Last night was Amanda’s father’s birthday. We’re still up in the Texas panhandle for the holidays, so we drove down to Amarillo to celebrate his birthday at the Big Texan Steak Ranch.
Anyone who has driven down the I-40 (Route 66) knows about the Big Texan steakhouse. There are billboards everywhere. It’s also been featured on countless television shows including Man vs. Food and King of the Hill.
The main selling point of the Big Texan steakhouse is the “Free 72-ounce Steak.” The basic premise is that if you are able to consume the 72oz steak as well as the sides, your meal is on the house and you join the ranks of approximately 8,000 (out of 48,000) who have attempted the challenge and succeeded.
This is the first time I’ve ever been to the Big Texan. I’ve always been curious to try it. I’ve driven by the billboards dozens of times (moving from California to Oklahoma to Nevada to Arkansas) but never have we stopped.
The Big Texan Steak Ranch is my new favorite place to eat.
Everything about eating there was awesome. The atmosphere was great, we were seated immediately, and the food was fantastic. These guys really know how to cook a steak.
Amanda and I both ordered medium rare palo duro cuts (10 ounce) of prime rib. For paleo sides they offer a garden salad, vegetable of the day, sauteed mushrooms, or peppered beefsteak tomatoes and red onions.
I asked the waiter what the vegetable of the day was and it was unfortunately green beans — so instead we both got the garden salad and the beefsteak tomatoes.
The garden salad came out just the way we like it. With no cheese and no croutons. We didn’t have to special order it like that; that’s just how they serve it here. It’s like the cooks read our minds. The waiter brought out a cart of olive oil and red wine vinegar and that, along with a dash of pepper, made what amounted to a perfect salad.
I can’t even tell you how great the steak was. Medium rare at the Big Texan means medium rare — a super tender, warm, red, center with the edges slightly more cooked and with a delicious, but not overpowering, dry rub. I’ve had a lot of steaks and nothing really compares to how great and tender this one was. We’re already planning on going back in a week before we head home.
The other side dish we ordered was the Beefsteak Tomatoes and Red Onions. In my head I was thinking this would be served as perhaps diced tomatoes and onions fried and served in a bowl. Instead, what arrived was a plate of giant beefsteak tomatoes lightly coated with pepper and some sliced red onions.
I love raw food, and any place that can serve tasty raw food is awesome in my books. The tomatoes were juicy and delicious. The red onions were a great way to change the taste on your palette between bites of tomatoes — they really made the tomatoes taste sweeter.
As I’m writing I’m trying to think of something to constructively criticize the Big Texan so I don’t sound like one big advertisement; but I honestly can’t think of anything. It was a perfect evening eating out and I don’t think I would have changed anything even if I could.
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1) In any delicious breakfast shake recipe, we start out with adding the Bananas. In my pictures I’ve doubled the recipe because I was making two servings for me and Amanda. If you’re just making a single serving (16oz), you’ll want to follow the ingredients list above.
2) Next, add the Spinach. You’ll want approximately a cup of spinach per serving.
4) Pour in the half cup of Coconut Milk. The coconut milk (along with the bananas to an extent) are what is going to give the shake a rich, creamy texture. I use full fat coconut milk. Light coconut milk may also work, but it has more of a watery consistency, and so the shake may not be as thick.
