Steak of Origin Champion Does it Again

Steak of Origin Champion Does it Again

Chris and Karren Biddles from Northland have been named Grand Champions once again in the 2013 Beef + Lamb New Zealand Steak of Origin competition.

After winning in 2007 and taking the Producer of the Decade title in 2012, the Te Kopuru couple have taken out the grand prize with their Angus/Jersey beef sirloin entry.

The competition to find the country’s most tender and tasty steak, sponsored by Zoetis, culminated in the Grand Final at the Beef Expo in Feilding this evening.

The 20 finalists were tasted by a panel of judges, comprising three leading chefs. Head judge and chef Graham Hawkes says the quality of the steak on show was exceptional.

“The standard never ceases to amaze me, the finalist steaks were all tender and succulent, choosing a winner was certainly no easy task,” says Hawkes.

The Grand Champion takes home the trophy as well as $7,500 in prize money.

The Supreme Brand Champion was also announced with Anzco - Riverlands taking home the title and the winning processor was Auckland Meat Processors/Wilson Hellaby.

FULL RESULTS:

CLASS 1 – BEST OF BREED: EUROPEAN

1st John & Helen Hammond, Ohakune (Simmental), processed at Land Meat
2nd Colin Brown, Cambridge (Piedmontese), processed at AgResearch Ruakura
3rd Peter & Sue McWilliam, Masterton (Gelbvieh), processed at Taylor Preston
4th Malcolm & Ngaire Entwisle, Te Kauwhata (Aubrac), processed at AgResearch Ruakura

CLASS 2 – BEST OF BREED: BRITISH

1st John & Joss Bayly, Paihia (Angus), processed at AFFCO Moerewa
2nd Lindsay & Maria Johnstone, Wanganui (Angus), processed at Land Meat
3rdJohn Morrison, Marton (Ezicalve Hereford), processed at Land Meat
4th Mark & Charlotte Stevens, Christchurch (Angus), processed at Silver Fern Farms Belfast

CLASS 3 – BEST OF BREED: CROSSBREED & OTHER

1stChris & Karren Biddles, Te Kopuru (Angus/Jersey), processed at Wilson Hellaby/Auckland Meat Processors
2nd Jon & Sam Knauf, Wairoa (Simmental/Kiwi X), processed at Silver Fern Farms Pacific
3rd Mike Van Der Hoeven, Te Awamutu (Wagyu), processed at AgResearch Ruakura
4thGreg & Karen Metherell, Oamaru (Limousin/Angus), processed at Alliance Pukeuri

CLASS 4 – BEST OF BRAND: RETAIL

1st Ballyhooley Beef, Winton
2nd Harris Meats, Cheviot
3rd Lake Farm Beef, Cambridge
4th New World Remuera, Auckland (AngusPure)

CLASS 5 – BEST OF BRAND: WHOLESALE & FOODSERVICE

1st Anzco - Riverlands Eltham (Riverlands)
2nd Chef’s Choice, Wanganui (AngusPure)
3rd Chef’s Choice, Wanganui (AngusPure)
4th Neat Meat, Auckland (AngusPure)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The Steak of Origin challenge aims to find the most tender and tasty sirloin steak in New Zealand.  It is open to beef farmers, retailers, wholesalers and foodservice suppliers.

It originated from a national carcass competition 12 years ago, when a taste element was introduced to help improve the consumer appeal of the contest.

The competition process involves an initial assessment of the sirloin steak at Carne Technologies in Cambridge.  Each steak is aged for three weeks before being tested for tenderness, pH, marbling and % cooking loss.  The most tender sirloin steaks reach the semi-final and are cooked to medium rare in a neutral flavoured oil without seasoning before being tasted by a panel of judges comprising foodwriters and chefs.  The finalists (the top four from each of the five classes) are tasted at the Grand Final hosted by the New Zealand Beef Expo in Feilding by top chefs and celebrities to find the most tasty and tender steak in the country. The judging criteria include aroma, texture, flavour, tenderness and juiciness.

Judging panel:

Graham Hawkes, Beef + Lamb New Zealand Advisory Chef and Head Judge;
Scott Kennedy, Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ambassador Chef, Head Chef, Nero Restaurant, Palmerston  North;
Lauraine Jacobs, Foodwriter and Columnist for The Listener;
Steve Wyn-Harris, Farming Commentator

ENDS

© Scoop Media