Cowboy approved recipes used by our favorite country cooks.
In the kitchen with Kate Burns, Burns Angus of Oxford, Iowa.
Tell us about yourself.
"We’re a family-owned operation located in eastern Iowa where we run 150 registered Angus cattle. My husband, Joe, was raised here on the farm where we work daily beside his dad, Pat, and his wife, Kris. Our daughters Kyndall age 9, and Kennedy age 7, also do their part in keeping our operation moving forward. Kyndall and Kennedy have exhibited cattle at both the local and national level, starting at 3 years old."
Where did you learn to cook?
"Growing up I was lucky enough to spend most Sundays at my great-grandmother Adelaide’s home. She was a wonderful cook and loved to serve a crowd as she did at our family-owned sale barn cafe for many years. She didn’t follow many recipes; her theory was always taste test and add more of this or that if needed. My grandma was well known for her pies and homemade crusts, but my all-time favorite was her homemade noodles."
What is your most requested dish?
"If you’ve stayed over or helped out around our farm in the fall or winter, I think most would say my cheeseburger soup is a pretty big hit."
What is your favorite cooking tip/trick?
"Utilize that Crockpot (and the handy Crockpot liners too!). Honestly, I would rather be spending time in the barn working on show cattle with my kids, so I utilize quick, easy recipes I can toss in before we leave for the day."
What is your least favorite job in the kitchen?
"My least favorite job is deciding what’s for dinner, then figuring out if I have all the materials it takes to make it! We are an on-the-go, nonstop from sunup to sundown type of family, so I heavily rely on meal planning on Sundays to map out the week with our schedules."
Photos courtesy Burns Angus