By Mother's Day. Mom made dinner. I helped. Wrong order, I know. She likes it that way.
Patrick on the porch in the afternoon. Coffee in the good cup. The cottonwoods.
Pulled pork from a shoulder I smoked Saturday. Twelve hours. Apple wood.
Tomorrow I move the herd to the upper pasture. That is the next thing.
Hauled three bull calves to the auction yard Wednesday. Got a fair price. Came home. Counted the cash. Put it in the ranch account.
The Tuesday Roundup AA meeting was eleven this week — three new guys from a referral. The room was full. The coffee was strong.
A neighbor's heifer was choking on a corn cob. I drove over with my emergency kit. Cleared the cob with a length of garden hose. The heifer recovered. The neighbor brought a pie the next day.
Wrote a blog post Friday night. The first one in two months. About making chili in a snowstorm. Short. Practical. Posted it. Forgot about it.
Took a walk to the river before supper Tuesday. The cottonwoods were silver. The water was running. I did not think much. I just walked.
Worked on the truck Saturday afternoon. Plugs and wires. Two hours. Hands black with grease. Came in. Showered. Ate.
Drove the back fence line Saturday. Two posts down from elk. Replaced them in the morning. The fence held the rest of the week.
Mended the chute hinge Wednesday. Welder was finicky. Got it on the third try. Patrick used to do this. I do it now.
The wood pile is half what it was at Thanksgiving. I will split another cord on Saturday. The cord will be ready by next winter. The wood always is.
Hank, the dog, herded the chickens by accident. He apologized in the way dogs apologize — eyes down, tail low. The chickens were unimpressed.
A reader emailed about the elk chili recipe. Asked what beer to use if non-alcoholic was not available. I wrote back: any beer is wrong if you don't drink. Use stock.
Drove to Billings for parts Friday. Stopped at the cemetery on the way home. Stood for ten minutes. Came home.
Truck started cold Tuesday. Twelve below. Battery is the original. I will replace it before next winter. I always say I will replace it before next winter. I never have.
Mr. Whelan from down the road came over Saturday with a story about a horse he sold in 1979. The story took an hour. I listened. He needed someone to tell it to.
Storm came through Friday night. Thunder. The dog hid under the bed. The kids slept through it. The cattle bunched up by the windbreak. Standard.
The Musselshell was clear Sunday. Could see trout in the deeper pools. Did not fish. Just watched.
Three days of horses this week. The work is meditative. The horses know. The owners pay. The cycle holds.
The barn cats are doing their job. Down to one mouse this week, in the feed shed. The cats brought it to the porch as proof. They are professionals.
Listened to the cattle market report on AM radio while I worked the shop. Beef is up. Feed is up. The math is the math.
The shoulder was gone by Sunday evening, but there was enough left from the twelve-hour smoke to fill a pan once more — and on a week like this one, with the herd moving and the fence posts replaced and the truck already needing attention again, a ten-minute dinner is not cutting corners, it is just good math. These quesadillas are what I made Monday night with the last of the apple-wood pork, a handful of cheese, and two tortillas. Patrick would have eaten three. I had two and called it enough.
10-Minute Quesadillas
Prep Time: 3 min | Cook Time: 7 min | Total Time: 10 min | Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 4 large flour tortillas (10-inch)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
- 1 cup leftover pulled pork, warmed
- 1/4 cup diced white onion
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapeño slices (optional)
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil or butter
- Sour cream and salsa, for serving
Instructions
- Warm the pork. If your pulled pork is coming straight from the fridge, heat it in a small skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or stock for 2–3 minutes until warmed through. Set aside.
- Heat the pan. Place a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil or butter and let it coat the surface.
- Build the first quesadilla. Lay one tortilla flat in the pan. Spread half the cheese evenly over the entire surface, then add half the pulled pork and half the diced onion. Top with jalapeños if using. Lay a second tortilla on top.
- Cook the first side. Cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until the bottom tortilla is golden and the cheese near the edges begins to melt.
- Flip and finish. Carefully flip the quesadilla using a wide spatula. Cook the second side for 1–2 minutes until golden and the cheese is fully melted through.
- Rest and cut. Slide onto a cutting board and let rest for 1 minute. Cut into quarters or thirds with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Repeat with the remaining tortilla, filling, and oil.
- Serve. Plate with sour cream and salsa on the side. Eat while it’s hot.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 610 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 28g | Carbs: 54g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 890mg