Come hungry when you visit the Indiana State Fair this year. There is a new sandwich that you owe it to yourself to try. Created by the Indiana Beef Cattle Association to be sold exclusively in its food stands, it’s called the Cattlemen’s Choice.

Pairing a Hoosier rib-eye steak with hardwood-smoked beef brisket, it may soon become the choice of many people, not just cattle producers. Brisket has appeared on more catering and restaurant menus recently, and it is almost always a hit when prepared correctly and served properly.

“We are always looking for new ways to promote beef,” states Rob Webster, chairman of the Cattlemen Club’s committee. “This is our twist on a couple of old favorites.”

You can find the new sandwich at the main IBCA tent in front of the cattle barn on Main Street and at the IBCA tent on the north side of the fairgrounds next to Pioneer Village. The state fair theme this year is the Wonderful World of Food, and IBCA will again be offering an all-beef menu at its booths.

The tradition of selling beef sandwiches and more at the Indiana State Fair in IBCA tents started in 1983, says Joe Moore, IBCA executive director.  IBCA is the only remaining livestock commodity organization that operates its own food booths and staffs them with volunteers. The IBCA tent on Main Street alone is staffed by over 500 beef industry volunteers, Moore says. More than 51,500 people were served there during the 2016 fair.

Promoting pork and selling pork sandwiches actually dates back to the early 1960s, as documented in Indiana Prairie Farmer articles. You can still get great pork treats at three locations around the fairgrounds. However, Indiana Pork turned its tents over to a concession company two years ago. The Indiana Sheep Association made the switch even before that, and the Indiana Poultry Association hired other people to manage and operate its tent when the state fair was extended to 17 days.

IBCA supplied information for this article.