“Gather Em Up!”
Rendezvous City Beef Roundup
Riverton, WY
Written by Cyd Hoefle
Photography by Stu Hoefle
If our communities support each other and we keep more money local, we all benefit.
-Tyler McCann
Steak, salt, and pepper were the only ingredients used in the 3rd Annual “Best in Wyoming” and “Best in the West” meat producers’ competitions held in Riverton, Wyoming in September.
For the “Best in the West” competition, over two dozen cattle producers from thirteen states congregated on the campus of Central Wyoming College to showcase their finest product. Each producer provided top shelf New York and Ribeye steaks to be prepared by a professional chef and blind tasted by a panel of judges. In the outdoor courtyard, a half dozen barbeque grills were set up in front of the Intertribal Center and booths of producers and businesses selling ag products flanked the sidewalk.
Chef Ashley Osterman of The Rustic Plate, a restaurant in Burns, Wyoming, and her team took on the task of preparing the steaks using only salt, pepper, and fire. Only Ashley and one contest organizer knew which ranch provided each steak.
“We wanted to let each steak speak for itself,” Ashley said. “These are the best cuts of meat the producers can provide, so I wanted to do my best to cook them perfectly.”
Labeled only with a number, the panel of five celebrity judges favorably welcomed the job of rating a one-ounce portion of each steak by smell, texture, and flavor. As the tasting continued through the afternoon, it was obvious the judges had a difficult job. The bite-size piece of each steak was tender enough to cut with a fork and little discrepancy in the scores showed the flavor was fiercely competitive as well.
Colter Brown, Ag Director of Northern Ag Network in Billings, Montana, felt honored to be part of the judge’s panel.
“It was a great event, and I appreciated the opportunity to connect with Wyoming beef producers,” he said. “Any gathering of people to promote beef is another way to educate consumers.”
As more ranchers adapt to the direct-to-consumer marketing concept, just as many offer their own ideas on how to raise the best beef. Sixth generation ranchers raising Black Angus cattle finished on grain, progressive cattlemen feeding and finishing crossbred cattle exclusively on grass, and newcomers experimenting with Corrientes cattle eating discarded hops from local microbreweries were just a few examples of the what the producers presented at this years’ competition. In the end, though, taste, smell, and tenderness determined the judges’ choices.
“It was a challenge for sure,” Colter continued. “I ate more great steak in one day than I have all year.”
At the end of the “Best of the West” competition, with a potential high score of 300 points, first, second and third place were separated by just three points and the top award went to Kain Meats, Kersey, Colorado.
“It’s competitive,” Tyler McCann, founder of the events, said. Tyler is a rancher from Pavillion, Wyoming, and owner of Wyoming Cowboy Cuts. “These producers have given it their all and they are proud of their product.”
Like other ranchers, Tyler is always seeking ways to financially diversify his operation, which he runs with his wife. After COVID hit, it became common for producers to market their beef straight to consumers. With the supply chain broken and consumers taking more notice of the source of their food, the timing couldn’t have been better.
“We were all trying to do the same thing,” Tyler continued. “We wanted to reach as many consumers as we could with the amount of beef we produce. We’ve tried farmer’s markets and social media. We’re all competing for the same customer. We thought this would give exposure to the producers and add a little fun to it.”
Tyler has built a customer base that purchases 60 to 80 head of finished beef cattle, or about a tenth of his herd, per year. Like other producers, he offers quarter, half, and whole beef, along with specialty cuts and snacks. He’s working on a dog treat made from the liver, a less than popular cut, to utilize as much of the carcass as possible.
With so many options, consumers have become more specific in their desires, too. They want to know not only where the beef is raised, but how it is cared for, and how it is finished. Since the elimination of COOL (Country of Origin Labeling) there is no way to tell where beef being sold in grocery stores originates – unless it’s a local, special label product, most chain stores source their beef through large suppliers.
“We are hoping to get the word out to buy local,” Tyler said. “Not only in Wyoming, but across the country. If we do a good job of educating the consumer about the different breeds and ways to finish beef, if they don’t want what we offer, we can at least direct them to a neighbor that might be able to. If our communities support each other and we keep more money local, we all benefit.”
“It was a challenge for sure. I ate more great steak in one day than I have all year.”
Tyler felt that collaboration over competition would help everyone, so beyond the competition, the event also featured workshops led by beef industry professionals providing education and insights to producers. This year’s lineup included such topics as direct marketing, processing, meat packing, and labor force and sustainability discussions. Dozens of booths offered meat samples, free merchandise, and beef packages for purchase.
At the “Best Beef in Wyoming,” competition later that evening, ten producers from around the state submitted New York steaks to be sampled at a VIP dinner attended by over 100 ticket holders. The VIP attendees sampled each producer’s steak, which was the main course of the meal, then judged each offering according to smell, taste, and tenderness. At the end of the dinner, scores were tallied and Flying E. Inc of Greybull, Wyoming, took home the “Best Beef in Wyoming” title.
By the end of the day, judges, producers, consumers, and VIP dinner guests would all agree they enjoyed some of the best beef they had ever tasted while learning more about the industry.