Steaks are high in hunt for top sirloin

The prestigious title of 2010 Steak of Origin Grand Champion is now up for grabs.

Farmers have less than three weeks left to register their entries in the popular event which acknowledges excellence from pasture to plate.

The Meat & Wool New Zealand event, run by Beef + Lamb New Zealand and proudly supported by Pfizer Animal Genetics, attracted almost 350 entries last year.

Meat & Wool New Zealand Chief Executive, Dr Scott Champion, says the Steak of Origin competition recognises farming excellence and makes a direct link between the beef produced on farms and the product enjoyed by consumers.

“Farmers are increasingly taking this opportunity show how their skill in the paddock creates great tasting beef on the plate”, says Champion.

There are five classes available for farmers, wholesalers, foodservice and retailers to enter. With a total of $11,000 up for the taking, as well as the bragging rights of being named the Steak of Origin Grand Champ, there are no excuses not to enter.

The sirloins will go through rigorous testing to decide the winner.

Analysis begins at Carne Technologies where they are measured for marbling, pH and cooking loss percentage. Semi-finalists are then confirmed by a tenderometer, a mechanical ‘tooth’ that bites down on the steak to determine its tenderness.

A tasting panel in Christchurch will then sample the top third of entries to decide the finalists.

The last hurdle is the final held at the Beef Expo held in Feilding on 18 May. Here the finalists are tasted by a group of chefs and celebrities to ultimately decide the winner.

The competition is supported by processing plants across the country including: AFFCO, Alliance Group, Ashburton Meat Processors, Auckland Meat Processors, CMP Kokiri, Ken Wilson Meats, Land Meat NZ, Ruakura Abattoir, Silver Fern Farms, South Pacific Meats, Taranaki Abattoir, Taylor Preston, Wilson Hellaby.