The Eat Out Jacobsdal Best Steakhouse Award recognises South Africa’s very best steakhouse. The award is part of the Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards, the winners of which will be announced on 10 November at a fabulous gala dinner at The Lookout in Cape Town. In the run-up to the awards, we’re asking you to get involved and make a prediction – in return for some fabulous prizes.

So what is the key to an excellent steakhouse?

“No matter what kind of steakhouse it is – a wooden table or white tablecloth kind of place – it’s all about the meat,” says Eat Out editor Abigail Donnelly. The ethics around sourcing the meat and sustainability are all big factors, but, as Abigail says, how the steak is prepared can make or break the dish. “It must be juicy and tasty.” And it’s all about the sides, too. “Are the chips the best? Are the onion rings amazing? The Caesar salad, the creamed spinach and the sauces all contribute to the experience.”

Giorgio Nava of 2012 Best Steakhouse winner Carne SA goes to great lengths to source quality meat: when he moved to SA and couldn’t find the beef he was accustomed to, he imported his very own Romagnola bull from Italy. He breeds it with local Nguni cattle at his farm in Nieu Bethesda to make a hardier cross that can survive in the Karoo. (Check out this gallery of Giorgio’s restaurant and farm.)

Steve Maresch of 2011 Best Steakhouse winner The Local Grill is in the business to “pay homage to the bovine.” To that end, his two steakhouses in Parktown North and Boksburg offer a blackboard menu of meat identified by its age and Steve is dedicated to educating the public about where their meat comes from.

Who will this year’s winner be?

Make your prediction and you could be in the running to win a case of Jacobsdal Pinotage, plus a handy wooden wine rack. Click here to enter.

Tickets are on sale now for the awards at R1450 each. Click here to book your ticket now.