SRF BLOG

The Visionary A photo of Agri Beef founder, Robert Rebholtz Sr., hangs in our Boise, Idaho headquarters. White cowboy hat on his head, red kerchief around his neck, he peers off into the distance like a man looking into tomorrow. As a child, he spent his summers working at a Basque lamb operation in Stockton, CA. This is where he developed his passion for ranching and livestock that would guide the direction of his life. It’s easy to care within the confines of the status quo. To care enough to follow one’s vision into something completely new is always a risk. The label of “visionary” is tossed around a lot these days, but when someone sees an opportunity no one else has the means or moxie to recognize then the label is justly earned. “He was an amazing man,” Robert Rebholtz Jr., Agri Beef’s CEO, says about his father. “Integrity. Hard work. He was an innovator within the industry.” Before 1988, Wagyu bulls were a rarity in America. Robert Rebholtz Sr. had been in the cattle-feeding and ranching business for twenty years, had done well in an industry that had hardly changed in decades. He could’ve continued riding the well-worn path, but on a trip to Japan he fell in love with an idea to bring something new and exciting to the U.S. market. Over years of hard work and persistence, Rebholtz Sr.’s vision became the full-scale Wagyu breeding program that today provides 100% of Snake River Farms’ beef. The reverberations of Robert Rebholtz Sr.’s vision are easy to be found. Bred from Wagyu bulls and high-quality Continental cattle, what’s now known as American Wagyu beef, began as a novelty but is now regularly found on the tables of fine-dining restaurants, home cooks, and grill masters alike. The spirit of innovation Rebholtz Sr. brought to his life and company are stitched into the fabric of Snake River Farms, where we continue to honor our founder’s visionary mission to look beyond what’s already here and find the best in what could be.   Lead Cowboy  Robert Rebholtz Jr. leans against a split-rail fence, the sun setting over the foothills casting golden light over the black cows in the Double R’s back pasture. To him, the view never gets old. Robert was just 10 years old when he went on his first cattle drive. He was cautious and a little nervous. He didn’t want to mess up. He had a job to do and his age meant nothing to the cattle. Though just a boy, he hopped into the saddle as just another cowboy helping drive the herd out through the sage and hills with the dust in the air and the sun on his face. In 1997, after his father’s passing and at the age of 33, Robert Rebholtz Jr. faced another immense challenge. He was now CEO of Agri Beef. He’d be responsible for the livelihoods of many people. He knew the company’s reputation was only as good as their next decision. He knew he’d have to navigate a spectrum of personalities in an industry in flux. There’d be many sleepless nights, risks he’d have to calculate, but like the 10-year-old cowboy, the 33-year-old Robert Rebholtz Jr. took the reins and drove the herd forward. As did his father, Robert Rebholtz Jr. leads Snake River Farms with a quiet strength, a foundational belief in kindness, and a passion for care. We could talk at length about the myriad of excellent business decisions he’s made in his tenure, the purchasing of the Washington Beef Processing Facility, moving the company into controlling every aspect of the beef supply chain, buying the Double R Ranch, putting more energy and resources into developing the Snake River Farms’ brand, but to understand Robert Rebholtz Jr. is to know he’d rather be called Lead Cowboy than CEO. There are companies whose leadership got their starts in other industries and took the blind-leap into the beef business. We wish them well. But in some things experience matters. There’s no replicating a lifetime on horse-back in the herd, a long-held passion for the cattle and the land, and decades of relationships built to ensure Snake River Farms is not just another ranch-hand in a competitive industry, but through Robert Rebholtz Jr.’s example of hard work, integrity, and vision, we’ll sit as lead cowboy, tireless stewards of the best industry practices and the highest quality standards.    

The Old Homestead Steakhouse in New York City decided to run a promotion. They’d make a hamburger out of  Snake River Farms American Wagyu Beef. They’d put it on the menu for $41, making it the most expensive burger in the city.

You’ll find our herd grazing up in the foothills east of the Double R Ranch in Loomis, Washington. The cowboys ride their rounds, tracking down stragglers, checking on the health of the animals. In small bunches, a dozen head here, a mother and calf over there, the herd mills in the cool shade within the pine and aspen, feeding on high mountain grass.

Sea scallops add a touch of luxury to a meal. Tender and sweet, with a hint of brine, this popular seafood is a staple of fine dining but is also easy to prepare at home.

Halibut is a highly prized ocean-going fish known for its delicate flavor and firm flakey texture. Not only is it delicious, but halibut is low in fat and high in Omega 3 fatty acids. Found in the cold waters of the Northwest Pacific, this popular fish is versatile and works well with a wide range of cooking techniques.

Snake River Farms offers beef in five different grades. Double R Ranch Northwest beef options are USDA Choice and USDA Prime. American Wagyu is offered in SRF Silver™, SRF Black® and SRF Gold®. What are the differences between these grades? And which one is best for your next meal? We’ll explore these grades and look at the different flavor profiles of USDA grades and American Wagyu.

When it comes to steak, you have many choices. Yet the New York strip and ribeye steaks rank high on the Top Ten for steak lovers. You really can’t go wrong with either one. Both are marbled, tender and packed with flavor. Let’s take a closer look at the differences between these two cuts, how they taste, and which one is truly the King of Steaks.

Ribeyes are often called the steak lover’s steak. Snake River Farms American Wagyu ribeye steaks are a steak lover’s dream. Beautiful marbling infuses each American Wagyu ribeye steak with complex flavor and juiciness.

Cutting against the grain is simple. Find the direction of the muscle fibers, then slice at a 90° angle. Read on to learn more about this important meat carving skill.

In The Backyard with Robert Lerma Robert Jacob Lerma is a photographer, BBQ aficionado, brand ambassador and the founder of Smoke + Mash, a social club focused on the culture of smoke (BBQ, live fire cooking, cigars) and spirits. RJL lives in Austin, Texas and is a well-known figure in the world of Texas BBQ. “My love for Texas BBQ began when I first visited in 2005. My family is from South Texas, but I grew up in California. During that initial trip, I embarked on a BBQ journey through Texas and became enamored with the culture. I still remember my first bite of great brisket at Louie Mueller. From that point, I was hooked and moved to Austin in the summer of 2008,” says RJL. RJL is a member of Team SRF and is a Brand Ambassador for GORUCK, Hedley and Bennett, Halo Products, Lynx Grills, Fogo Charcoal and Iowa BBQ Store. His photography clients include YETI, Drew Estate and Patron. His images have been featured in numerous publications including National Geographic, NYTimes, Esquire, Forbes, Food & Wine, Bon Appétit and Outside.   My Take on Steak Let’s cut right to the chase. If I’m dying tomorrow, my last meal would be a Snake River Farms bone-in, cowboy cut ribeye. Or any ribeye for that matter. Cooked over open fire, it’s as good as it gets. Few things are better than firing a steak on the grill. It’s one of the most relaxing things to do. At least for me it is. Sure, there are other ways to cook a steak and many of those methods are perfectly fine. I mean, a cast iron steak is phenomenal. If I’m inside, that’s the route I’d take. But grilling a steak over open flames is special. It’s primal and engages all our senses; the sight of the fire, the smell of the beef and the sizzle of rendered fat dripping into the coals. Then there’s the radiant heat on our face. Together, all of it reminds us how alive we are.  Contrary to what many vegans will tell you, we’re carnivores, plain and simple, as fire and meat played a monumental role in our development.  Without fire, we’d likely still be hunched over, living more like primates than modern people.  “Fire is a very powerful thing. It’s a sign you’re going to get fed. We are the species that cooks. No other species cooks,” according to Cooked author Michael Pollan.  While archaeologists still debate timing, it’s generally accepted that humans began experimenting with fire a million years ago. The earliest known traces of controlled fire are about 790,000 years ago at Daughters of Jacob Bridge in Israel. It took roughly 10,000 more years for those early humans to control fire for cooking. Whether it was 780,000 or over a million years we can all agree this was a gradual process, over a long period of time.  Archaeologists hypothesize that once we started cooking our food, we no longer needed large jaw muscles to chew, and our brains began to expand.  Fun fact: apes spend about 6 hours chewing their food every day. Humans were in the same situation before we harnessed the power of fire. This is why I love cooking on an open flame. It taps into who we really are as people, as humans.   Most of my fondest memories take place in a back yard huddled around a grill or smoker with friends and family telling stories and deciding which steak to cook first.  These “tough” decisions are clear indicators you’re just fine in life. The world moves fast. Around the fire, it doesn’t have to. It shouldn’t. This is the time to put the phone down, connect with people, catch up. These days I cook as often as I can, for as many people as I can. The entire process is therapeutic for me. And there’s no reason it can’t be for you. Starting a fire and cooking steak can be intimidating. But remember, it’s already in your blood. If millions of humans figured it out before you, I promise, you can too. The first step is to simply start. Once you try grilling, you’ll get more comfortable. And with that comfort comes competency. I’m not a chef and never went to culinary school. I learned by traveling the world and watching some of the best chefs and pitmasters practice their craft in the wild. Sometimes I screwed up and sometimes I nailed it, but I was always curious, obsessed with improving on every cook. Trust me, you got this. Let’s walk you through the steps and tools you’ll need.     Grills - You've Got Choices I prefer charcoal grills over gas ones. Food tastes better on live fire. Having a top-of-the-line grill might be your dream. A premium quality grill performs at a high level and lasts a lifetime, but I’m here to tell you, it’s not an absolute necessity. The key, no matter what grill you choose, is understanding the strengths and limitations of each type. Many dedicated grillers got started with a Weber, an iconic kettle shaped grill that’s affordable, functional and perfectly fine. Kamados, thick ceramic egg-shaped grills, are a good choice. At home, I use a Kamado Joe, which allows the grills to be separated into different heights from the heat source, if adjustments need to be made. The PK Grill is a cast aluminum grill that conducts heat efficiently and has precise air control to adjust the temperature. I’ve also seen an occasional Santa Maria grill which is an open pit style with a grill that can be moved up and down to control cooking temp. All these grills are suitable for cooking a top-notch steak. The key is learning how to use your grill; how to build a fire, manage the fire and regulate the temperature. Bottom line, whatever the grill, get to know it, intimately.   Light It Up Building your fire is an important step to properly cook a steak. I use a combination of charcoal, lump or briquets, and wood chunks when grilling. Charcoal acts as a heat source and the melted fat dripping onto the coals imparts the meat with real flavor. Other factors that play a role in the overall flavor profile are the type of beef, the cut of steak, the seasoning used and the level of the Maillard reaction (the distinctive flavor that results when meat interacts with heat). You can use a variety of wood chunks to create some smoke, depending on your preference. I tend to cycle through oak, mesquite, pecan or even fruit woods. Feel free to play around with combinations. Just don’t use any conifer-based woods like pine. In fact, never use them for cooking.  A Weber kettle and the PK Grill have a cook surface roughly 4” from the charcoal. This is ideal for searing steak since the distance is short between the meat and the heat source. The challenge is to prevent the outside of the steak from burning from the high heat before the interior is cooked.  One solution is two-zone cooking - build a hot bed of coals to one side of the grill and keep the other side empty for indirect cooking and resting. Using a Kamado style grill can be a little trickier as the heat source can sometimes be up to 18” below the cooking surface. When cooking steak on a Kamado I reduce the amount of charcoal, so the grill is not blazing hot. Once you build the coal bed so it’s even at the base, add a few chunks of wood. Ensure the surface of the grill is hot enough for searing. If it’s too hot, let it settle. Not hot enough, add more coal or wood. Aaron Franklin once told me, “If you can put you hand right above the grill for a second or less, it’s hot enough.” That method has worked for me since I can’t use a laser temp gun to gauge the surface.     Steak- Go For Quality Using high quality beef is equally as critical as knowing how to cook it. And Snake River Farms is as good as beef gets. Period. Of course, everyone has their preference on cut. I’d encourage y’all to go outside your comfort zone. You might be surprised how many different cuts of beef make fantastic steaks. I’ve tried every single cut from Snake River Farms and I’ve yet to have a bad one. You really can’t go wrong with any. Again, explore.  Lately I love picanha, also called the sirloin cap. It’s a phenomenal piece of meat that can be smoked and/or grilled. The level of doneness depends on the cut. To me, a one size fits all approach just doesn’t work. I prefer a little more doneness on fattier cuts, to ensure the fat in rendered versus chewy. There is a little more technique involved in ensuring a robust sear and rendered fat, without overcooking. On a filet or leaner cuts, for the most part, I prefer rare. You’ll never see me cook or order well done steak, but if you’re paying for the steak, do what you please. That doesn’t mean I never have. It’s all part of the learning process.    Seasoning When cooking at home, I prefer simple seasoning. You can use whatever blend or rub you prefer, but I believe in letting the beef be the star. Years and years of work is put into creating the best beef on the planet, so why the hell mask it with unnecessary flavors? With that said, I use kosher salt and dry brine for at least an hour before cooking. When I have time, I’ll salt my steak for as many hours as I can. Sometimes even the day before. The only spices I use are pepper and garlic. Salt performs two functions: it amplifies the flavor of the meat and impacts the texture, depending on when it’s applied.  Salt diffusion, the movement of salt though the cell walls, occurs slowly and takes time to evenly distribute throughout a steak. That’s why I salt my steak as far in advance as possible. Salt also initiates osmosis which draws water out of the steak and makes it more tender. “But with time, salt will dissolve protein strands into a gel, allowing them to absorb and retain water better as they cook. Water is moisture. Its presence makes meat tender and juicy,” according to Nosrat Smith, author of Salt, Fat, Acid: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking.    How I Cook a Steak Prior to placing your steaks on the grill, make sure the grill is clean using a grill brush. You really don’t want any remnants from prior cooks making their way onto the steak. Tuffy Stone once told me about his thoughts on “seasoned” grills. “Not cleaning your grill is not seasoning it. It’s just lazy and dirty.” Can’t argue with a World Champion. I tend to avoid oils with steaks, preferring to use clarified butter. Clarified butter rubbed on the grill functions as a conductor of heat, allows the steak to cook more evenly and helps the meat not stick to the grill. It also has a higher smoke point (about 480°F) versus regular butter (about 350°F).  Baste your steak with more clarified butter and garlic before firing. I use a brush made of thyme and rosemary to add some herbal elements and add some coarse grind black pepper. Pepper loses its oils over time and grinding the day of the cook ensures a higher level of flavor and more assertive spice. I’m a firm believer in using the highest quality seasoning you can access. The last thing I want is to neutralize the beef flavor by using substandard ingredients.   Place the steaks on the grill. How many times to flip? This is a debated point of contention.  Some say once, others say more than once. The goal is a nice, even sear, without over-charring and under or over cooking. Sounds simple. It’s not. But it does get easier with practice. Initially, I’ll place my steak on the grill then let it cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Then I’ll remove it from the grill, let it rest and check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer. Depending on where you are and what your internal temp goal is, place back on grill and finish. I like to baste the steaks again with clarified butter and garlic. At this point, I’ll flip more often to ensure even and not overcooking, removing to retemp if need be, until it’s where I want it. On filet mignon, I want 110°F, ribeye’s around 120°F.  When you arrive at your desired temp, remove the steak and place it on a rack to rest. It’s important to allow the meat to relax, allowing the juices to reabsorb and redistribute within the meat, as the heat from cooking causes the juices to concentrate in the center. Allow about 5-10 minutes of rest before slicing or you’ll have juices shooting out. Personally, I’d rather have those juices in the meat, not on the board. Maybe I’m weird. Now it’s time to slice against the grain, serve and enjoy. Then do it again. And again.    

Read on to learn more about Wagyu ground beef and how it differs from regular beef, plus we include some of our favorite recipes that you are sure to love.

Japanese A5 Wagyu is a premium grade of beef  prized by chefs and foodies worldwide. Learn how A5 wagyu compares to American wagyu.

Home Free The Double R Ranch, the heart of Snake River Farm's Wagyu operations, is remote, breathtaking, and not for the faint of heart. But that’s why ranchers Kent and Lana Clark love it. Robert Jacob Lerma made his way to the ranch last fall and wrote down his thoughts and observations from the journey.     It’s nearly dusk when I hear Kent Clark tell the crew he’ll be cooking dinner: “Hope you like steak, because that’s what we’re having.” We all smile. Of course, we’re having steak.  “Can you season those strips while I get the grill going?” Kent asks.  When you’re in someone’s home, the answer is always yes. Always. But when that home is located on the vast Double R Ranch in rural Loomis, Washington, the foundation of the Agri Beef and Snake River Farms cow/calf and genetics operation … Well, you put a little more emphasis on the “yes.”  Kent’s wife, Lana, is in the kitchen preparing the sides as I season the strips. Being around Lana feels as if I have been in her home before, many times. She’s warm and hospitable, with a noble presence. It reminds me of being in an executive chef’s kitchen. I want to respond to her requests with, “Oui Chef!” I can’t help but sample some of Lana’s dishes as she makes them. Comfort food at its finest. I wander over to the covered patio to talk to Kent as he gets ready. The Argentinian-style grill is set up inside a large stone chimney adjacent to the dining room and I can already feel its heat. “This thing gets pretty hot,” Kent proclaims.  How could this not be good? Sometimes, this is all you need in life.   As the sun sets, cold air starts to settle into the valley. The temperature drops rapidly. After all, we’re in far northern Washington, about a stone’s throw from British Columbia.   As Kent cooks the steaks, I find a place on the grill for the corn on the cob. Relaxing on nearby couches are Kent’s children and the rest of the crew: World-champion barbecue pitmasters Tuffy Stone, Myron Mixon, and Chet Gentry. They have the night off — it’s Kent and Lana’s show. I just try not to burn the corn.        The Tranquility. The Cattle. The Land.   The Double R Ranch covers roughly 100,000 acres of private and permitted land. The setting is bountiful. Miles and miles of pines and sprawling mountains go on for as far as the eye can see. It’s no surprise why people would want to call this place home, yet few people do. With a population of 159, give or take, the cattle far outnumber the people in this part of the country.  Around 1,500 mother cows and their calves are on the ranch at any given time. It takes a lot of commitment and technical expertise to raise calves into the finest beef in the land.   The work on the ranch is plentiful. “There’s always something to do around here. Always something to fix, cattle to move,” Kent says.   It takes a particular personality to thrive in near-total isolation. As recently as a few generations ago, this is how most people lived. Not these days. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who could survive without all the conveniences of modern society. Not Kent.   “I grew up in a place smaller than this. I never wanted anything different,” Kent proudly says, which is partly what makes the Clarks a perfect fit for the Double R Ranch. They love the work. The tranquility. The cattle. The land.  You could say Kent and Lana were destined to live this life. Away from it all on a ranch while raising their family alongside the cattle raising their own calves. Kent was born in rural Burns, Oregon, population 2,806. He grew up in even more rural Drewsey, Oregon, population “about 25.” His school had only 120 students from all over rural eastern Oregon. Lana was born in Lakeview, which bills itself as the “Tallest Town in Oregon.” Population around 2,400.   “I’m a fourth-generation cowboy,” Kent says. “My great-grandfather homesteaded our place.”  Some people spend their whole lives seeking purpose, trying to find that one job that gives them satisfaction while providing financial resources. Kent didn’t have to look further than his own father. And grandfather. It was all he knew growing up, and that was just fine with him.   To Kent, cowboying isn’t a job; it’s a way of life. A lifestyle. “The cows don’t take weekends off,” Kent says. “Holidays either. They need to eat. You have to want this life.”   After high school, Kent went off to Oregon State University to study animal science, thinking briefly about becoming a game warden. That never happened. After graduation, Kent went right into cattle operations in Paisley, Oregon, where he stayed for 14 years until he applied for the ranch manager position with AgriBeef in 2011.  As fate would have it, he already knew his future supervisor, Wade Small, the Executive Vice President of Business Development for AgriBeef. They had met in 1999. Small world, especially in the cattle industry. Most people know or know of each other. In fact, Wade went to school at Oregon State with Lana. The stars couldn’t have aligned any better for Kent, Lana, and the road ahead.  These days, cowboying seems to be having another day in the sun with the popularity of shows like “Yellowstone” and “1883.” To the people who live the life, it never went away.   But unlike television, life on a working cattle ranch is a little different. “I watched one episode of Yellowstone, and I kept shaking my head,” Kent recalls.   The actual life of a cowboy is not filled with the drama of TV. It can’t be. There’s work to be done. There’s no off season when you’re raising cattle. The days are long, from sunup to sundown. Every day.   “I get up about an hour before sunrise and quit work after it goes down,” Kent says. “The summers are long because it stays light most of the day here.”            Labor of Love Every season has a specific focus. Calving occurs from February through late April. In May and June, the focus is on artificial insemination, along with turning cattle out onto spring pastures. And the cattle don’t move themselves. While technology has greatly improved systems, processes, and quality consistency, much of the cowboy work is performed the same as it ever was: on horseback, 24/7/365. “We do almost everything on horseback, moving the cattle from pasture to pasture,” Kent says. “Sometimes it takes a week to move a herd. Then it’s time to move another. And another.”   Summertime is when cattle start to feed on about 2,500 tons of hay, getting ready for winter. By the end of the summer, the cows are about 25 miles from the main ranch house, grazing in each pasture from spring to about the end of October.   It’s a labor of love that Kent and Lana wouldn’t have any other way.  It takes a team of dedicated individuals to get an operation of this scale and importance right. Remarkably, the Double R Ranch has only four full-time employees, plus Lana and Kent, who manage the herd and responsibilities. Our modern world has evolved to include various specialized jobs with fancy titles. Not for cowboys and ranchers. They don’t do one thing; they do everything. This is the way on a working ranch, the way it has been for generations.   These days, it’s not as easy finding people who seek this life, unless they grew up in it. And that’s not always a given, with sons and daughters sometimes forging their own path outside of the ranching and cattle industries.   “It’s getting harder and harder to find people who come to us with experience,” Kent says. “They used to know how to cowboy. Not anymore. We train all the new people now.”   This seems to be the norm across many industries recently. Good people are hard to find. Good cowboys, even harder. Passion and work ethic is hard to teach. You either have it or you don’t. There’s not a lot of room in the middle. It helps when you have the support of a good organization.   “It’s great to work for a company (AgriBeef) that cares for its people and customers,” Kent says. “The culture is simply different. They form relationships and work with all levels of the business. Although I never met Robert Rebholtz Sr., his son (Robert Rebholtz Jr.) is genuine and our culture comes from his attitude.”   Riding around the ranch in Kent’s truck, it’s easy to understand why he and Lana love this place so much. The picturesque backdrop is captivating. Large swaths of pines and firs dominate the terrain. The air is crisp and fresh. Aside from the wind rustling through the trees and the occasional moo, it’s eerily quiet, which takes some getting used to. In the cities, we’re accustomed to tolerating constant noise.   As we drive up and down mountain passes, we see cows and their calves, here and there, along with other wildlife.   “My brother went to the big city (Portland, Oregon). I had no desire. This place) is already bigger than where I grew,” Kent says with a laugh.  After nearly 24 years of marriage, Kent and Lana still wake up every day with smiles on their faces, prepared for anything the ranch throws at them. They’ve created a beautiful life for their four children, Zach (23), Cody (21), Kaylee (18), and Sadie (15) to call home, along with eight dogs. Lana works beside Kent, “all day, every day,” as Kent puts it.   “She’s the real boss,” Kent says with a slight chuckle, yet with the utmost deference for his wife. Anyone who has a strong woman at home knows this to be true. And this mutual support and respect is key to the work being conducted on the Double R Ranch.   Time will tell how the beef and cattle industry will evolve in the future, but one thing is for certain: Kent will always be ready to saddle up and do what he’s always done.   “As long as there’s demand for a steak, there will always be a place for a cowboy,” Kent says.    God, I hope so. A world without steak doesn’t appeal to me.   Which brings me back to those strips Kent cooked for us. They’re about as good as any steak at any steakhouse I’d ever been to. And I’ve been to a lot of steakhouses.   But as much as I enjoy the food, what I appreciate most is sitting at Kent and Lana’s table, along with our friends and their family, listening to them share their story. To me, the best meals revolve around good people. Interesting people. People who endure, who teach you something about life, about yourself.   Don Draper once said, “make it simple, but significant.” That’s the Double R. That’s Kent and Lana.