Taste testers agree: State’s best beef produced by Flying E

By: 
Nathan Oster

Want to know where to find the best tasting beef in Wyoming?

The answer is Greybull, Wyo., home to Flying E Meats.

At least that was the conclusion of the attendees who gathered for a ticketed VIP steak testing dinner that was held Sept. 10 in Riverton during the Rendezvous City Beef Roundup.

The day-long event held on the campus of Central Wyoming College is a celebration of the beef industry, one that brings together producers and consumers.

Flying E owners Jack and Nicole Geis are first generation farmers and ranchers who moved to Greybull from Worland approximately seven years ago.  

Before this year, they had never been able to attend the Roundup due to their busy farm schedules.  In addition to cattle, they raise sheep and grow some cash crops along with forage for their animals.

Nicole said her passion is selling meat. She’s been doing it for the past eight years.  The profile of her business got a big boost two years ago when she moved into a shop at 525 Greybull Ave.

And it got another one in Riverton.

They set up an information table and met a lot of different people from around the country, but it was the steak-tasting dinner that provided the highlight.

They entered the Best of Wyoming Beef competition.  Each of the 10 Wyoming-based contenders for the title had to enter about 8 ounces of New York strip.  A chef prepared all the meats, using no salt or pepper and cutting them into ½ to 1-ounce pieces for VIP taste-testers.

“We went up against 10 of the best meat growers in the state,” said Nicole.  In addition to Flying E, the list included cattle operations in Cheyenne, Freedom, Hawk Springs, Hot Springs County, Lusk, Ranchester, Pavillion, Afton and Meridian.

“It was all blind and no one had any idea (which grower supplied what beef),” Nicole said.

The announcement that Flying E had won caught her by surprise.

“When I was standing up in front of everyone alongside my new friends and competitors I was thinking, ‘Well, that was a fun experience and I learned a lot for next year’s try.’  

“Well right when I was done thinking that, Tyler (the person in charge) called out, ‘First place winner of the 2022 RCBRU is Flying E Meats!’  Oh boy, I was shocked!”

Nicole said tasters agreed that the Flying E beef had the most flavor and tenderness. “For me, the smell was all the same number across — more like a balance category.

“I'm happy we put Greybull on the map — I love our little fun town — and to bring home the buckle and show off what we can do,” she said.  “We are ready to go again and see what we can do next year.”