After tasting samples of steak from a variety of cattle breeds, Mike Brolond had a hard time deciding which he liked best.
“I’d have to say it was either the Hereford, the Charolais or the Gelbvieh,” Brolond said after sampling slices of steak during the All-Breeds Taste of Beef event held in Brandon Nov. 3.
“They’re all good.”
He was among the more than 700 people who attended the event that helped launch Manitoba Livestock Expo.
The taste test gave members of the public a chance to decide for themselves which cattle breed yields the most tender and tastiest beef. Held in the city’s Keystone Centre, it provided a festive atmosphere where producers and the public mingled while having a meal and listening to a live band.
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Although people like Brolond were willing to reveal which beef they preferred, others opted to keep their opinion private, and sometimes for good reason.
“I’m like the United Nations,” said cattle auctioneer Rick Wright. “I have to be neutral.”
Wright said the event gave producers a chance to set aside their worries after enduring the “18 months of hell” that followed the discovery of BSE in an Alberta cull cow last year. He was encouraged by the laughter and enthusiasm shared during the Taste of Beef gathering.
Jacquie Doyle, who raises Gelbvieh cattle with her husband David in Souris, Man., was impressed with the number of people who attended, as well as the professional quality of the event.
“It’s excellent,” she said, raising her voice to be heard above the din of voices and music.
“It’s our first time doing this so we didn’t know what to expect. It’s very good.”
A panel of judges awarded the Gelbvieh breed best beef honours while Angus won the best marketing and sportsmanship award.
The public was also given a chance to vote and picked the Limousin breed as best beef.
