Brand Update 2018: Year in Review

Chef Simon Brown from Seafood R’evolution
in Jackson, Miss., holds the brand’s 2018 title
of Culinary Innovator, honoring restaurant
chefs who push the creative bounds of beef
on the plate. One achievement capturing
attention was Brown’s Certified Angus Beef ®
short rib tomahawk, which looks like a longbone
steak but eats like a buttery piece of
braised beef.
A native of Scotland, Brown explained he
was trained to use every possible cut – a
mindset that helps jumpstart his creativity as
he thinks about the best ways to showcase
each one. He also seeks inspiration from
other culinary traditions – in this case,
American barbecue, cooked low and slow
to create a meltingly tender texture.
Though on its face a restaurant specializing
in seafood, Brown says he and partners
Chef John Folse and Chef Rick Tramonto
want Seafood R’evolution to be known for
its beef, as well. Exceeding expectations in
quality, creativity and execution is essential,
as is blending the influences and expertise
for which they’re known: seafood, Louisiana
Cajun Creole and Northern Italian via
Chicago, respectively.
Brown represents just one of the many chefs
intent on upending the status quo and
showcasing beef in interesting, delicious
and original ways.
Venture to the outskirts of Chicago and
experience Greg and Kristina Gaardbo’s
Chicago Culinary Kitchen, where seemingly
each week the pair serves up something
new and interesting at their weekends-only
restaurant. Some recent iterations include
Maryland-style smoked pit beef sandwiches
using Certified Angus Beef ® bottom round
flat; 40-oz. tomahawk steaks dry-aged on
premise and lovingly referred to as the
“Big Hoss;” and a smoked full short plate
dubbed “Beef Wings.” The pair also serve a
butterflied tomahawk, which they named a
“Scorpion Steak” in honor of the formidable
arachnid it resembles. The knife work not
only allows for a faster cook time, but an
even more impressive plate presentation.
Of course, when it comes to beef innovation,
no one spends more time turning ideas into
reality than Tony Biggs, the brand’s director
of culinary arts, alongside the entire culinary
team of chefs and meat scientists.
While many of his creations are influenced
by his years cooking overseas in the
Middle East and Asia, Biggs pulled a real
showstopper from his bag of tricks at
the brand’s Annual Conference, roasting
an entire side of beef on a custom-built
spit on the beach in Maui. While many
hypothesized about how such an endeavor
would turn out, Biggs’ confidence was well
placed, as the 12-hour cook was not only
visually impressive, but also produced
hundreds of pounds of flavorful, slowroasted
beef perfect for any application.
Biggs was also the driving force behind the
brand’s inaugural Culinary Ideation Day,
where all six Certified Angus Beef ® brand
chefs were given three days to bring their
wildest beef ideas to fruition. The results
from this “culinary think tank” included a
wide-ranging menu of cuts, applications
and flavors – including creative dishes from
the round and a cured top sirloin “coulox”
– that illustrate their quest.
That quest is not only to further elevate
the brand experience, but also to inspire
fellow chefs, beef-lovers, influencers and
consumers as well, offering out-of-thebox
ideas and conversation starters that
deliver value and innovation.
SHARING INSPIRATION,
ONE PLATE AT A TIME
Taste is king, but culinary stories evoke all the senses. That’s
why Instagram, with its focus on visual impact, is the go-to
digital platform for sharing dishes and kitchen inspiration with
innovative chefs, beef lovers and flavor seekers who join the
conversation and help build buzz online.
Visual storytellers play an important part in sharing the
brand’s stories written over 40 years of flavor. Among those
who have been a part of the community since the early days
are Debragga, New York’s Butcher ® , and Chef John Doherty,
whose illustrious career ranges from leadership of the iconic
Bull and Bear Steakhouse at the Waldorf=Astoria to his
current restaurant, Blackbarn.
The influential ambassadors welcomed a group of food, lifestyle
and Hispanic media guests and social influencers into their
businesses last summer. They showcased their roles in the
brand community, ranging from a tour of the cut shop’s storied
dry-aging room, to an exclusive eight-course, beef-centric meal
at Blackbarn. Besides social media posts that reached the
influencers’ million followers, media coverage highlighted the
brand’s quality and positioned its community as resources for
future stories about beef.
Relationships between the brand and influencers remained
strong all year, with participants, like Ben Hon @stuffbeneats,
David “Rev” Cianciao @revciancio, Jason Baker @jasoneats and
Vinnie Todarello @johnnyprimecc, joining up with the brand at
other chef-focused events to keep the storytelling going among
an ever-widening audience hungry for more.
BRAND UPDATE
A rotisserie big enough for an entire side of beef
isn’t something you see every day, but the brand’s
Director of Culinary Arts Tony Biggs brought his
vision to life on the beach in Maui.
“What an incredible day! We got to see
how DeBragga dry ages their meats
and also how they maintain such great
quality products. Then, we capped off
the night at one of my new favorite
spots, Blackbarn. So good!”
Ben Hon
@StuffBenEats
22