031016 National Beef Cook-Off 25th Anniversary

Fort Worth, TX - With her quick and simple recipe for "Grilled Steaks Balsamico," Lori Welander of Richmond, VA won the 25th National Beef Cook-Off® worth $50,000 in cash and a new GE Profile Oven with Trivection Technology. Welander competed against 20 finalists selected from 3,000 entrants from throughout the country.

The 2003 competition focused on ways busy families get dinner on the table. Selected by a panel of leading food professionals, "Grilled Steaks Balsamico" uses just four ingredients and takes just 30 minutes to prepare.

The judges raved about the clever blend of balsamic vinaigrette and fig preserves that created a flavorful marinade for the flat iron steaks, grilled and served with melted herb and garlic cheese. This year's judges were: Dotty Griffith, Dallas Morning News; Joy Taylor, Better Homes and Gardens Family Food Collection; Sara Schneider, Sunset Magazine; Patsy Jamieson, Eatingwell Magazine; and Beverly Bundy, Author.

"Beef has so much flavor to begin with, so all I had to do was add a few interesting twists and I had a real family-pleaser," said Welander, a consultant who enjoys tennis and skiing. After winning the $50,000 "Best of Beef" grand prize, she exclaimed, "I make recipes that are quick, simple and delicious so I can spend more time with what matters most -- my family!"

This year marks the National Beef Cook-Off's 25th anniversary. In addition to emphasizing quick, family meals, this year's Cook-Off inspired finalists to enjoy the best that beef has to offer, such as fresh beef -- including the industry's newest beef cuts like the flat iron steaks -- as well as convenient beef products, such as Hormel® refrigerated fully-cooked Beef Roast with Au Jus and Hormel® refrigerated fully-cooked Beef Tips with Gravy, that the Beef Checkoff Program has awarded its Mark of Quality.

"The longevity of the Cook-Off is evidence of American's enduring love and enjoyment of beef," said Grady Spears, the 2003 Cook-Off spokesperson and owner of The Chisholm Club restaurant. Spears, also is author of a new cookbook entitled "The Texas Cowboy Kitchen."

The grand prize recipe reflects the trend toward easier cooking methods using more flavorful convenient ingredients. Other recipes, including "Ginger Beef & Noodle Bowls", and "South Pacific Steak", reflect the continued love for ethnic dishes. Nontraditional ingredients, such as dark sesame oil, mango chutney, hoisin sauce and fresh pineapple, found their way into more recipes as well. In addition, more contestants relied on timesaving ingredients than did so in previous years, such as refrigerated fully-cooked taco sauce with seasoned ground beef, and refrigerated fully-cooked shredded beef in barbecue sauce.

The Cook-off attracted thousands of entrants, who competed in this year's categories: One Dish Meals, Grilled Beef, Handheld Kid Pleasers and Quick & Easy Beef. A panel of five distinguished judges rated each recipe based on taste, ease of preparation and appearance. A panel of five kid judges also rated each of the Handheld Kid Pleasers category recipes.

In addition to the "Best of Beef" grand prize, the National Beef Cook-off also honors category winners and category runners-ups. This year's category winners are:

One Dish Meals ($10,000 prize) - Ginger Beef & Noodle Bowls, Kristine Snyder from Kihei, HI.

Grilled Beef ($10,000 prize) - South Pacific Steak, Linda Morten from Katy, TX.

Handheld Kid Pleasers ($10,000 prize) - Taco Beef Nuggets with Tejano Dipping Sauce, Patrice Hurd from Bemidji, MN.

Quick & Easy Beef ($10,000 prize) - Cream of Wild Rice & Beef Soup with Lime and Cilantro, Valerie Holt from Cartersville, GA.

The runner-up in each of the four categories received $5,000. This year's category runner-ups are: One Dish Meals: Barbara Estabrook from Rhinelander, WI with Beef Steak with Curried Onion & Plum Sauce; Grilled Beef: Helen Mariscal from Artesia, NM with Pepper Beef Steak with Garlic-Cilantro Butter; Handheld Kid Pleasers: Christine Riccitelli from Danville, CA with BBQ Beef Pizza and Quick & Easy Beef: Bonnie Cooper from Carrollton, GA with South Seas Curried Beef over Jasmine Rice.

This year's $50,000 grand prize contrasts with the $800 at the first Cook- Off in 1974.

The next National Beef Cook-Off is slated for South Dakota in 2005. To obtain a copy of this year's winning recipes, please call Sherry Hill at 303-850-3441 or Alison Lanham at 312-228- 6832.

This beef industry promotion effort is funded by America's beef producers through their $1- per-head checkoff program, in partnership with Albertsons®, and managed for the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board and state beef councils by the American National CattleWomen, Inc. The national beef checkoff is administered by the Beef Board, subject to USDA approval.

The American National CattleWomen, Inc. is a trade association of America's affiliated CattleWomen, with the primary focus of promotion and consumer education regarding beef as a safe and nutritious food, and the production of beef cattle as an industry.

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