The awards showcase a chef's use of grass-fed red meat and this year also feature a new category - emerging chef - alongside the best beef, lamb and venison dishes and top chef categories.
More than 60 restaurants have entered the competition this year.
Silver Fern Farms marketing manager food service Bernie de Bono said the awards gave professional chefs an opportunity to create a memorable taste encounter for diners while also being recognised for their creativity and expertise.
"We want to provide them with the finest natural grass-fed red meat so they can express their craft and innovation to produce extraordinary results for diners."
A change of season for the judging period has encouraged chefs to showcase autumn produce.
The judges will review the 63 dishes to see who will make the final 12 to be announced in May, looking for inspired use of seasonal produce, demonstrating great technique and delivering on taste through the use of a combination of ingredients on the plate that complement the red meat hero dish.
"The breadth and depth of entries this year reflects the very high quality of chefs throughout the whole country, not just in the main centres, allowing passionate foodies from across the country to experience inspirational food."
Head judges Catherine Bell and Geoff Scott will then revisit each finalist restaurant and mark them against a set of strict criteria before the top awards are announced later this year.
Diners can taste the award dishes, from menus at participating restaurants until April 12.
Dunedin
Vault 21
Greg Piner
Executive chef
Lime leaf infused sticky beef short rib with textures of mandarin, wasabi potato cake, crispy sea kelp, cashew and pickled ginger slaw
Prohibition Smokehouse
Michael Bunn
Head chef
Smoked lamb rump with Creole spiced sweetbreads
Queenstown
Botswana Butchery
Thomas Barta
Executive chef
Loin of lamb, glazed rib, shoulder stuffed savoy cabbage, smoked tongue, crispy sweetbread, red cabbage salad, carrots & potatoes
Gantleys
Eammon McGarry
Sous chef
Sous vide garlic and rosemary lamb rump, smoked aubergine, braised lamb belly, crispy polenta, confit onions buttermilk and pistachios
Wakatipu Grill
Grant Rothwell
Sous chef
Eye fillet, beef cheek filled new potato, broccolini, charred onion, porcini dusted beef tendon, carrot and tarragon puree, chervil and hazelnut dressing
Wanaka
Kika
Matt Brock
Head chef
Venison tartar, koji mayo, pickled elderberry, turnip, barley furikaki
Bannockburn
Carrick Winery
Gwen Harvie
Head chef
Duo of Reserve beef striploin & beef cheek empanadas with chimichurri
Clyde
Olivers Victoria Store Clyde
James Waite
Head chef
Oriental lamb
Ophir
Pitches Store
Jake Gisby
Head chef
Smoked lamb rump
