On the main cooking stage, beef was featured in several demos.

Ray Lampe, also known as Dr. BBQ, demonstrated his favorite way to grill a New York strip and offered the crowd many tips including grilling techniques, seasoning tips and ways to select the perfect steak at the meat counter.

Mike Davis, owner of Lotta Bull BBQ, demonstrated his favorite burger recipe and gave the crowd tips and safety advice on working with ground beef.

The final day of the festival, Ray Lampe, Mike Davis and Lee Ann Whippen (owner of Wood Chicks BBQ) had a “brisket throw-down” where the three BBQ All-stars revealed their secret tips on how to make a succulent beef brisket.

The beef checkoff tent also featured educational demos with GrillMaster Chris Turner. Three recipes were demoed and sampled daily, including a sesame-crusted New York strip, a ribeye with blue cheese butter, and a cumin-rubbed sirloin with avocado salsa verde.

Festival attendees were able to interact with the GrillMaster as well as the National Beef Ambassadors in the checkoff tent.

The NEBPI summer grilling retail beef promotion – “Stay Home. Grill Out." – was also extended at the festival through the distribution of promotional recipe booklets as well as a raffle basket. This retail promotional campaign is being executed in 323 retail locations throughout the Northeast region until Labor Day.

“Even though most people at a BBQ festival already eat meat, we were there to make sure that beef was in the spotlight at the Sun BBQ Fest,” says Kim Rounds, National Beef Ambassador from California.

“It was a great event and we were able establish connections with strangers because they wanted to learn more about selecting, preparing and grilling beef.” 

—From Beef Checkoff News

PHOTO
Mike Davis and the National Beef Ambassadors teaching the crowd how to make the perfect burger. Photo courtesy of PA Beef Council.