This year North Country Smokehouse took home the coveted “Hold the Mustard” Award for its Andouille Sausage-Cajun at NAMA’s Annual Gourmet Sausagefest.
Never underestimate the importance of a well-organized plate!
Here is the list of all contestants:
1 – Chicken Breast Stuffed with Chicken Chorizo, Montibella Sausage
2 – Andouille Sausage-Cajun, North Country Smokehouse
3 – Land O’ Frost Cheddar-Peno, Land O’ Frost
4 – Longhorn Hotlinks, Caviness Beef Packers
5 – Old Fashioned Polish Sausage, Independent Meat Co. (Falls Brand)
6 – Smoked Chicken Sausage with Blue Cheese & Cracked Black Pepper, Papa Cantella’s Inc.
7 – Chedder Link, Evergood Sausage
8 – Habanero Cheese Sausage, Saag’s Products
9 – Bobinski Sausage (Polish), Butcher Bob’s
10 – Wine and Cheese Sausage, Farmer John
University of Florida won the University Student Cook-Off for its for “Sunshine Citrus Sausage.” The winner was selected by a three-judge panel of experts (see below). Texas Tech’s “Pork Wellington Bites” took home the contest’s coveted People’s Choice Award.
Tasting judges were Dr. Shelly McKee, Auburn University Department of Poultry Science; Dr. Kerri Harris, Texas A&M University; and Michael Satzow, North Country Smokehouse President & Owner.
All 2013 Cook-Off Contestants:
1. Ground Pork Burger – Brigham Young University
2. Pulled Pork Pockets – Cal Poly Pomona
3. Cal Poly Pepper Poppers – Cal Poly SLO
4. Italian Garlic Beef Sausage – Colorado State University
5. Sunshine Citrus Sausage – University of Florida
6. Chicken Enchilada – Fresno State University
7. The Sottomarino – University of Idaho-Moscow
8. Pork Wellington Bites – Texas Tech University
9. Aggie Style Baby Back Ribs – University of California-Davis
As part of the MEATXPO’13 program, all attendees are invited to the National Grocers Association’s Opening Session with Keynote Speakers on Sunday, February 10, 2013. The featured speakers are former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson and former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles. Together, they will cover “America’s Debt and Deficit Crisis: Issues and Solutions.” It’s an open secret that America’s current fiscal path is unsustainable, but few have the political will to get the country ‘back on track.’
Appointed by U.S. President Barack Obama to co-chair the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, Simpson and Bowles provide a candid, bipartisan discourse on what America’s leaders must do to confront what many see as the largest and most critical economic, social, business, and national security threat the U.S. faces, with implications for Canada, Mexico, and other countries. This is a great opportunity to hear the latest on Capitol Hill.
Register now for North American Meat Association’s first trade show and convention as a new organization. We look forward to seeing you at MEATXPO’13, February 10-13, 2013, at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas.
NAMA will host its General (Bullet) Session from 8:15am–9:15am on Monday, February, 11, 2013, during MEATXPO’13. There are six participants in this one-hour session, and each participant will give a presentation of eight to ten minutes maximum.
Dr. Elsa Murano is discussing irradiation. Dr. Murano has been serving as interim director of the Norman E. Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture. In addition, She directs research and teaching in food safety at Texas A&M University. In 2001, Dr. Murano was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as Undersecretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
David W. Plunkett, JD, JM is providing a consumer group perspective. Plunkett is Senior Staff Attorney for the food safety program at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Prior to joining CSPI in August 2007, he served as Legislative Director and Counsel to U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN).
Dr. Dennis Stiffler is providing an update on the American Lamb Board. Stiffler is CEO of Mountain States Rosen. Stiffler was an associate professor at New Mexico State, and then Texas A&M, before going to work in the meat industry in 1984. From 2005 thru 2008, Stiffler served as Executive VP of Technical Services for Coleman Foods and was in charge of food safety, quality management, product development and improvement and education.
Jeff Chilton is discussing GFSI. Chilton is president of Chilton Consulting Group, which he founded in 1997 after working directly in the food industry in various quality assurance and plant management positions. For the past 14 years, Chilton has assisted clients with services including HACCP plan verification and validation, GFSI audit preparation for SQF, BRC, and FSSC 22000 standards, regulatory compliance, operational improvements, and training needs.
The session will conclude with a clip from the documentary film The Perfect Human Diet. This documentary evolved from the true-life story of broadcast journalist C.J. Hunt. Hunt died and was brought back to life at the age of 24 after suffering a full cardiac arrest while jogging. After years trying vegetarian and vegan diets to improve his health, he discovered that what he really needed was animal protein. This revelation started him on a journey of scientific inquiry into how humans have evolved to be meat eaters and what it means for our health today. (NAMA Director of Communications and Government Relations Jeremy Russell will introduce.)
J. Michael Townsley, President of Bob Evans Foods, Inc, will be NAMA’s keynote speaker at the MEATXPO’13 Annual Meeting on Wednesday, February 13, from 10:45am to 12:00pm.
Bob Evans is a growing family of regional brands. The $1.75 billion company owns and operates 715 full-service restaurants and a complete line of retail food products under the Bob Evans and Owens names. The Bob Evans Restaurants are located in 18 states with a heavy concentration in the Midwest. Mimi’s Cafés are in 24 states with nearly one-half of the units located in California. The company prides itself on high-quality food and excellent hospitality.
Prior to joining Bob Evans Farms, Townsley was Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Premium Standard Farms. Premium Standard Farms was the largest fully integrated pork company in the country, with annual sales of $700 million. His prior experience includes three years at Smithfield Foods, and 11 years with IBP Inc. Townsley joined Bob Evans Farms Inc. in 2003 as President and Chief Operating Officer of Owens Foods, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bob Evans Farms, Inc.
Great news! The room rate at The Mirage Hotel has been extended to February 1, 2013.
This means that you can still book your room for the special group rate of $169 single/double (not including applicable tax and resort fee).
Book now by calling (800) 374-9000 and mentioning that you are with the North American Meat Association group or simply go to https://resweb.passkey.com/go/NAMA13 to make your reservations online.
The MEATXPO’13 exhibit floor is now sold-out! Suppliers from all parts of the industry have come together to showcase their services, machinery, and foods to the myriad of conventioneers who will be attending NAMA’s first trade show and convention as a new organization. If you’re still interested in exhibiting, other options may be available, so follow up with Etta Reyes at etta@meatassociation.com.
Early bird registration will be ending this week on January 11, 2013. You can register directly online.
