Steak of Origin

About the Competition

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

The Steak of Origin^TM challenge will celebrate its tenth year in 2012.  It originated from a national carcass competition and since Beef + Lamb New Zealand Inc has run the competition on behalf of Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ltd, a taste element has been introduced.

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 steaks make the semi-final and are cooked and tasted by a panel of judges in Christchurch.  The finalists (the top four from each of the five classes) are tasted at the Beef Expo in Feilding by top chefs and celebrities to find the most tasty and tender steak in the country.

The three farmer classes are:

• CLASS 1: Best of Breed - European
• CLASS 2: Best of Breed - British
• CLASS 3: Best of Breed - Crossbreed and Other

The two brand classes are:

• CLASS 4: Best of Brand - Retailers
• CLASS 5: Best of Brand - Wholesaler or Foodservice provider