Hudson Meat Company started as a small meat shop in Columbus, Ohio. At first, owners Leslie and Sandra Hope tried to make ground beef and other fresh meats, but they encountered too much competition. After a series of early struggles, a great opportunity finally came their way. It involved serving rare roast beef—cooked and ready to go—at a local event.
Together Leslie and Sandra decided to season top rounds with salt and pepper, place them in a bag and vacuum seal the bag. Using a small kettle in the plant, they heated the water to 136 degrees and submerged the top rounds into the kettles until the meat reached an internal temperature of 132 degrees. They then drained the water and replaced it with cold water to chill the meat.
The men hand-delivered 500 pounds of the meat to the customer, and it was a tremendous success. The product was so well received that they decided to focus on cooked meats moving forward.