

TATE FARMS BURGER
At the height of summer, nothing hits the spot quite like a hamburger. Especially one with beef from a local farmer like Texas cattle rancher Evan Tate and a slather of homemade mayo.
Serves two.
Recipe and photo courtesy of Evan and Melissa Tate.
INGREDIENTS
Burger
- 1 lb. ground beef
- Salt and pepper
- 2 slices of American cheese
- 1 head butter lettuce
- 1 large tomato, sliced thick
- 1 small red onion, sliced thick
- Refrigerator pickles
- 2 fresh hamburger buns
Mayo
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 cup avocado oil
METHOD
Mayo
In a blender, combine egg, lemon juice, salt, and garlic powder. While blending, slowly pour in avocado oil and mix on high until desired consistency. Set aside.
Burger
Heat cast-iron pan over stove or fire at medium-high heat. Half the ground beef into two ½ pound portions. Form each portion into a patty. Salt and pepper both sides and place in hot pan. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, repeating until internal temperature is 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove patties from heat and set aside. Place one slice of cheese on each patty immediately. Spread mayo on each side of fresh bun. Add patty to bottom bun. Top with a few pieces of lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle. Add with top bun. Enjoy.
(We highly recommend following this up with a slice of late Tate Farms matriarch Nancy’s famous Dallas Cowboys-approved bread pudding.)
LOST CREEK CHILI SAUCE
To the unknowing stomach, a West Virginia hot dog is pretty simple. Hot dog, steamed bun, diced onion, yellow mustard, a creamy slaw, and a slathering of chili. But the secret is often enough in the sauce. “In West Virginia, you’ll find a lot of variety,” says Mike Costello of Lost Creek Farm in Harrison County, who grew up outside of Charleston with a slightly spicy version and was kind enough to share a personal recipe with us—and you.
NEW YORK STRIP WITH BROWN BUTTER BACON SAUCE + BALSAMIC DRIZZLE
It’s grilling season, and meat master Tuffy Stone has a foolproof recipe for summer cooking that can satisfy a crowd. “The first time I made this recipe, I was competing in the Kingsford Invitational barbecue competition in New York City,” he says. It was the contest’s “one bite challenge,” and Stone won. But the best prize? A North Carolina pitmaster telling him afterwards, “you’re one tough dude.”
COWBOY CAULDRON PIZZA
As Mike Bertelsen of the Cowboy Cauldron Company puts it, making your own pizza is “bonehead easy,” especially over one of his epic firepits and using a cast-iron pan as a de facto pizza stone. Consider these grilled pies, especially with a handful of fresh basil and other goods from the garden, your new go-to for summer.
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