The 2022 World Steak Challenge results were announced at an event which took place in the Round Room at the Mansion House in Dublin on Wednesday evening (September 28).
After a full day of judging at FIRE Steakhouse and Bar, the winning steaks were announced in each respective category and the coveted title of the ‘World’s Best Steak’ was also announced.
A Japanese Wagyu was crowned the overall winner of World’s Best Steak and also achieved the World’s Best Sirloin and World’s Best Grain-Fed steak awards.
The overall champion steak was a first-time entry to the competition from Japan. The sirloin steak came from an A4 grade 30-month-old female beef animal.
The steak was described by the entrant as having a “melt in the mouth” taste and was raised in the Kagoshima region.
The region is known for its warm climate and abundant water and the steak was described by the winners, Akune Gold, as being “carefully cultivated, resulting in the highest quality Wagyu steak”.
World’s Best Rib-Eye
The World’s Best Rib-Eye went to Australia’s Jack’s Creek, which previously took the 2021 titles of Best Fillet, Best Rib-Eye and Grain-Fed.
The 32-month-old purebred Wagyu was grain-fed and praised by judges for being tender, juicy and full of buttery flavour.
World’s Best Fillet
The winning fillet steak was won by MFC Carni from Poland. The steak was from a grain-fed female beef animal that was a cross breed of a Polish Holstein and Black Angus.
The winners described the steak as being “well-known for its intense flavours, sweet aroma and unique tenderness”.
Best Grass-Fed steak
The Best Grass-Fed Steak in the world went to a full-bred Dexter from Linden Foods, Northern Ireland.
This steak is available to purchase in M&S, and is a 30-day matured rib-eye that was described by judges as being “very tender and rich”.
Irish steak at the World Steak Challenge
Irish steak performed well at the event with Ireland securing a grand total of 54 medals, the most for any country involved this year.
A gold medal was presented to a female 20-month Black Angus steak from Redmond Farm, Co. Wexford.
Raised on the farm with a free-range lifestyle, the winner was grass-fed and supplemented with an abundance of vegetables, making it rich in Omega 3, antioxidants and vitamin E which contributes to the marbling process.
All these elements result in succulent, juicy flavours with a hint of earthiness from the land. The winning steak is available to buy online at Farmhouse Grocer.
Also topping the list with gold medal wins for Ireland were James Whelan Butchers, Ashbourne Meat and several customers of ABP Ireland.
Steak competition
The competition was described by its organisers as “a huge success” with gold, silver and bronze awards given to top steak producers and suppliers from around the world.
The annual event is now in its eighth year and the competition for prizes continues to increase with more entries than ever before coming from over 20 different countries worldwide.
Ireland celebrated after taking the most medals with a total of 54, followed by England with 36 and Finland with 28.
This year’s challenge took place in conjunction with the official host partner, Bord Bia, the judging partner, FIRE Steakhouse and Bar and the equipment partner, Synergy Grill Technology.
The steaks were blind judged by a panel of over 60 independent experts including well-known TV chef and culinary director of FIRE Steakhouse and Bar, Richie Wilson, and executive chef and meatologist of Heliot Steak House in London, Ioannis Grammenos.
Commenting on this year’s event, beef sector manager at Bord Bia, Mark Zieg, said: “We were proud to welcome all the producers from around the world here to Ireland, where grass-fed and sustainable farming practices is core to our beef industry.
“We export 90% of our beef to over 50 markets around the world, even as far as Japan and the US, so it is very important to get our origin known and be recognised on the basis of quality and taste.
“In an environment like the World Steak Challenge with top producers, chefs and judges, we feel it is the ideal opportunity to share our values in producing top quality beef.”