This is my third year of judging for this event.
Chef Robert Anderson and I are the main judges. It is a privilege to get to work with him, the IRA staff, and members from both the Soy and Beef Councils.
During the next couple of weeks, leading up to the October 6, 2016 event, we have 10 different restaurants to visit. These restaurants are all across Iowa.
Honey Creek Resort
It had been years since I visited Lake Rathbun. It’s a gorgeous lake and Honey Creek Resort blew my mind! Lovely cabins, a great looking golf course, and an outstanding restaurant awaited us during this trip. It was also fun to go through small towns on a Friday night. Some of them had hopping town squares!
The property outside is stunning. Deer come right up to the walk paths and you can feel a nice breeze off of the lake.
The Chef at Honey Creek Resort
Chef Charles Severson prepared the dish. The best part was that he was a sous chef and totally rocked this dish. Take a look at the pictures.
The Meal
Rules: With this event, each competitor will prepare a main entrée recipe utilizing Braveheart Black Angus Beef Short Rib, donated by Performance Food Group (at least six ounces of cooked beef must be used). Additionally, each competitor will prepare a Tofu (soft-silken or water packed) side dish or sauce (at least a 1⁄4 cup of tofu must be used).
Homemade Empanadas
This was one of the best dishes that we had while out on the road. Delicious homemade empanadas were cooked perfectly. It was hands down one of the best fried empanada that I have ever had. It was flaky, great flavor and the short rib meat and mole sauce was paired perfectly. This will be a real crowd pleaser at the Grand Tasting Gala.
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