Grilling Glory: Forest Glen Butcher Sets Sights on World Steak Championships
Brenton Harris Takes on Global BBQ Titans with Signature Reverse Seared Steak
IF you like to hover over a sizzling hotplate on a weekend, you might be just a little envious of Brenton Harris.
The Forest Glen butcher has jetted off to the United States to compete in the world steak championships.
The Steak Cook-off Association’s World Championship X in Fort Worth, Texas, from 13-17 March, is billed as the largest steak cook-off in the world.
Sounding more Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory than barbecue, entry to the championship is by golden ticket only.
Brenton scored a golden ticket by winning the SunPork Smokeoff at Kingaroy last August in what was only his third ever competitive barbecue.
His winning steak was seasoned with his special mix of wagyu tallow, butter and garlic, then reverse seared.
“I cook it in butter at a low temperature and then bring up the temperature and sear it at the end,” he said.
The reverse sear technique has become popular with steak cooks aiming for an evenly cooked steak with a thin, tasty outer.
Brenton was rightly chuffed that his reverse seared steak was good enough to be a competition winner.
“A lot of guys have been doing it for years and never get a golden ticket,” he said.
He said the win did not seem to put any noises out of joint because he “beat them square.”
At World Championship X, he will be up against about 500 of other barbecue champions.
To ensure a level playing field, the SCA dishes out the steaks – all between 28 and 32mm thick.
“The first day, everyone cooks a steak and the top 10 from each group go through and 100 cook the next day, and from that, they choose a top 10,” Brenton said.
“The first place winner wins $US10,000.”
“I’m excited to go. My goal is to make the top 100.”
Brenton flew out to the US on 8 March with his father, Brett, and brother Alex, leaving his wife, Mel, at home to take care of the business, the Original Forest Glen Butchery.
Brenton got into competitive barbecuing after receiving enquiries from customers wanting specific sizes and types of meat cuts.
“I thought, ‘What’s this about?’ I wanted to understand what they were doing,” he said.
He gets plenty of opportunity to perfect his hotplate prowess.
He and Mel put on a barbecue out the front of the shop every Friday afternoon as their own contribution towards mental health and suicide awareness.
Original Forest Glen butcher Brenton Harris has jetted off to Texas to compete in the world steak championships.