Four Category Winners Announced in the 2011 National Beef Cook-Off®

DENVER, July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Organizers for the National Beef Cook-Off, a checkoff-funded program, are pleased to announce the four category winners in their 2011 beef cooking contest.  From international flavors and flare to America's favorite home cooked meals, the four winning recipes showcased simple preparation and cooking techniques, great taste and healthful ingredient choices.

The four category winners, each recipients of a $3,000 cash prize, are:

Tedd Smith, Mount Vernon, NY:  Asian Barbecued Skirt Steak

Contest Category: 5:30 PM Dinner Crunch

Tedd Smith's Asian Barbecued Skirt Steak can be prepared and cooked in 15 minutes using ingredients commonly on-hand in your kitchen, making it the perfect choice for weeknight dinners at home. "In recent years, Asian-inspired cuisine has become mainstream in the American diet," said Smith. "This recipe is a quick, easy and healthy way to incorporate international flavor into our busy lives."

Peggy Calhoun, Portland, OR: Steppin' Up Beef Fried Rice

Contest Category: Retro Recipes Revived

Peggy Calhoun's "Steppin' Up" beef fried rice recipe was modified to be more convenient and healthier for today's American families.  "I took my classic, family-favorite recipe and revised it into a heart-healthy meal," said Calhoun.  "I knew this category was right down my alley and I'm proud to be part of a contest that promotes classic beef recipes that can be both healthy and tasty."  

Edwina Gadsby, Great Falls, MT: Asian Beef Sandwiches with Slaw

Contest Category: Fuel Up with Beef

Using one of the 29 Lean Beef Cuts—a boneless beef top loin (strip) steak—Edwina Gadsby's recipe is convenient, healthy and can be made ahead of time or on-the-run.  "Health food used to mean bland food," said Gadsby.  "But when you start with a versatile and flavorful protein like beef, it's easy to come up with a great tasting recipe that is also full of nutritional value.  I am happy I could share this family-favorite recipe in this contest."  

Ellen Verdugo, Gloucester, MA: Flash in the Pan Stir-Fry

Contest Category: Stir Crazy Solutions

Also using one of the 29 Lean Beef Cuts—a beef top sirloin steak—and fresh vegetables and grains, Ellen Verdugo created a unique stir-fry dish that is sure to please.  "I love the National Beef Cook-Off because it is useful," said Verdugo.  "The resulting recipes are perfect for busy, caring, working or parenting families, and really focus on the foods we love to cook and eat."

"Congratulations go out to each of our category winners," says Patti Buck, chair of the National Beef Cook-Off Committee, which contracts to manage the program for the beef checkoff.  "With a contest in search of extraordinary recipes that demonstrate the benefits and versatility of cooking with beef, we were thrilled to receive, review and now award these well-deserving culinary creations."

The Cook-Off Continues

These category winners now named, the 2011 National Beef Cook-Off has not yet come to a close. A grand prize winner is still to be revealed later this year. That winner will receive $25,000 plus one paid trip to The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show in Washington, D.C. on November 5, 2011, where they will officially be announced this year's National Beef Cook-Off Champion.

A Nationwide Search

More than 1,100 recipes were submitted to this year's National Beef Cook-Off, by beef-loving cooks nationwide. Experts from the beef industry national staff then tested and scored more than 40 entries, narrowing it to the top 20 finalist recipes. From there, contest winners were selected based on a composite score from online consumer voting, and a panel of esteemed contest judges from national women's magazines, daily newspapers and food-enthusiast blogs. For more information about the National Beef Cook-Off, and to view all 20 finalists and their recipes, visit www.beefcookoff.org.  

Every beef farmer and rancher and every beef importer contributes to a fund called the beef checkoff, which is used to support the National Beef Cook-Off program. The American National CattleWomen, Inc. is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program.

The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

Funded in part by The Beef Checkoff

SOURCE National Beef Cook-Off