Show-Me Beef University

Beef producers can learn more about how their product makes it from the pasture to the meat counter at Show-Me Beef University, Jan. 11-13, 2012, at the University of Missouri meat lab.

“Producers can learn what adds value to their product,” said Carol Lorenzen, MU Extension meat specialist. “They will see the process from live animal to carcass to retail package.”

MU Extension and the Missouri Beef Industry Council sponsor the three-day Show-Me Beef University. The yearly workshop helps producers think beyond the farm gate to learn what consumers want when buying beef.

“Too often, beef producers never think about what affects quality,” said David Patterson, MU Extension beef reproduction specialist. “Few think of what happens to their calves once they leave the farm.”

Professors of animal science, food science and veterinary medicine will lead classes that cover topics from animal nutrition and food safety to meat cutting and cooking. Participants will see the processing of a market steer and a cull cow to learn the difference in meat quality and value. They will get hands-on experience cutting a whole rib, progressively, down to the final cuts.

Experts will demonstrate cooking techniques in a commercial kitchen and participants will taste-test beef to compare the differences among USDA quality grades and observe the impact of aging on beef.

Enrollees will arrive at 5 p.m. on the first day to study meat products and participate in taste tests. Research updates will follow dinner. The second day runs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with lectures and participation exercises. On the final day, the participants will see the actual cutouts from the carcasses graded the day before. The program ends with lunch.

Class size is limited to the first 30 participants. A $100 registration fee includes four meals, a parking pass and instructional materials to take home. Rooms can be reserved at Stoney Creek Inn for $80 per night when mentioning Show-Me Beef University.

Reservation deadline is Jan. 1. Contact Kathy Craighead to register at 573-882-2752.