Jan. 23, 2019

This paid piece is sponsored by Morrie’s Steakhouse.

From the main course and sharable sides to appetizers and desserts, local ingredients help elevate dishes throughout the menu at Morrie’s Steakhouse.

“For me, what’s incredible about working with the locally produced items is being able to work directly with the producers,” chef Josh Jackson said.

“We can talk to the actual people who have their hands on the product, and it provides more of a story for our guests. I can tell them where our beef comes from. I know where the eggs come from. And these people have a passion for their products. It’s not about driving sales. It’s about giving us the best product they can.”

Here’s a look at just some of the dishes featuring ingredients from local producers.

TKM poutine

One of the most popular items on Morrie’s lounge menu, the TKM poutine is a sharable plate of deliciousness.

Local cheddar curds from Dimock Dairy Products in Dimock complement the house fries.

“The Dimock cheese has a distinct flavor different from other cheeses,” Jackson said. “They source the milk and cream specific to our area. It’s unique.”

The caramelized pork shoulder in the poutine is sourced as close to home as possible, and the au poivre sauce is made with a creme fraiche using cream from Stensland Family Farms in nearby Larchwood, Iowa.

Chicken and wild rice soup

Perfect for cold winter days, the chicken and wild rice soup blends Minnesota wild rice with Stensland cream and features Lakeview Colony chicken from the Lake Andes area.

“This particular gentleman from Lakeview has followed me throughout my career,” Jackson said. “I started using his products when I worked in Yankton and have continued because they’re outstanding.”

Main course

Many of the meats at Morrie’s are sourced close to home, and the Morgan Ranch Wagyu bone-in ribeye is a favorite.

Morgan Ranch is a family-owned ranch in Nebraska.

“Their product is incredible,” Jackson said. “The nice thing about working with a local beef producer is you’re working with a person and not a corporate entity. There is no middleman and the ribeye is out of this world.”

Sharable sides

Several of the sharable sides at Morrie’s include locally sourced ingredients.

The customer-favorite loaded hash browns include Dimock cheddar.

And the pork belly fried rice features eggs from Fruit of the Coop in Brandon.

“We put scrambled egg in it, and then we put a soft poached egg on top,” Jackson said.

“The yolk is incredibly rich compared to commercially produced eggs, and they have more vitamins and minerals because they’re wild foraged and not raised in a pen.”

Dessert

Even the ice cream for dessert has a local flavor at Morrie’s. Stensland Family Farms provides the vanilla ice cream as well as rotating flavors.

Morrie’s currently is featuring white chocolate raspberry.

“They let us know what they have, and we choose, and they have made a flavor specifically for us,” Jackson said. “They have a super-specific flavor profile that’s very unique.”

To see the full Morrie’s menu, click here.