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Oh, the places you’ll go! Our group of amazing Certified Angus Beef ® brand influencers had an incredible culinary experience in Cleveland, and we have been so excited to share it with you!
For those few days, we were spoiled with private dining experiences at local Cleveland restaurants, owned and operated by acclaimed chefs in the area. With every bite, we learned more about taste and quality, and what it takes to elevate our own recipes to a whole new level of experience.
We were inspired by our meals, and couldn’t wait to learn more from the chefs and beef experts at the Certified Angus Beef ® brand Culinary Center! There, we learned about different cuts of beef, how to sous vide short ribs, and exciting new grilling techniques.
After that, our group of “Steakholders” was ready for a friendly tailgating competition! We had so much fun cooking with the new knowledge we had. Plus, we had the pleasure to meet and feed many of the staff at the Certified Angus Beef® brand headquarters! It was a pleasure having the opportunity to “meat” the talented team behind this successful brand.
Finally, we toured the Chippewa Valley Angus Farm. There, we learned about what it takes to raise cattle whose beef meets the quality standards necessary to be labeled as Certified Angus Beef® brand beef.
The Plum
At The Plum, chef Brett Sawyer tantalized our palates with his innovative menu, including delectable dishes like Beef Belly with Macerated Berries, 24-hour Frenched Short Ribs with Cool Ranch Tortillas, and Herb-Crusted Chuck Roll with Au Jus and Horsey Sauce.
Chef Sawyer reserved the day just for us, and set us a beautiful table!
The Beef Belly with Macerated Berries, one of the star dishes of the night, was an amazing combination of flavors and textures. The berries were sourced from trees right outside the restaurant—it doesn’t get any fresher than that!
Our experience at The Plum made us feel like Chef Sawyer knew us already; he could not have provided a better setting for our first meal in Cleveland. True to our Sunday Supper mission, every dish was served family-style, giving us the opportunity to break bread and get to know each other in an intimate setting. Everything was on point—we still can’t decide which dish was our favorite! Each plate was impressive, inspiring “oohs” and “aahs” all around the table.
While we enjoyed his incredible food, Chef Sawyer answered our questions. We were thrilled when he agreed to share a few of his recipes with us! Thank you, Chef Sawyer, for such an unforgettable experience!
Flour
Next, we visited Flour, where Chef Paul Minnillo combines traditional Italian flavors with Chef Matt Mytro’s innovative culinary creations! When we heard stuffed Agnolotti, we said: “Yes, please!”
Chef Mytro took time out of his day to come in early and give us a hands-on lesson on how to make pasta. He transformed homemade pasta into Agnolotti stuffed with #BestAngusBeef short ribs in a carrot sauce topped with mint, breadcrumbs, and truffle oil. All while we sipped on mimosas!
The taste of this pasta dish was amazing: it touched on every flavor profile, especially with the carrot sauce. The dough was the perfect pull and the short ribs were seasoned perfectly, with just the right amount of salt to play with the sweetness of the sauce. We are still dreaming about this dish, and can’t wait to recreate it to share with you!
And now, we have to apologize. We have to apologize that we can’t give you a bite of the wood-fired pizza topped with prosciutto and runny egg we enjoyed next. Swoon! The combination of texture and flavors in this pizza were out of this world. We left Flour begging for recipes and inspired to create our own beef pasta recipes!
Larder, A Curated Delicatessen
At Larder, A Curated Delicatessen, chef Jeremy Umansky and crew had a spread of delicacies waiting for us upon our arrival. This place was effortlessly cool, from the décor to how they think food should be prepared.
Chef Jeremy shared his passion for fermentation and foraging with us as we noshed on a few of his creations. There was nothing typical about his preparation, and it came together harmoniously and deliciously. Almost everything at Larder is made from scratch, including the #BestAngusBeef pastrami. It literally melted in our mouths!
Our unique dining experience at Larder included dishes like Chef Jeremy’s own Kimchi recipe, pickled carrots, the perfect charcuterie plate, and a delicious chicken sandwich recipe. Who doesn’t love a chicken sandwich every now and then?
In addition to the deli, Chef Jeremy’s wife Allie runs the bakery. Let’s face it, you can make the best pastrami recipe, but you need the perfect bread to create a truly unforgettable pastrami sandwich! Chef Jeremy and Allie know how to create a memorable experience: we will never forget this combination of flavors!
Debbie Blythe and the Best Beef Seasoning
We were honored to have Debbie Blythe and her son, Eric (who works at the Certified Angus Beef® brand headquarters), accompany us for this foodie experience. Debbie is a rancher who raises cattle for Certified Angus Beef® brand in the Kansas Flint Hills. She loves sharing her experience on the ranch, and we loved hearing about it! She graciously answered our many questions about what it’s like raising cattle in the U.S.
Aside from running her ranch, she is a mother of five, and still finds the time to write about her passions over at her blog, Kids, Cows, and Grass. So, she’s basically Wonder Woman! Debbie shared with us her family recipe for her super secret beef seasoning recipe—and we’re here to tell you it’s our new favorite. You can have it, too! Just click the link.
The Certified Angus Beef ® brand Culinary Center
We traveled to the Certified Angus Beef ® brand Culinary Center, where we kept busy all day! We learned more about our favorite beef brand and received expert tips on grilling different cuts of beef, like Flanken-Style Short Ribs, from the best of the best!
It’s always a pleasure learning from Chef Michael. His grilling tips were spot on as always, and we’ve been looking forward to sharing them with you! We enjoyed learning what can be done with premium cuts of beef as well as less traditional cuts. He always gets us thinking out of the box!
He focused on grilling the perfect porterhouse steak, flanken-style short ribs, the chuck roll, and strip loin steak. We did a grilled sirloin Picanha with Chef Michael using sirloin cap that was out of this world delicious. You bet we will be sharing that with all of you! Here’s our take on a Picanha Steak Recipe. Imagine Brazilian steakhouse meals at home—the best part is, it’s super easy to achieve!
The temps were rising when we got spicy in the kitchen! Chef Tony showed us how to make the best spice rubs for our favorite beef brand. We even bottled up and labeled our creations in little containers to take home with us!
The Meat Lab
Our time at the Certified Angus Beef® brand meat lab with Chef Gavin and Certified Meat Scientist Diana Clark was priceless. From sous vide short ribs to learning how to properly cut a side of beef, we were all feeling inspired! We even tried our hands at butchering. Diana’s job is safe—butchering is so much harder than we thought! But we all agreed, we couldn’t wait to return to do it again and learn more.
A Friendly Tailgating Competition
Lunch was amazing. We enjoyed an array of delicious Southern comfort food courtesy of Chef Ashley and crew. Fried green tomatoes topped with root-beer braised chuck roll and spicy garlic aioli, short rib ravioli in a summer tomato sauce, and tenderloin chicken fried steak sliders have a way of INSPIRING you!
It’s said you eat with your eyes first, and we agree! Chef Ashley had us drooling with just one look at her Beet-Dyed Deviled Eggs with Crispy Beef Bacon Bits. That’s right—BEEF BACON!
What better way to finish off our day at the culinary center than with a fun and friendly tailgating competition? We teamed up and put what we learned to work! It was so much fun to see all the teams collaborating and sharing their thoughts and tips to come up with tailgating recipes worthy of the #BestAngusBeef!
Creativity was running wild at every station! We served our masterpieces on actual truck tailgates to the entire staff of the Certified Angus Beef® brand headquarters. It was an honor to serve the brand that serves us so well—and the best part? No dishes to wash!
Chippewa Valley Angus Farm
After all of the learning we did, we were thrilled to head to an Ohio angus farm and learn more about where it all starts. There wouldn’t be a Certified Angus Beef® brand if not for dedicated, hard-working families like the Fergusons, who own and operate Chippewa Valley Angus Farm.
We enjoyed meeting and learning from a family who have dedicated their entire lives to putting food on our tables by raising premium beef we can be proud to serve to our families! The Certified Angus Beef® brand logo is even painted right on their barn—a proud display as a part of the company’s 40th-anniversary celebration!
You know we couldn’t leave hungry! Chef Gavin set out for us an amazing #BestAngusBeef charcuterie plate and a pastry display that was to die for. Take a look at those cookies—how cute are they?!
Thank you!
We had a fantastic few days of great food, great fun, great company, and even greater memories that will last us a lifetime. We left both with full bellies and full hearts.
We want to sincerely thank Certified Angus Beef® brand and our wonderful hosts for laying out the red carpet and treating us like royalty to an experience we will never forget.
Cindy Kerschner says
This trip was fun and educational! So nice to see everyone and tour those great Cleveland’s eateries!