More Fresh Beef Is Coming to McDonald’s

• McDonald’s is expanding the reach of its fresh-beef burgers, bringing the “never frozen” patties to more than 300 restaurants in Texas. McDonald’s started its fresh beef pilot program in May 2016 at just 14 Dallas-area locations, a decision that inspired many franchise owners to immediately express concern about food safety, costs, and storage. “The only ones who care [about fresh beef] are the ones who don’t eat at McDonald’s,” one franchisee told Eater. McDonald’s decision to provide more fresh beef is likely a response to competitor Wendy’s longstanding “Fresh, never frozen” slogan.

• The Piglet, Food52’s annual March Madness-style cookbook competition, has a winner: In the final round, judges Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner, the co-creators of HBO/pop culture lightning rod Girls, crowned Asha Gomez’s My Two Souths as the 2017 champion. My Two Souths — which blends Gomez’s Southern Indian heritage with cooking traditions of the American South — beat out Portland chef Naomi Pomeroy’s Taste and Technique in the final round.

• An Ohio-based Korean fast-casual chain will take over all existing locations of Chipotle’s abandoned ShopHouse Asian Kitchen concept. BIBIBOP Asian Grill plans to convert all existing ShopHouse locations, notably expanding its reach: Prior to the purchase, BIBIBOP counted 12 locations in Ohio; with the addition of the 15 now-shuttered ShopHouse sites, it will soon operate restaurants in Chicago, LA, and Washington, DC.

• The New York Times’ anti-food-snobbery campaign continues, this time with a directive to “Ignore the Snobs, Drink the Cheap, Delicious Wine.”

• Chef Mario Batali offers this tribute to his late friend, writer and poet Jim Harrison, describing their shared appetites in the New Yorker.