Steak Sliders with Blue Cheese Butter and Grilled Mushrooms

ByDavid July 12, 2017June 23, 2021

These Steak Sliders with Blue Cheese Butter and Grilled Mushrooms absolutely deserve a spot on your summer grilling menu!

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A couple of weeks ago, I got into my car and headed west down the New York Thruway. My GPS was programmed to Hidden Canyon Farm out in Lyons, NY. Hidden Canyon Farm is a cattle farm located in western New York, and it’s operated by Steve Olson and his wife Sue. Now you might not recognize Steve’s name, but if you’ve ever purchased beef in the store, then you’ve probably been impacted by Steve. In a former life, Steve lived down in D.C. where he worked for the USDA and helped develop a set of standards for various cuts of beef. (Actually, he pretty much developed the set of standards for beef.) So Steve really knows his beef! But after years of working in D.C., Steve returned to his home in upstate New York where he now operates a family-run farm. And it’s a pretty awesome place!

As I made my way westward across the state, I passed through a number of strong rainstorms. I was told to bring appropriate shoes as I would be interacting with the cattle in the fields, and I could step in anything. So the thought of stepping in anything in a driving rainstorm had me a bit concerned. Fortunately, the weather cleared as I pulled up to Steve’s farm. Phew. About 5 minutes later, I was bouncing through the fields on a 4-wheeler with Steve and Sue. We were armed with a bucket of corn, and we were off to do a daily cattle check. Turns out cows love corn. Like really love corn…cob and all. If you ever get the chance to feed a cob of corn to a cow, do it. Then go wash your hands.

Steve is nothing short of a character, and I had a blast in the fields that day! I met Bettie, Bizzy, Louise, Else and a whole herd (literally) of others. Naming cows on a cattle farm isn’t a normal practice, but then again Steve isn’t a normal rancher. While Steve and Sue do raise their cattle for food, they adamantly follow the mantra that their animals should be treated with the respect they deserve while at the farm. I recently toured several cattle farms in Nebraska (more on that coming soon!), and I found the same mantra to be true there as well. As consumers, it’s important to understand where our food comes from, and it’s clear that Steve and Sue are doing things the right way at Hidden Canyon Farm!

Farming and ranching isn’t easy work. The cattle at Hidden Canyon get free roam of a number of interconnected pastures, and sometimes it’s a bit hard to find everyone! Steve and Sue are up at first light every day riding through their fields to put their eyes on each and every cow in their herd. Every day including weekends, birthdays, Christmas and New Year’s. But it’s thanks to farms like Hidden Canyon that we as consumers can find excellent quality, U.S.-raised beef in our grocery stores.

After spending the afternoon in the fields checking and then weighing cattle, I was famished. Fortunately, Jean from the New York Beef Council had stayed back in Steve’s kitchen to prepare a delicious dinner for us. On the menu: Ribeye steaks with blue cheese butter. About 10 of us gathered around the table and swapped stories and tales over a tasty dinner, and I certainly didn’t want to leave! Steve invited me to come back to his farm, and I definitely plan on taking Robbie out there in a year or two once he’s a bit older! (In the meantime, we’ve been practicing our “moos” here at home. I’m not kidding.) As I made my way to the car, I noticed one of Steve’s cows mooing at me. I’m not sure whether she was telling me goodbye or just get lost, but it seemed like the appropriate way to end the day!

For this post, I decided to recreate those ribeye steaks with blue cheese butter…with a twist. These Steak Sliders with Blue Cheese Butter and Grilled Mushrooms were the result. To put it simply, woah. Just woah. The grilled ribeyes alone were tasty, but then slice ’em up into a sandwich with blue cheese butter and grilled portabellas? Yes, please! This recipe comes from Beef: It’s What’s For Dinner, and it’s definitely worth putting on your summer grilling menu! Can you imagine the looks you’ll get when you walk out with a platter of these Steak Sliders with Blue Cheese Butter and Grilled Mushrooms?

If you want to skip the sandwich, you can just top the grilled ribeyes with a dollop of that blue cheese butter. But don’t skip the blue cheese butter! You’ll gain instant respect among family and friends when you serve up these Steak Sliders with Blue Cheese Butter. Trust me. (As a side note, Beef: It’s What’s For Dinner has dozens of great recipes as well as other info about beef, including cuts, nutrition and cooking instructions. Check it out!)

I know there is a lot of information (and misinformation) out here on the internet about the beef industry. My best advice is to take everything you read with a grain of salt. I’ve been in the fields with farmers and ranchers. I’ve seen how they care for their cattle. It’s not easy work, but their commitment to quality is why U.S.-raised beef ranks among the safest in the world. And next time you find yourself driving through Lyons, NY, stop by and see for yourself. Just tell Steve and Sue (and Betty) I said hello!