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Family Table

This is where Solterra becomes dinner. Family Table brings together the recipes, techniques, and marinades behind our food, shared by the people who make it. Learn a cut. Cook it right. Gather around it. And soon, let us bring the whole table to you.

Recipes

Recipes from our Master Seam Butcher, Mike Firestine — built to make the most of every cut.

Beef · Plate

Short Rib Tacos

English-cut short ribs · Serves 6 · ~5 hr

View recipe
Beef · Round

Sesame Teriyaki Stir Fry

Top round, thin sliced · Serves ~4 · ~35 min + overnight marinate

View recipe
Beef · Hot Dogs

Chicago Dogs

All-beef hot dogs · Serves 4 · ~20 min

View recipe

Cooking Methods

The foundational techniques behind our recipes — and the bundles built around them.

Technique

Searing

High heat, quick cook · Used in Sear & Serve bundles

View technique

Marinades

Mike's marinades, ready to pair with the recipes and cuts they were built for.

Marinade

Sesame Teriyaki Marinade

Soy · ginger · sesame · Used in the Stir Fry

View marinade
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Short Rib Tacos

Recipe & cut by Mike Firestine, Master Seam Butcher

Beef · PlateEnglish cut, bone-in

From Mike's bench

Short ribs are one of those cuts people walk right past because they see the bone and assume it's trouble. It's the opposite — that bone is wrapped in some of the most marbled, collagen-rich meat on the whole animal, and collagen is what melts into that fall-apart texture you can't fake with a lean cut. Four pounds feeds the table and then some, for a fraction of what you'd pay for steaks that won't give you half this flavor.

Serves
~6
Prep
20 min
Cook
~4 hr 30
Total
~5 hr

Start with the right cut: bone-in, English-cut beef short ribs, about 4 lbs.

Add short ribs to your order

Ingredients

  • 4 lb bone-in beef short ribs (English cut)
  • 32 oz beef broth
  • 1 onion
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 jalapeño
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ½ bunch cilantro (stems for the braise, leaves to finish)
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp oregano
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • Beef tallow (for roasting + searing)
  • Tortillas, to serve
  • Your favorite taco fixins, to serve

Method

  1. Roast the vegetables. Halve the onion, tomato, bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic and lay them cut-side up on a sheet pan. Brush the tops with beef tallow. Broil until browned.

  2. Sear the ribs. Add a healthy scoop of beef tallow to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear each short rib on both sides, then set aside.

  3. Build the braise. Add the roasted vegetables, beef broth, salt, spices, and cilantro stems to a large pot. Blend smooth with an immersion blender.

  4. Braise low and slow. Nestle the ribs into the pot and simmer on low for 4 hours.

  5. Shred. Pull the ribs, shred the meat off the bones, and moisten with a little braising liquid.

  6. Serve. Pile onto tortillas with your fixins — and dip each taco in the braising liquid.

Mike's tips

  • Don't rush the 4 hours — the ribs are done when they give up the bone, not just when they're cooked.
  • Reserve the braising liquid; that dip is the whole personality of the dish.

At the counter

Ask for bone-in English-cut beef short ribs — about 4 lbs. If you only see them cut flanken-style, ask us to cut them English for braising.

Order short ribs from the farm →
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Sesame Teriyaki Stir Fry

Recipe & cut by Mike Firestine, Master Seam Butcher

Beef · RoundTop round, thin sliced

From Mike's bench

Top round doesn't get the reputation short ribs do — it's already a familiar cut. But sliced thin against the grain and seared fast and hot, it turns into something people don't expect from an everyday steak. The real secret in this one isn't even the beef — it's what you cook it in. A quarter cup of rendered tallow at high heat gives you a sear no bottled oil can match, and that's the difference between a good stir-fry and a great one.

Serves
~4
Prep
20 min
Cook
~15 min
Total
overnight + 35

Start with the right cut: top round steak, sliced thin, about 1 lb.

Add top round to your order

Ingredients

  • 1 lb top round steak, sliced thin
  • ½ bunch bok choy, sliced thin
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
  • 1 cup white rice, rinsed
  • ½ cup dark soy sauce
  • ¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup beef broth
  • ¼ cup tallow
  • 2 Tbsp corn starch
  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp sesame seeds

Method

  1. Marinate. Mix soy sauce and rice vinegar. Marinate steak strips overnight.

  2. Build the sauce. Pour the marinade into a separate container. Mix in the beef broth, sesame oil, ginger, garlic powder, black pepper, and sesame seeds.

  3. Dredge. Coat the beef strips lightly with corn starch.

  4. Cook the rice. Cook rice to desired doneness.

  5. Sear. Heat tallow in a skillet or wok over high heat. When shimmering, add the beef strips and vegetables, stirring rapidly for 3 minutes.

  6. Finish. Add the sauce and stir rapidly until everything is coated. Simmer at medium heat 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and serve immediately over rice.

Mike's tips

  • High heat, no crowding — the second the pan cools down you're steaming instead of searing.
  • Don't skip the corn starch coating on the beef; that's what gives the sauce something to cling to.

At the counter

Ask for top round, sliced thin against the grain — most counters will cut it to order if you ask. And don't walk out without a scoop of tallow; it's what makes this dish taste like more than a weeknight stir-fry.

Order top round from the farm →
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Chicago Dogs

Recipe by Mike Firestine, Master Seam Butcher

Beef · Hot DogsAll-beef, snap casing

From Mike's bench

A Chicago dog isn't dressed, it's built — and there's an order to it. Yellow mustard first, then the rest goes on in layers: onion, relish, a full pickle spear, tomato, and if you can find them, a couple of sport peppers. Steam the bun, never toast it, and whatever you do — no ketchup. Made with our all-beef hot dogs, snap included.

Serves
4
Prep
10 min
Cook
~10 min
Total
~20 min

Start with the right dog: our all-beef hot dogs, sold four per pack.

Add hot dogs to your order

Ingredients

  • 4 Solterra all-beef hot dogs
  • 4 poppy seed hot dog buns
  • Yellow mustard
  • Bright green sweet relish
  • ½ white onion, finely chopped
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, cut into wedges (or a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved)
  • 4 dill pickle spears
  • 8 sport peppers (optional)
  • Celery salt, for finishing

Method

  1. Cook the dogs. Boil, grill, or griddle the hot dogs until heated through and lightly snappy on the outside.

  2. Steam the buns. Warm the buns over the pot or on a steamer basket just until soft — don't toast them.

  3. Dress it, in order. Mustard first, straight down the dog. Then onion, relish, tomato, a full pickle spear tucked alongside, and sport peppers if using.

  4. Finish. A light dusting of celery salt over the top, and serve immediately.

Mike's tips

  • No ketchup. This isn't a house-style suggestion, it's the rule.
  • Steaming, not toasting, keeps the bun soft enough to hold everything without falling apart.

At the counter

Ask for our all-beef hot dogs by the pack — this recipe uses 4, and they're worth stocking up on.

Order hot dogs from the farm →
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Searing

Technique demonstrated by Mike Firestine, Master Seam Butcher

TechniqueHigh heat, quick cook

Why it works

Searing isn't about cooking meat through — it's about building a deep, dark crust through the Maillard reaction, the same browning that gives seared meat its flavor and aroma. A hot pan, a little fat, and patience are all it takes to turn a simple cut into something worth slowing down for.

Best for
Steaks, chops
Heat
High, dry
Time
2–4 min/side
Tool
Cast iron

Built for this technique: our Sear & Serve bundles come pre-portioned and ready for the pan.

Shop Sear & Serve bundles

How it's done

  1. Pat it dry. Moisture on the surface steams instead of sears — a dry surface browns.

  2. Get the pan hot. Heat the pan until it's shimmering before the meat goes in.

  3. Add fat, then meat. A high smoke-point fat like tallow can take the heat without burning.

  4. Don't crowd, don't move it. Give each piece room, and let it sit undisturbed until it releases easily.

  5. Flip once. One flip per side is usually all you need for an even crust.

  6. Rest before cutting. A few minutes off heat lets the juices settle back in.

Mike's tips

  • If it's sticking, it's not ready to flip yet — a proper sear releases from the pan on its own.
  • Don't wipe out the browned bits left in the pan — that's the start of your sauce.

At the counter

Ask about our Sear & Serve bundles — they're cut and portioned specifically for a fast, high-heat sear, no trimming or guesswork required.

Shop Sear & Serve bundles →
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Sesame Teriyaki Marinade

Marinade by Mike Firestine, Master Seam Butcher

MarinadeSoy · ginger · sesame

Why this marinade works

This one does double duty — first as an overnight marinade to tenderize and season the beef, then it comes right back as the base for the finishing sauce. Nothing gets wasted, and you get two layers of flavor for one bowl of ingredients.

Best for
Thin-sliced beef
Marinate
Overnight
Yield
~1 cup
Keeps
3 days, fridge

Used in: Sesame Teriyaki Stir Fry — see the full recipe for exact steps.

View the recipe

How to make it

  1. Mix the base. Combine dark soy sauce and seasoned rice vinegar.

  2. Marinate. Add the beef and let it sit overnight in the fridge.

  3. Pour it off. Once marinating is done, pour the liquid into a separate container — don't discard it.

  4. Build the sauce. Stir in beef broth, toasted sesame oil, ground ginger, garlic powder, black pepper, and sesame seeds.

Mike's tips

  • Don't discard the marinade after soaking the beef — it becomes the base for the sauce, so nothing goes to waste.
  • Whisk the sauce mixture right before it hits the pan; the corn starch coating on the beef needs something wet and well-combined to cling to.

Good to know

This marinade is built around thin-sliced beef and a quick sear — it's not intended for a long braise. Keeps about 3 days refrigerated once mixed into the finishing sauce.

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