Mashed Potato Salad

The Musselshell running high with snowmelt. Cattle work this week. Patrick rode in the truck. He pointed out two heifers I had not noticed. He sees things I do not. The work is shared.

Patrick on the porch in the afternoon. Coffee in the good cup. The cottonwoods.

Beef sandwich on the bread Mom taught me to make. Leftover roast beef. Mustard.

The sky was the sky. It held everything.

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.

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 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.

Hauled three bull calves to the auction yard Wednesday. Got a fair price. Came home. Counted the cash. Put it in the ranch account.

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.

Three days of horses this week. The work is meditative. The horses know. The owners pay. The cycle holds.

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.

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.

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 the back fence line Saturday. Two posts down from elk. Replaced them in the morning. The fence held the rest of the week.

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.

The Tuesday Roundup AA meeting was eleven this week — three new guys from a referral. The room was full. The coffee was strong.

Worked on the truck Saturday afternoon. Plugs and wires. Two hours. Hands black with grease. Came in. Showered. Ate.

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.

The Musselshell was clear Sunday. Could see trout in the deeper pools. Did not fish. Just watched.

Mended the chute hinge Wednesday. Welder was finicky. Got it on the third try. Patrick used to do this. I do it now.

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.

Drove to Billings for parts Friday. Stopped at the cemetery on the way home. Stood for ten minutes. Came home.

The beef sandwich I wrote about — leftover roast beef, mustard, Mom’s bread — is not a complicated thing, and that’s the whole point. After a week of busted fence posts, a twelve-below truck start, and a drive past the cemetery, you don’t want complicated. What I usually put alongside it is this mashed potato salad, because it uses what’s already there, it holds together, and it doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is. That feels right for the kind of week this was.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for boiling
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 stalks celery, diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
2 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Boil the potatoes. Place cubed potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook 15–18 minutes until fork-tender but not falling apart. Drain well.
Mash lightly. While still warm, use a fork or potato masher to break down the potatoes into a rough, chunky mash — you want texture, not a puree. Spread them out briefly to let steam escape.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper until smooth.
Combine. Pour the dressing over the warm potatoes and fold gently to coat. Add the celery, red onion, and chopped eggs. Stir until just combined — don’t overwork it.
Taste and adjust. Add salt, pepper, or a touch more mustard to your liking. Fold in parsley if using.
Chill or serve warm. This salad works both ways. For a cold version, cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. For a warm version, serve straight from the bowl. Either way, it holds up well alongside a beef sandwich.

Nutrition (per serving)

Mashed Potato Salad — The Side That Belongs Next to a Leftover Roast Beef Sandwich