Kix Brooks hosts “Steak Out with Kix Brooks”

I've said it before, and I'll be darned if I don't say it again: music and food are the perfect pairings.

That's probably why there's been so many cooking shows in the past while that have starred musicians. Whether it's country superstar Trisha Yearwood's "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" or hip-hop artist Rev. Run's "Rev. Run's Sunday Suppers," it seems that more and more successful musical artists are making the transition from the stage to the kitchen.

Following in Yearwood's footsteps is another country artist. Kix Brooks, one-half of the enormously successful duo "Brooks & Dunn," is launching his own Cooking Channel show starting Tuesday, July 14.

"Steak Out with Kix Brooks" isn't about the cowboy hat-wearing, guitar-playing Brooks getting down and dirty in the kitchen, though. This is a show about a man with a passion for many things: music, raising cattle, fine wine and steak. And here, the focus is squarely on the steaks.

Brooks will be traveling around the nation to find some of the best steakhouses out there -- and there sure are a lot to choose from! Americans love steak and steakhouses, and each episode will take Brooks to a new city where he'll be hunting down the local legends and wrapping his taste buds around some of the best-tasting beef that money can buy.

Appropriately enough, the premiere episode will find Brooks in Omaha, Nebraska, the metropolitan center of a state dominated by its agricultural industry. First, he'll be swinging by the historic Johnny's Cafe, a 100-year-old business that started out as a saloon and is now a steakhouse that many locals say has the best prime rib in town.

Also on the menu is a stop at Dario's, where the traditional European steak frites is served, followed by a chocolate cake that's made with a dark Belgian beer.

And, of course, no stop in Omaha would be complete without a big plate of the local specialty. Gorat's is serving up what's arguably the best whiskey steak in town, and Brooks will be singing a happy note after digging into it.

With so many different cuts, seasonings and cooking methods, the steak really is a versatile meat. "Steak Out with Kix Brooks" premieres Tuesday, July 14, on Cooking Channel.