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For those who have not yet made the pilgrimage up Airline Highway to dine at one of the events at Paicines Ranch, you are in luck. Paicines Ranch is bringing the goodness of their grass-fed beef and lamb meats to you in the form of burgers sold from their new food truck which is making its first-ever appearance this year at the Wednesday Farmers’ Market in Hollister.
“The food truck was actually parked up at the ranch for quite a while,” said Mary Rowen, the event sales manager at the ranch. “We used it a few times for different events, like doing tacos for some of the weddings out here. It worked out really well so we decided to expand our horizons a little bit.”
The truck is going to give the ranch a chance to showcase some of the meats that can be purchased at the ranch or ordered on the website for delivery to San Benito County, Mountain View, Santa Cruz, and Saratoga.
“What we’re trying to do with Farmers’ Market,” Rowen said, “is bring people a farm-to-table experience so people can try our grass-fed and pasture-raised meats without having to drive all the way to the ranch.”
The animals are free to graze on the ranch’s organically tended 7,600 acres, which is free of fertilizers and synthetic pesticides.
“We use livestock essentially to help us manage the land,” Rowen said. “Everything we do is about building healthy soils, and they’re constantly moving from one fresh pasture to the next. We keep them healthy by mimicking Mother Nature, which gives us nutrient-rich meats.”
Rylie Denton is handling sales at the truck and says the reception from attendees has been encouraging.
“For it being our first time out here,” she said, “it has been really fun. You don’t see a lot of lamb around here, so a lot of people are really curious about the lamb burgers. Sales are mixed between the two meats, but we have people who just love the lamb.”
At the moment, only lamb and beef burgers are available through the food truck, but the menu may expand to include turkey and pork. They will not be offering packaged meats for sale, though customers can place orders at the truck for pickup or delivery.
The ranch also hosts lunch and dinner at its Overlook Dining Hall on Thursdays as well as on special occasions (announced on the ranch’s Facebook page) such as the upcoming Memorial Day Barbecue on May 26 with lamb ribs, beef burgers, pork chops, cornbread and strawberry shortcake all on the menu.
Pizzas are the staple on Thursday nights, with Chef Carlos Canada baking them to order on a portable wood-fired oven and serving them with a mixed green and vegetable salad made with local produce.
Last Thursday, we caught up with Nancy Sorgatz in the kitchen, who was working next to sealed tubs filled with portioned-out dough as she helped prepare the ingredients for the night’s pizzas. She offered some insight into what makes the pizza so good.
“Chef Canada does a three-day fermentation on his pizza,” Sorgatz said. “That gives it a really light and airy crust. He makes the pepperoni in-house from Paicines Ranch meats. And everything used to make them is fresh and local.”
How fresh and local? All the vegetables used in the dinner are purchased from stands at the Hollister Farmers Market the day before.
One advantage to picking meat up at the ranch or booking a lunch or dinner might make the trek more worthwhile: if you call ahead to arrange it, you can get permission to hike the trails to soak in the beauty of the riparian landscape and birdwatch for red-tailed hawks, golden eagles, white-tailed kites, a host of migratory birds that are attracted by the nearby reservoir.
“We want to be able to open up parts of the ranch to the community,” Rowen said. “It gives people a better idea of what we are engaged in here and doing with the property. And, of course, there is a beautiful view no matter where you are out here.”
Paicines Ranch lamb burger. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Paicines Ranch hamburger. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
The Overlook, Paicines Ranch. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Pizza dough rising, Paicines Ranch. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Pizza, Paicines Ranch. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Chef Carlos Canada, Paicines Ranch. Photo by Robert Eliason.
Burgers and pizza at Paicines Ranch
Grass Fed Beef Burger – Served on a brioche bun, these burgers are mouthwatering and falling-apart tender. There are various add-ons, so I had it with mushrooms, bacon and cheese. Avocado is also available. The taste has a certain purity, a by-product of the cattle being raised on the ranch and fed naturally on the land. I’d add a word of caution—once you have had one of these, those chain-operation pseudo-burgers will no longer satisfy.
Grass-Fed Lamb Burger – Normally, I am just your basic burger guy but in this case, I actually preferred the lamb burger. Both had great flavor and texture, but I liked the firmer meat of the lamb. Mine was stripped down and basic, with just some feta cheese topping it. I added a bit of pepper, and it made everything come together. It is my pick between the two, if for no other reason than it being a bit more unusual.
Farmer Fries – These fries were amazing—thick square-cut potatoes fried to a deep golden brown with a fluffy interior and nicely crisp exterior. I love fries in every form, but these are exceptional. The thickness of the fry lets you appreciate the potato’s flavor without it being lost in the cooking oil. And the texture is perfect. The real indication is that you only need a little salt to make these perfect—no condiments are needed.
Combination Pizza – The pizzas are made to order from a table filled with ingredients, and Chef Canada made me one that was part pepperoni, part Margherita and part vegetarian. I loved the crust, light and airy with some charred spots that are always fun to have. The key to this pizza is how fresh everything tasted. The tomato sauce had a sweet acid zip to it, the tomatoes in the Margherita were still bright red and very appetizing, the sausage had a beautiful depth of flavor, and the veggies were great, particularly the wafer-thin potatoes. It reminded me of the classic pizzas that I used to get in San Francisco out at North Beach before all the iconic Italian places shut down or became gentrified out of existence. It is as authentic a pizza as you can imagine in this area and combined with a glass of local wine, sourced from the Paicines Ranch vineyards, and the wonderful view from the terrace of the Overlook, it is worthy of being a destination dinner.
Paicines Ranch is located at 13388 Airline Hwy in Paicines. Pizza Dinners take place every other Thursday night from 4-7 p.m. at Paicines Ranch. The next one will be on May 30. Lunches are served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Thursday. The Memorial Day Barbecue at the ranch is from 3-6 p.m. on May 26. Tickets for all events are available on the ranch website.
Recommendations for future Eat, Drink, Savor articles can be emailed to roberteliason@benitolink.com.
BenitoLink thanks our underwriters, Hollister Super and Windmill Market, for helping to expand the Eat, Drink, Savor series and give our readers the stories that interest them. Hollister Super (two stores in Hollister) and Windmill Market (in San Juan Bautista) support reporting on the inspired and creative people behind the many delicious food and drink products made in San Benito County. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.
