Coast Packing’s 9th Annual Beef Tallow French Fries Contest Winners Showcase Flavor-Rich Takes on a Classic Favorite
Beef Tallow fry enthusiasts from California, Maryland and Missouri take this year’s honors
Coast Packing Company, a leading supplier of Beef Tallow in the United States, is celebrating the winners of its 9th Annual #BeefTallowFrenchFries Contest.
The contest, which ran from July 13 through July 31 in connection with National Beef Tallow Day and National French Fry Day, showcased the versatility of Beef Tallow and the creativity of fry enthusiasts across the country.
“This year, I was happy to see more homemade entries than restaurant ones,” said Greg Hozinsky, Corporate Chef at Coast Packing. “As a chef, that tells me Beef Tallow is becoming more than a go-to ingredient. It’s becoming a staple that home cooks are using to give fries rich flavor and achieve the perfect crisp.”
Entrants shared photos and videos of golden, crispy fries cooked in Beef Tallow, whether homemade or enjoyed at a favorite restaurant, while tagging @CoastPackingCo and using the hashtag #BeefTallowFrenchFries. Three fry enthusiasts won over the judges with their creativity and passion for Beef Tallow.
This Year’s Winners
First Place: Yoshiharu Sogi of Santa Rosa, California
Yoshiharu’s Beef Tallow French Fries offered an inventive take on comfort food, featuring crispy fries served with toasted garlic baguette, herb cream cheese mousse, whole-grain mustard and jammy eggs for dipping.
“I love how Beef Tallow creates the ultimate contrast—an insanely rich aroma and deep flavor, a golden, crispy exterior and a wonderfully fluffy interior. It transforms French fries from a simple side dish into a standalone culinary masterpiece that elevates the entire meal through pure flavor synergy.
Winning first place in this contest is a huge honor. It truly inspires me to keep experimenting with new, creative ideas. Above all, it reaffirms the joy of cooking for others — bringing people together over a shared meal to smile, connect and spread happiness. This victory expands that vision and motivates me to keep creating moments of joy through food. Thank you again for this amazing opportunity!”
Second Place: Ronna Farley of Rockville, Maryland
Ronna’s winning entry featured sweet potato fries fried in Beef Tallow and topped with a maple-peanut butter drizzle, chopped pecans and blueberries.
“I am so excited that you chose my recipe for sweet potato fries fried in Beef Tallow as the second-place winner! Beef Tallow gives fries a heartier, richer flavor, and I will be using it much more often now that I’ve tried it. It’s so fun to receive prizes in the mail — it reminds me of the excitement you feel opening Christmas presents, and I can’t wait!”
Third Place: Emily Jenkins of Nixa, Missouri
Emily’s winning entry was a Route 66 video featuring a visit to Steak ’n Shake for a classic American burger-and-Beef Tallow fries experience.
“I love Beef Tallow French fries because they make me nostalgic for the fries I ate growing up. The flavor and crispy texture of Beef Tallow French fries can’t be beat. Winning this contest means I can add ‘Award-Winning Beef Tallow French Fry Enthusiast’ to my resume! It’s such an honor to win something around a food I genuinely love. I’m so thrilled — thank you, Coast Packing Company!”
As one of the nation’s leading suppliers of animal fat shortenings, Coast Packing has seen remarkable growth in the popularity of Beef Tallow among restaurants and home cooks. Coast’s TasteMap™ now features more restaurants than ever serving Beef Tallow fries and other menu items—a clear sign that the once-niche ingredient is going mainstream.
“Our heartfelt congratulations go to this year’s winners for pushing the boundaries of what a French fry can be,” Hozinsky said. “The growth we’ve seen in Beef Tallow’s popularity is exciting. Its unmatched ability to give fries perfect crispness, rich flavor and that nostalgic taste people can’t get enough of isn’t limited to restaurant kitchens. This year’s entries show that home cooks are achieving equally delicious results and that Beef Tallow is much more than a passing trend.”