we completely agree.
The sirloin tip roast may honestly be one of the most underrated cuts we carry.
We roast it in the oven, slice it thin, and use it for homemade sandwich meat throughout the week. It’s filling, practical, and works incredibly well for busy days when you still want real food ready to go.
And the leftovers?
Excellent Philly cheesesteaks.
We’re both big believers in “cook once, eat twice” meals. Ranch life gets busy, and having prepared food already cooked in the fridge makes life easier.
If you enjoy practical comfort food, sirloin tip roast is hard to beat.
(And for the record, the rump roast is a very close second.)
Easy Pork Cuts for Everyday Cooking
Arlin’s Favorite Pork: Pork Chops
Arlin loves pork chops mostly because he enjoys grilling them perfectly. Grill marks matter to him and it is pretty cool to get them like food network.
But pork chops really are one of those classic cuts that can feel intimidating if you’ve overcooked them before. Keep a thermometer close and use it often. I don’t use the grill myself (that’s Arlin’s territory), but I can still make a mean pork chop, broiling them in the oven. Besides my thermometer advice, if you are going to broil, get good oven mitts. Mine need an upgrade.
Audrey’s Favorite Pork: Breakfast Sausage
Breakfast sausage wins for me because it’s endlessly versatile.
Breakfast? Obviously.
But also pasta, soups, casseroles, biscuits, pizza, dips, rice bowls… the list keeps going.
And cheese certainly doesn’t hurt to incorporate directly in the sausage.
One of the things I appreciate most about sausage is that it helps people feel more flexible in the kitchen. You can add ingredients, leave things out, and make meals work with what you already have.
That’s real-life cooking.
Ground Lamb Ideas for Beginners
Arlin’s Favorite Lamb: Lamb Chops
Arlin loves lamb chops because they’re rich, flavorful, and simple.
Lamb really shines when you don’t overcomplicate it.
Audrey’s Favorite Lamb: Ground Lamb
Ground lamb is probably the easiest way to try lamb if you’re unsure about it.
We sell it in one-pound packs, which makes it approachable and low-pressure. You’re not committing to some giant specialty cut, just trying something different for dinner.
People often ask if lamb tastes “gamey,” and honestly, I’ve always struggled with that description because so many foods people call gamey are foods I enjoy.
What I can say is that ground lamb makes incredibly rich burgers with lots of flavor.
And if you’ve been curious about lamb but hesitant to try it, ground lamb is probably where I’d start.
Cooking Should Feel Approachable
One of the biggest things we’ve learned from talking with customers about cooking is that many people aren’t actually looking for gourmet cooking tips.
They’re want to make sure it is okay to:
cook without a strict recipe
use what they already have
make substitutions
learn as they go
And I get that. Food isn’t cheap anywhere, but in order to get good, you have to practice. That’s how most ranch cooking (/life) works too.
Some of our favorite meals started as:
“Well… let’s see if this works.”
The best meals aren’t fancy at all. They’re just practical food shared with people you care about.
If you’ve been wanting to branch out beyond the same grocery store cuts, we’d love to help you find something new to try.
And chances are, we’re cooking it at home too.