Steakhouse Marinade featuring Zenker Cattle

One of my favorite cuts I’ve introduced to my husband for the grill is tri-tip. Back in California, my parents make a House Marinade that is to-die for amazing at their local butcher shop. I decided to develop it for my hubby and I to use on tri-tips here since we don’t have access to buying the already marinated tri-tips here in North Dakota.

For those of you living outside of California or even the West Coast, you are probably saying Tri-tip, huh? The tri-tip originated in California and became a staple and popular favorite in Santa Maria, CA. The tri-tip is a triangular shaped piece of muscle found on the primal cut known as the bottom sirloin. It is also commonly called a bottom sirloin roast and usually weighs anywhere from 1 – 3 lbs. On a whole beef there are only two tri-tips, one per side. The tri-tip is a fairly lean cut and when marinated becomes extremely tender. It’s ability for one piece of meat to feed a large crowd and the ease of cooking it makes a grilling favorite. If you don’t have access to tri-tips, this marinade is great for any grilling cut of meat as well! It makes fabulous kabobs! 

To pair along with this awesome steak marinade, I’ve got Zenker Cattle who raise Black Angus cattle about 50 miles North of me in North Dakota! 

BEEF: ZENKER CATTLE
North Dakota

When did you start farming? What brought you into farming?

I started farming in 2010 after growing up on our family farm with my parents and three other siblings. I was the one who wanted to stay and farm. Just growing up on a farm, it’s is all I knew. I knew it was the life I wanted for me and my future family. You could say it was in my blood.

What chores did you have growing up on the farm? 

Growing up on the farm I got to help with lots of little things like feeding cows, checking cows during calving season. Also during the winter, chopping the ice out of the water tanks to keep them open for drinking for the herd. And of course the bigger things like helping plant in the spring and harvesting in the fall. I started driving combine when I was 12 years old. To this day, one of my favorite things is getting out in the combine.

What crops (or animals) do you grow and why?

We farm corn, soybeans, and raise Black Angus Cattle. Corn and soybeans seem to be the most profitable for our operation because of the type of soil we have to have. The cattle is something I enjoy, even though they can be stubborn most days out of the week. I also enjoy the extra physical work and labor that goes into the up keep of the cattle.

What do you think was the most useful advance in farming such as machinery, genetics, chemicals, etc?

The technology and precision ag that they have came up with in the recent years to help make farming more successful, especially for young farmers to keep the world of farming going, is outstanding. The idea that you can set a tractor on autosteer, have GPS, and all the other technology that goes into getting our crops planted and harvested year after year, is simply amazing. Just the technology that goes into farming this day and age is an art in itself. I know that my great-grandparents or grandparents would be impressed. I am curious and excited to see how it keeps advancing for future generations of farmers.

What advice would you give to anyone interested in getting into farming?

Farming is not going to be easy. It’s something you have to want to do. Like anything, you are going to have days when everything goes wrong. Like when you are in the middle of harvest, the combine breaks down and the cows get out, and a million other things go wrong that day. You are going to have stress, but you always have to remember why you are here. We are providing food for people’s tables and more than that, it’s the only life we know. Even though there are tough days, I wouldn’t have my life any other way.

This marinade isn’t only designed to be used on a tri-tip, it could be utilized on a host of different cuts from flank steaks, skirt steaks, sirloin steaks, kebabs, tri-tips, or fajitas. Basically anything that you would want to be grilling. As with most of my recipes, I love to give you ideas on how to spice things up. Feel free to add fresh garlic, hot sauce, chopped onions, green onions… Whatever floats your boat! 

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This post is part of my Thirty Days of Food series where I am writing about food and farming for the entire month of November, to find out more about it all or how to follow along, visit my Thirty Days of Food page to find more great recipes with farmer features!