Lessons from My Father – A Tribute to my Father and a Product Unique to Steele’s

Father’s Day is June 15 and I remember with fondness my own father, Merrill Steele. We learn many lessons from our fathers, some in very subtle ways that we don’t fully comprehend for decades. Such was the most important lesson I learned from my father. I pay tribute to him, a lesson he taught me, and the Steele’s Ball-Tip Steak.

The Lesson. I was in high school and came home early because of teachers’ meetings. If this had not been the case, I wouldn’t have learned this scandalous story. My father’s generation didn’t share unpleasant things.

My father sat at the kitchen table eating lunch. My mother went to the mailbox and returned with a letter. She placed it on the table next to him and said, “Merrill, you have a letter from an attorney.”

He grunted. He didn’t care for attorneys. He finished his lunch and, after procrastinating for a good bit, opened the letter. His face turned white and his voice quivered as he blurted out, “Why now? Why after all these years?”

“What’s wrong, Dad?” I asked.

Silence.

My mother had leaned over his shoulder and read the letter without him knowing. “She’s old enough to know,” she said.

After what seemed like an hour, my father confessed, “It was during the Depression. Times were tough. I was working for O. P. Skaggs on Broadway in Denver managing one of his grocery stores. I went in at 5 am to open the store and do the deposit. When I opened the cash register, all the money was gone. I called the police. They couldn’t find any signs of a forced entry, so O. P. Skaggs fired me. He thought I stole the money. This letter is from the attorney of a man that just passed away. He asked his attorney to contact me and tell me that he was the one that stole the money from Skaggs. He entered the store through a skylight, and that’s why the police couldn’t find any signs of forced entry. His wife had cancer and he needed the money to save her life. Why now? Why after all these years?” 

He never shared anything else. After he left Skaggs, he wound up in Eaton, Colorado, working in a grocery store owned by a man named Longley. Although he never said, I believe Skaggs blackballed him in Denver. He worked for Longley for several years, eating stale crackers and old cheese to save enough money to open his own market. The following is a picture taken of my father (center) taken at Longley’s Market sometime in the 1930s.

In 2001 when we lost the battle to save the supermarket chain he founded, life got really tough. Creditors banged on our door, lawsuits were filed, we lost friends, people made nasty comments, we lost everything we owned. It was painful, humiliating, and ugly. I grasp tightly to this story of my father and how he was falsely accused. He held his head high, started over, and made a success of his life. He had courage, perseverance, and fortitude. It was the example he set not his words that helped me pick myself up and start over. Thanks, Papa, for showing me I could  survive tough times and even thrive. Happy Father’s Day!

A Product Unique to Steele’s. Steele’s was the only grocery store in town to sell ball-tip steaks, which are cut from a trimmed round-tip roast. The ball tip is a relatively unknown cut. Most major supermarkets don’t carry it. If you have a good butcher shop near you, ask your butcher if he has ball tips. They are flavorful and very tender.

We credit Kenneth Walsh, a partner in Steele’s and the manager of our meat department, with developing the ball tip and introducing it to our customers, who absolutely loved it. There are only three pounds of ball tip in each cow. When we had ball tips on sale, we would sell 10,000 pounds—that’s 3,333 cows. In order to ensure we had sufficient quantities, Monfort required we order this cut months in advance. It is important in life to set yourself apart from the herd.

I developed the following recipe years ago when we had ball tips on sale. The marinade tenderizes and flavors steak, and the horseradish glaze is delicious. If you want to make it but can’t find ball tips, a good substitute is top sirloin.

Grilled Ball-Tip Steaks

with a Horseradish Glaze

Serves 4

For the marinade:

½ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup firmly-packed brown sugar

¼ cup ketchup

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire® sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 pounds ball-tip or top sirloin steaks

1 teaspoon large grind black pepper

In a large bowl, combine red wine vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire® sauce, Dijon mustard, and garlic and mix well. Sprinkle both sides of steaks with pepper and rub in with the palm of your hand. Place steaks in the marinade, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 24 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove steaks from the marinade. Transfer the marinade to a small saucepan, bring to a boil over a high heat, and set aside. Grill ball-tip steaks over medium hot colas to the desired doneness, about 8 minutes per side, brushing occasionally with the marinade.

For the glaze:

2 heaping teaspoons prepared horseradish

1 teaspoon green onion, thinly sliced

¾ cup sour cream

In a small bowl, combine horseradish, green onions, and sour cream. The last three minutes of cooking time, spread the glaze on top of steaks. Continue cooking 3 minutes until glazed.

Carol Ann

Carol Ann Kates is the award-winning author of cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market, and international Amazon best-selling and award-winning author of Grocery Shopping Secrets. She’s an expert in how to shop, select, and store produce for maximizing home cooking outcomes and minimizing time and money spent. As a former supermarket and deli operator, Carol Ann shares grocery-insider wisdom—the same expertise you used to receive when patronizing a mom-and-pop establishment. Contact her at CarolAnn@CarolAnnKates.com and explore her website, www.CarolAnnKates.com.

Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved Carol Ann Kates