Karina Jones is a real-life ranch wife in the Nebraska Sandhills and one of the most highly sought-after speakers in the cattle industry nationwide!
When the crew comes to our branding, there is one side dish they have come to expect, Taco Salad….and there are never any leftovers! I’m happy to share my recipe with you today on Ranch Raised!
A day or two ahead of serving the salad, brown a pound of ground beef, drain the grease off and add a packet of taco seasoning. Rinse and drain a can of kidney beans and add to that ground beef. Pop it in the fridge to hang out until you need it.
You can also chop a head of iceberg lettuce ahead of time. Do not use a bag of the thin shredded lettuce stuff, it will turn to moosh. And I should also tell you, you will want to prepare this in a really big bowl!
The rest of the salad assembly is best done right before serving. In that big bowl of chopped lettuce, add the cool beef and bean mix and 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. You also add optional ingredients like black olives, tomatoes, peppers or have them on the side for people to add their own. This is the time to dress the salad and it is the secret weapon to this recipe, a perfect 1 to 1 combo of Dorthey Lynch salad dressing and Ortega Taco Sauce, I like the medium or mild. I usually start with about a half a cup of each poured over the salad and then toss to coat. You may need to add more depending on your lettuce, just try to add equal amounts. Try not to overdress this salad. But, certainly dress to please your palette. Now you add in 1 bag of crushed Doritos and toss. Serve immediately.
This salad is great on the side of any main meat dishes like brisket or BBQ beef! You can snag this recipe on the RR FB page and the YAN website or app!
Karina ranches with her husband, Marty, and 4 children near Broken Bow, NE. She grew up in western NE, with roots also in southwest SD. The cattle industry and raising kids is her passion.
Watching the cattle industry go the path that it has gone, she could no longer sit quietly at home checking cows, fixing fence, and doing all the everyday tasks wondering when some else was going to make it all better. As she became more active and outspoken on industry issues, she was asked to join the R-CALF USA staff in September 2020 as the Checkoff Petition Campaign manager. That position transcended into her former role as full time Field Director for R-CALF USA.
You can hear her almost every Friday on Your Ag Network’s Hot Barn Report, where she deep dives into cattle industry issues and industry reforms. Listen to Ranch Raised on a Your Ag Network hometown station or www.youragnetwork.com where she talks about her daily life on the Jones Ranch.
Cattle producers are her people. She will meet you at the county fair, at the sale barn, or anywhere the dusty trail leads.
karina@youragnetwork.com or visit facebook.com/ranchraisedwithkarinajones
Follow Karina Jones on Facebook!
