A Family Affair- the people who bring SRF to your table share what's on theirs

A Family Affair- the people who bring SRF to your table share what's on theirs

Why do we spend weeks spooning masa into corn husks, baking more sugar cookies than the entire U.S. Army could eat, or cracking dozens of eggs into vats of eggnog? Why go to so much trouble for a meal that will last 12 or 15 minutes, at most?

Because it's tradition. Your mom did it. So did her mom, and her mom before her, and her mom before her, stretching back all the way to some distant past we've only seen in black-and-white pictures. Or maybe before that, even. Who knows! It’s a tradition. And tradition is the glue that binds families together.

This year, we asked our Snake River Farms family members about their must-do holiday routines. And you know what? We discovered all traditions celebrate the same thing: the simple joy of being together.

Lydia Rangel | Sales Brand Manager, Agri Beef | Boise, Idaho

What's Bigger in Your House: Christmas or Christmas Eve?

Christmas Eve is what we celebrate the most in my family. It’s a celebration that the Baby Jesus is going to be born, so in most Mexican households, the 24th is big! I’m first-generation Mexican and my family is Catholic, so a lot of our traditions came from my mom and dad’s culture. 

Do You Have Any Family Traditions?

We put a nativity scene together and assign godparents for the Baby Jesus. From the 24th to the 6th of January, the godparents are responsible for dressing the baby — a little handmade suit or sometimes little shoes and gloves. It sounds weird or strange to people, but normal to us. 

What's Your Must-Have Christmas Food?

We make both pork and beef tamales on Christmas Eve. We use Snake River Farms Kurobuta pork shoulders for the tamales. It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun because everybody is doing it. You spend time around the kitchen table, giving each other crap and listening to loud music, because that’s just what we do.  

Nate Duyn | Fabrication Manager, True West Beef | Jerome, Idaho

Why Do You Love Christmas?

I met my wife in high school, and her family owns a Christmas tree farm in Oregon. So, Christmas trees were a big part of our lives then and now. These days my wife and I still pick out our own tree. We go big. There are no fake trees in our world. 

What Holiday Tradition Do You Look Forward To?

Every year since I was a kid, my Aunt Joan has given me an ornament shaped like a Ford or Chevy truck with a tiny Christmas tree on it. I still decorate my tree with them. They’re my prized possessions. If the house was burning down, I would try to grab the trucks. 

What's on the Table for Christmas Dinner?

We have to have prime rib and ham cooked on the Traeger. I use our Double R Ranch prime rib. It has that really good flavor that I was used to growing up — I can’t say enough good things about it. We season it with salt, pepper, garlic, and a little mace. It’s a seasoning my grandfather made, actually, and sold for many years. It’s a staple for us. 

Jacinta Abonda | Human Resources Manager, Washington Beef | Toppenish, Washington

How Do You Get Ready for the Holidays?

You can tell it’s Christmas in my house because it’s decorated with a lot of cheer. We grew up doing the traditional Noche Buena dinner. That is the Christmas Eve dinner, and we eat tamales and atole, which is like a big custard, and just be with family and friends.  

How are You Keeping Your Family's Traditions Alive?

We lost mom last year. I want to keep those recipes and traditions with my daughters so that when they’re growing up, they know where they came from. They spent a lot of time with their grandma and were very close to her, so there will be times when they say, “Mom, that’s not how grandma did it!” Yes, they’re correcting me, but they’re making sure that we keep the traditions going by ensuring we’re keeping the recipes like grandma used to do. It makes me proud.

How Do You Make Tamales?

The tamales are made with pork shoulder, and there are so many different recipes. My mom would never measure, so it would be a pinch of this, a little bit of that, and a lot of that. I want to believe that I was able to get her secret and make the tamales the way that she would make them.  

JW Wood | General Manager, Boise Valley Feeders | Caldwell, Idaho

What Were the Holidays Like When You Were Growing Up?

I grew up on a ranch in Hawaii, so a lot of our holiday foods were surf-and-turf with Asian-Hawaiian-influenced meals. Growing up on a ranch meant we had prime rib for Christmas, but we might also have sashimi-style ahi. And then we’d have pipi kaula, which is like a Hawaiian version of beef jerky. It’s a very common appetizer you can buy at the store, but it would be really special when someone would make it.  

Who is in Charge of the Prime Rib?

My dad and I team up for the prime rib, and we always refine some things. We usually debrief over a Scotch, so I’m not certain we always recall the debrief from year to year. But the one thing that never changes is the salt. It has to be Hawaiian coarse salt.

Do You Have Any Traditions You'd Like to Pass On?

I have two kids, and by the time we get to Christmas, I’ll have three. I’ve been reflecting a lot on what I’ll be doing for our traditions. When we were growing up, Christmas trees were very expensive because they had to be shipped from the mainland. My dad would always grumble about getting one. But we’d decorate it with two themes: cowboy-style ornaments and Japanese-style ones that looked like sushi rolls. My mom likes to give us Asian culture ornaments, so we’ll keep both family traditions going with our kids. 

Robert & Beth Rebholtz | President & CEO, Agri Beef | Boise, Idaho

How Do You Celebrate the Holidays?

We tell our family that our house is their house. We usually have everyone over during the holidays — our kids, our grandkids, our siblings and their families. Our big celebration is on Christmas Eve, so that’s when we get together and go to Mass and then have a big dinner and gift exchange.   

And Beef is Definitely on The Table, Right?

Yes! We actually have two centerpieces — usually a Gold Grade prime rib and rack of pork. We keep the seasoning very simple and grill or roast in the oven. Wherever we can find space, really. We keep the sides easy, too. Maybe some fresh green beans with salt and pepper and Parmesan, or baked fingerling potatoes with garlic. But everyone chips in! We get a lot of help with desserts and appetizers; our daughters and extended family get creative and bring an assortment of both. 

Your Kids Are Grown and Out of the House. Has That Changed the Way You Look at the Holidays?

We always wanted our own children to stay close and have strong relationships with each other, and it’s very rewarding to see that they want that for themselves, too. They like to be together and spend time with each other during the holidays. And we’re really enjoying our grandkids! We love having a full house.