(July 2011)
Tell me what you do as interim director of Beef Innovations. SW: I am responsible for Culinary and New Product Development. On the new product side, I work to enhance the value of the beef carcass through innovative carcass fabrication and developing new convenience-oriented products. With culinary, I lead a team of professionals that focus on everything from in-house food production highlighting beef, to recipe development and testing.
How long have you worked for the beef industry? 13 years. Have you always been a beef-lover? Yes. If so, what is your first truly great beef meal experience? When I was young we went camping and had grilled burgers on the fire and beef and noodles on the camp stove. I have many fond memories of camping outings with my family. At home, what is your favorite way to prepare beef? Of course I love to grill a nice medium rare ribeye with a simple garlic, salt & pepper rub. But if I’m going to really cook, I love to make pot roast. I like to braise and cook less expensive cuts low & slow and make a delicious savory gravy with the juices. To me, that’s cooking! Do you use rubs and/or marinades? I really like to use rubs when smoking or oven roasting beef. Rubs add flavor to the beef, a bit of texture and they create a delicious aroma and great visual appeal. I like when the small bits of rub end up in the juices so I can use them in the gravy. When was the last time you ate beef? Last night I grilled burgers at home. Today I sampled an all-beef hotdog and burger from a local Denver food truck.
