Kansas State University

OLATHE -- The American Royal Association and Kansas State University Olathe are looking for the best-tasting steak and are inviting beef producers from across the nation to submit rib-eye steaks for the competition.

The second annual American Royal Steak Competition will be the week of Sept. 15 at K-State Olathe, with the winner to be announced at the American Royal's 2013 Grapes & Steaks Competition on Oct. 9.

"Most traditional cooking contests are like the American Royal World Series of Barbecue – they are mainly about preparation. This competition is about awarding America’s best-tasting steak," said Todd Graves, chair of the American Royal steak contest committee.

Each steak will be prepared in an identical manner at the K-State Olathe campus in the laboratory and research kitchens. Points will be assigned for flavor, juiciness and texture. Steaks will be judged by a panel of experts, including restaurateurs, food bloggers, beef representatives and members of the Kansas and Missouri Beef councils.

"This is a great way for beef producers from all over the country to be judged purely on the quality of their beef. Every entry is treated equally and judged according to the same criteria," said Mark Schatzker, author of "Steak: One Man's Search for the World's Tastiest Piece of Beef."

Steaks are submitted frozen to the K-State Olathe campus and entry forms must be submitted online at http://www.americanroyal.com under the special events tab. There is no entry fee for this competition.

For more information about the steak competition, contact K-State Olathe Sensory and Consumer Research Center manager Marianne Swaney-Stueve at 913-307-7354 or marianess@k-state.edu.

The American Royal Association is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation that has been a Kansas City tradition since 1899. Each year more than 270,000 people attend events at the American Royal Complex. In 2012, the Royal was able to give $1.4 million in scholarship and educational awards. In addition to its educational mission, the American Royal generates some $60 million of economic impact, $4.4 million in local tax revenues, and supports 450 jobs. For further information, see http://www.americanroyal.com.

Kansas State University Olathe advances the mission of Kansas State University by integrating education, research and entrepreneurship, focused on animal health, food safety and security, to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world.