Contact:       Stephanie Darling      303-850-3359    sdarling@beef.org     
                    Diane Henderson       303-867-6302    dhenderson@beefboard.org

                National Beef Cook-Off® Savors Its 27^th Year

       Beef Checkoff-Funded Competition Unwraps the $50,000 “Best of Beef” Dish

CHICAGO, Ill. (Sept. 14,  2007) – With her recipe for Nuevo Chipotle Beef in Butternut Squash Boats, amateur home cook Christine Riccitelli of Incline Village, Nev.,  last night won the 27th National Beef Cook-Off^® and the $50,000 “Best of Beef” grand prize. Riccitelli’s dish topped recipes from 26 other finalists (including six children) from across the country.  The contestants were competing for $110,000 in prize money. 

The national beef cook-off is funded in part by the beef checkoff and managed by the American National Cattlewomen Inc., on behalf of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. Now held on a bi-annual basis, the cook-off always stirs up a lot of media interest across the country. This year’s competition also featured a beef seminar for reporters that offered a “farm to fork” theme – demonstrating for food editors how beef moves from producer operations to delicious prepared recipes, such as those featured in this cook-off.  

“Chicago was a tremendous venue and opportunity for the beef industry to communicate with thought leaders in the food industry and with consumer media,” said Ken Stielow, a Kansas producer and chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.   “We’re proud to join with the Cattlewomen in helping to fund this very significant event.”

Riccitelli’s recipe features a blend of Latin flavor influences, including chipotle chile pepper, ripe avocado and butternut squash. The dish is an excellent source of nutrients like fiber, protein, niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, iron, selenium and zinc.  

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be named winner of this year’s cook-off,” said Riccitelli. “I grew up eating stew beef and was inspired to use it in my recipe. I love sharing my favorite recipes with family and friends; now I get to share them with the rest of America.”     

The cook-off this year focused on a “Seize Life” theme that reinforced the role beef plays in an active lifestyle.  From January through March 2007, family chefs were invited to submit original beef recipes for the opportunity to travel to Chicago and prepare their dish for a panel of esteemed judges.  The beef cook-off continues to be a premiere opportunity for home cooks to create enjoyable beef recipes that provide fuel for their families.

Leading Chicago area food industry professionals evaluated each recipe on the same criteria – taste, appearance, convenient preparation and cooking, and healthfulness and nutritional balance.  Riccitelli’s recipe won raves from the judges because it pared an underutilized cut of beef – beef for stew – with sweet, tangy and spicy flavors.

The 2007 judges were: Mary Adolf, M.S., R.D., president and chief operating officer of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation; Carol Haddix, associate subject editor for the “Good Eating” section of the Chicago Tribune; Chris Koetke, dean of the Department of Culinary Arts at Kendall College; Ina Pinkney, chef and owner of Ina’s Restaurant in downtown Chicago; and Nancy Rodriguez, president of Food Marketing Support Services Inc.

Riccitelli’s recipe and recipes from the other finalists will be good news to beef-loving cooks across the country, according to Sherry Hill, cook-off project manager.   

“All of our finalists had exceptional recipes and as America’s enthusiastic appetite for beef continues to climb, these new dishes are wonderful additions to the beef recipe box,” said Hill. 
 

In addition to the “Best of Beef” grand prize, eight cash prizes totaling $60,000 were awarded in four categories: “New Dynamic Beef” to fuel the body; “Nuevo Latino Beef” for active lifestyles; “Kids in the Kitchen” featuring fun recipes with nutritional balance; and “Small Plates, Big Taste” with grilled beef as appetizers or entertainment portions. 

The winner in each category received $10,000.  The 2007 category winners are: 

New Dynamic Beef ($10,000 prize): Veronica Callaghan, Glastonbury, Conn. 
Nuevo Latino Beef ($10,000 prize): Patrice Hurd, Bemidji, Minn. 
Kids in the Kitchen ($10,000 prize): Shannon Mitchell and her twin daughters, Danielle and Riley, Naperville. Ill.
Small Plates, Big Taste ($10,000 prize): Lisa Huff, Clive, Iowa  

The runner-up in each category received $5,000.  Those awardees are:   

New Dynamic Beef ($5,000 prize): Diane Coates, Allendale, N.J.
Nuevo Latino Beef ($5,000 prize): Norma Fried (pronounced “freed”), Denver, Colo.
Kids in the Kitchen ($5,000 prize): Teresa Ralston and daughter Catherine Ralston, New Albany, Ohio
Small Plates, Big Taste ($5,000 prize): Kurt Wait, Redwood City, Calif.  

For the new recipes, stories and photographs of the 2007 national beef cook-off competition, visit  www.beefcookoff.org. 

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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. For more information, visit www.beefboard.org.

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