Beef battle
Maybe those weren’t his exact words, but that was Dick Hollman’s attitude when he heard about the plan for a breed cook-off of sorts set to take place at the following year’s Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic.
The Hallam, Neb., producer confidently said something like, “Bring your best, but don’t feel bad if you get second place!”
With a taunt like that, Dick and the state’s other Angus Association members wanted to be sure the beef lived up to all expectations. A few conversations with our team at the National Western Stock Show and a connection with a CAB-licensed distributor and they secured 30-day dry-aged Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) Prime New York strips.
Eating good beef and hanging out with producers are two of my favorite things to do, but my schedule didn’t allow me to make the short trip. Instead, I asked Paul to take a few moments away from cutting beef to step up as a temporary reporter. He said the lines were long, the hungry crowd satisfied, and he’d figured the results before the official tally was in.
Community members and show-goers chose among the five breeds represented for three categories: Best Meat, Best Display and Best Hospitality.
Angus won both Best Meat and Best Display, earning two complimentary ads in next year’s event program.
Dick gives a lot of credit to the product. “When you start out with meat like that, all you have to do is heat it up.”
The recipe was practically that simple: Start with the CAB brand. Add Jim Baldrige’s Secret Seasoning. Cook to desired doneness.
They almost doubled the expected turnout, dishing up more than 250 servings.
“It was an opportunity to educate about CAB, not only to producers but also the public that was there,” Paul says.
In addition to the popular vote, there was a formal “Classic Steak Cook-off” where nine teams all started with the same beef and a panel of judges selected the winner based on appearance, doneness and taste.
Hollman and Bob Tiedeman were sponsored by the Nebraska Angus Association and also took home top prize in that jackpot-style contest.
“We had a good night,” Hollman says. “It couldn’t have been more successful.”
He already has his eye on taking the Triple Crown next year. And if there’s dry-aged CAB involved, I am already marking it on my calendar!
May your bottom line be filled with black ink,
Miranda
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