It’s fitting that Drew Knowles, the third great-grandson of John V. Farwell, one of the cofounders of the original XIT Ranch in the panhandle of Texas, is paying the family legacy forward at the dinner table. First founded in 1885, XIT formed when the state of Texas traded three million acres of land to the Farwell brothers in exchange for help building the capitol building in Austin. The family transformed the spread into the largest ranch under fence in the world, with at one time more than 150,000 head of cattle. Over the decades, though, they slowly sold off parcels, eventually parting with the last bit of acreage in 1963.
Knowles grew up in Cincinnati and went into money management, but the West and ranching called to him. “I have always felt a deep connection to my family’s past,” Knowles says. Alongside his wife, Abby, a Cordon Bleu–trained chef, Knowles first purchased ranch land in Colorado in 2020, followed by a spread in nearby Channing, Texas, that was once a part of the old XIT. “With the time we have left on this earth, Abby and I are dedicating our lives to ranching for future generations,” Knowles says. Today, XIT hosts a thousand grass-fed black Angus and American Wagyu cattle.
The couple knew that cooking and sharing meals, though, would be as central a focus of their new endeavor as raising cattle. They regularly host events at the ranch that celebrate both their bounty and that of neighboring farms, too. “A big part of Abby’s lifework is connecting people through food,” Knowles says. “It’s not just about food on a plate, but the experience of food together.”
Recently, the couple held a daylong butchery event, where guests not only learned such culinary skills as how to break down a short loin but also took part in a celebratory evening meal prepared by Abby inspired by XIT’s cattle. Her favorite item on the menu: beef heart tartare. “It is one people will see often from me,” she says. “Part of it is the ‘shock factor.’ The other is showcasing the use of the whole animal. When presenting the course, I always give a little pep talk while plates are being set for the guests, encouraging everyone to at least try a small bite.”
Abby prepared more approachable classics, too—grilled black Angus, American Wagyu rib eye, smoked brisket, a fourteen-day-aged New York strip—alongside vegetable courses and, for dessert, blackstrap molasses cake. More butchery events will follow this coming spring. “Whole animal butchery is an art, and seeing it in person is quite beautiful,” Abby says. “It’s just a wonderful way to understand where each cut comes from, as well as why a certain cut is what it is, whether it’s more marbled with fat, lean and tender, or a tougher cut.”
The ranch will also host a women’s event in January. “There are so many ways to nourish ourselves,” Abby says. “And this one will be geared toward women to experience a break from the day to day, a chance to replenish through nourishing foods and holistic wellness practices.”
The success of these events all comes down to the sustainable management of the pastures. “The only way for ranchers to survive is to take good care of their land,” Knowles says.
