Best steaks

For many red meat eaters, there's nothing better than a decent steak - and Kiwis go to great lengths to make sure their steaks are world class.

Competition to find the country's best steak is intense and national championships are held every year.

The 2009 Meat & Wool New Zealand Steak of Origin challenge judges chose Catherine Withers from Rotorua as Grand Champion with her Piedmontese/Friesian X sirloin steak processed at AgResearch Ruakura in Hamilton.

The Supreme Brand Award went to Lake Farm Beef in Cambridge with a Piedmontese X from the farm of Don Buchanan in Taumarunui.

The full results of the final are as follows:

Class 1: Best of European breed

1st and 2nd: Peter McWilliam, Masterton (Simmental)
3rd: Don Buchanan, Taumarunui (Piedmontese)
4th: Peter Maxwell, Auckland (Simmental)

Class 2: Best of British breed

1st: John Morrison, Marton (Ezicalve Hereford)
2nd: Chris & Karren Biddles, Te Kopuru (Angus)
3rd and 4th: Rob & Mary Ann Burrows, Culverden (Poll Hereford)

Class 3: Best of Crossbreed

1st: Catherine Withers, Rotorua (Piedmontese/Friesian)
2nd: Kevin McConnell, Whangarei (South Devon/Angus)
3rd: Chris & Karren Biddles, Te Kopuru (Angus/Jersey)
4th: John Morrison, Marton (Ezicalve Hereford/Kiwi)

Class 4: Best of Brand (retail)

1st: Lake Farm Beef, Cambridge (Piedmontese X)
2nd: Neat Meat, Auckland (AngusPure)
3rd: Freshzone Foodtown/Woolworths/Countdown (Te Mania Certified Premium Angus)
4th: Freshzone Foodtown/Countdown (Te Mania Certified Premium Angus)

Class 5: Best of Brand (wholesale and foodservice)

1st and 3rd: Neat Meat, Auckland (AngusPure)
2nd: Harris Meats, Cheviot (Angus X)
4th: Progressive Foodmore, Auckland (Te Mania Certified Premium Angus)

The 2009 event was the 7th Steak of Origin challenge, sponsored by PGG Wrightson and Pfizer Animal Genetics.

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

The competition process starts with an initial assessment of the sirloin steak at Lincoln University.  Each steak is aged for three weeks and is then tested for tenderness, pH and % cooking loss.  The most tender steaks go through to the semi-final and are cooked and tasted by judges. 

The finalists (four from each of the four classes) are then tasted at the annual Beef Expo, where top chefs and celebrity judges agree the winners.