Beefy treats hit the streets

He claims to have eaten “the best steak of my life” at the Cambridge Hotel in Rockhampton during filming of Off the Eaten Track, a series that aired on commercial television in 2011.

Fittingly, the much admired Brisbane based chef was dining with the late Graeme Acton at the time.

“That dinner really embodied what I am on about when it comes to steak,” Mr McLeod said.

“It wasn’t tricky to cook, there was no fancy cutlery but the actual piece of meat was produced nearby and it was cooked to perfection.”

The lesson that fresh, locally produced produce beats all has continued to resonate with the Irish born chef who now operates a high end catering business from the Samford Valley outside Brisbane.

Mr McLeod said he had built his business and reputation on the freshness and quality of the produce he uses in his cooking and said it was a message he was keen to share when headed to Rockhampton for Beef Australia from May 4 to 9.

He’ll be one of an impressive line-up of celebrity chefs to join the Beef Australia program as organisers attempt to shift the focus somewhat away from the production end of the supply chain to shine a spotlight on premium beef as a product.

Joining Mr McLeod in cooking demonstrations and presentations at Beef Week will be renowned chefs Matt Golinski, Massimo Mele and Alvin Leung while Noosa Boathouse Restaurant executive chef Shane Bailey has been appointed to oversee the food program and encourage prominent chefs to showcase Australian beef.

Beef Australia chairman Blair Angus said the aim was to educate consumers about how to enjoy beef in ways they had never experienced before.

“The added benefit of engaging celebrity chefs is that they will be able to share their experiences at Beef Australia 2015 and stories about our great product with their home audiences, potentially exposing Australian beef to millions of new consumers around the world,” he said.

Also shining a spotlight on beef as a product will be the Beef Australia 2015 Signature Dish Street Food competition.

The competition is open to everyone from chefs to home cooks, but entrants must use secondary beef cuts as the hero in their tasty dish to help highlight to consumers the versatility of beef.

Secondary cuts are generally any cuts excluding the tenderloin, cube roll or strip lion and can include brisket, blade, flank and chump.

Entrants are encouraged to make their dishes easy to prepare and able to be eaten with their hands in line with the street food theme.

All ingredients should be readily available and be in season in May so that the dish can be served to the thousands of visitors who will pass through the gate of Beef Australia 2015 each day.

Some entries will be showcased on the Beef Australia 2015 Facebook page to gauge their popularity before consultant chef, Shane Bailey, selects a winner.

“This is another way to get people talking about beef as a core ingredient,” Mr Angus said.

“Anyone can enter provided the recipes feature a secondary cut – or as I prefer to put it the tastiest cuts.

“The winner will be flown to Rockhampton to meet with our celebrity chefs and their recipe will be sold on the grounds throughout the week of the event.”

The winner will also receive VIP tickets to various events throughout Beef Australia and have their dish promoted through the Beef Australia website, social media and publications such as Queensland Country Life.