National Beef Cook-Off® Celebrates 25th Anniversary 

2003 Marks Milestone For Industry Event 

DENVER (January 10, 2003) – The National Beef Cook-Off®, sponsored by America’s Beef Producers through their $1-per-head checkoff, in partnership with Albertsons®, is accepting entries beginning in January for the 2003 event. The Cook-Off is managed by the American National CattleWomen, Inc. and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association on behalf of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board and State Beef Councils. 

“The longevity of the Cook-Off is evidence of consumers’ enduring love and enjoyment of beef,” said Frances Raulerson, American National CattleWomen/ National Beef Cook-Off Chair. “Over the years, the winning recipes have reflected America’s changing tastes – illustrating the growing popularity of international flavors, convenience cooking methods and always reinforcing the deliciously gratifying experience of eating beef.”

For two-and-a-half decades the Cook-Off has been an integral part of the beef industry’s efforts to educate the public and reinforce positive perceptions about beef by showcasing the ease and versatility of cooking with beef. The contest inspires consumers to enjoy the best that beef has to offer, such as fresh beef – including new, exciting chuck and round cuts of beef – and convenient refrigerated or frozen beef products. 

The search culminates at the Cook-Off in Ft. Worth, TX on Sept. 27 when 20 national finalists compete for more than $100,000 in prize money with one receiving the $50,000 25th anniversary “Best of Beef” grand prize. 

Barometer of Beef Trends
During the past 25 years, the Cook-Off has served as a barometer of American food trends. Cook-Off winning recipes have reflected changing lifestyles and captured what consumers want to enjoy at their dinner tables. 

•	The first few contests called for recipes using economical cuts from the chuck, round, brisket and ground beef. Recipes that incorporated basic ingredients and simple cooking techniques were considered standard among early entries. 

•	In the 1980s Americans became more health and nutrition conscious. By the end of the decade, recipes featured more fresh vegetables, skim milk, fruit. and less salt and fat.

•	Throughout the 1990s, Cook-Off recipes began to reflect Americans’ time-pressed lifestyles. Convenience became the key to developing winners and new, exciting categories and partnerships were added to reflect the trends. The beef industry responded to the convenience trend – in 1999, the industry introduced 299 new convenience beef products, and in 2001, 474 new beef products were introduced with more in the works. 

Albertsons® Partnership
Offering support to the CattleWomen is Albertsons® – the official grocer of the ‘03 Cook-Off. As the exclusive retail sponsor, Albertsons® will incorporate aggressive promotional efforts throughout 2003, including national and local marketing support, retail promotions, cooking demonstrations, public relations and advertising. 

Albertsons® offered promotional support to the 2001 Cook-Off and even declared September as “Beef Cook-Off Month” to build excitement for the event. Each division also ran a one- or two-page ad featuring 2001 finalists’ winning recipes in itt’s monthly “Big Book” promotional pamphlet. Cook-Off recipes were featured in the quarterly recipe brochure handed out at all Albertsons® meat departments. 

Spokesperson – Grady Spears
The CattleWomen have also enlisted the help of an authentic Texas cowboy – Grady Spears, Texas chef and author of A Cowboy in the Kitchen, Cowboy Cocktails, and The Great Steak Book. Spears will serve as spokesperson for the Cook-Off and will lend his expertise, as the Cook-Off searches for great tasting beef recipes bursting with the flavorful trends emerging from America’s kitchens. 

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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. In 2002, the CattleWomen celebrated 50 years of dedication to the beef industry, with a full schedule of upcoming events including the 25th anniversary Cook-Off.

The National Beef Cook-Off® is a biennial contest sponsored by America’s Beef Producers, through their $1-per-head checkoff, in partnership with Albertsons®. This program is managed by the American National CattleWomen, Inc. in cooperation with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association on behalf of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board and State Beef Councils. The National Beef Cook-Off® is designed to promote innovative, convenient and delicious beef recipes. 

National Beef Cook-Off® Backgrounder 

How Consumers Can Enter
Contestants can enter their original beef recipes in the National Beef Cook-Off through the official Web site – www.beefcookoff.org <http://www.beefcookoff.org/> , using the online entry form, or send by e-mail to entries@beefcookoff.org or through U.S. mail to: National Beef Cook-Off Entries, ANCW, P.O. Box 3881, Englewood, CO 80155. Entries must either be e-mailed or postmarked by March 31, 2003.

Recipes must fall under one of the following four categories:

One Dish Meals
•	Includes beef main dishes using onecooking method such as stove-top skillet cooking (pan-broiling, sautéing,stir-frying), or a stove-top undercover cooking method (braising, stewing)as well as beef main dishes using an oven cooking method (broiling,roasting, braising or stewing). Recipe must include 8 ingredients or less,including beef and garnish (salt, regular ground black pepper, cooking sprayand water not included). All ingredients other than beef must benationally available and not brand specific. Recipe preparation and cook time must be 45 minutes or less (oven roasting and oven or stove top braising or stewing cooking methods may exceed 45 minutes cooking time). 

•	Use boneless beef chuck eye steak,beef chuck top blade steak, beef top round steak, beef eye round steak,boneless beef round tip steak, beef cubed steak, beef top blade strips,ground beef chuck or ground beef round. For best results use Choice gradebeef. 

Grilled Beef
•	Includes beef grilled main dishes.Recipe must include 8 ingredients or less, including beef and garnish(salt, regular ground black pepper, cooking spray and water not included).All ingredients other than beef must be nationally available and not brandspecific. Recipe preparation and cook time must be 45 minutes or less(marinating time not included). 

•	Use boneless beef chuck eye steak,beef shoulder center steak, beef shoulder top blade (flat iron) steak, beefround tip center steak, beef round tip side steak, ground beef chuck,ground beef round or cuts requiring marinating such as boneless beef chuckshoulder steak, beef eye round steak, beef bottom round (Western griller)steak or beef top round steak. For best results use Choice grade beef. 

•	For foodsafety reasons, ground beef patties must be cooked to medium (160ºF)doneness or until centers are no longer pink and juices show no pinkcolor. 

Handheld Kid Pleasers
•	Includes kid-pleasing creative beefwrapped sandwiches, beef handheld meals, and beef taco or burgervariations. Mom or dad must prepare recipe, including 8 ingredients orless, including beef, and garnish (salt, regular ground black pepper,cooking spray and water not included). All ingredients other than beefmust be nationally available and not brand specific. Recipe preparationand cook time must be 45 minutes or less. 

•	Use either a brand name, nationallyavailable, fully-cooked beef product from the refrigerated meat case orfreezer case, or any of the above mentioned fresh beef cuts from the chuckor round. 

•	For foodsafety reasons, ground beef patties must be cooked to medium (160ºF)doneness or until centers are no longer pink and juices show no pinkcolor. Ground beef crumbles must be cooked until no pink remains and juices show no pink color. 

Quick & Easy Beef 
•	Includes quick & easy beef main dishes. Recipe must include 8 ingredients or less, including beef, and garnish (salt, regular ground black pepper, cooking spray and water not included). All ingredients other than beef must be nationally available and not brand specific. Recipe preparation and cook time must be 30 minutes or less.

•	Use any of the following Beef Industry’s Mark of Quality approved branded beef products in the preparation of the recipe: Harris Ranch® Beef Tips with Gravy, Harris Ranch® Roast Beef Au Jus, Hormel® Beef Tips with Gravy, Hormel® Roast Beef Au Jus, John Morrell® Beef Pot Roast with Gravy, King’s Command Foods® Just-A-Minute? Fully Cooked Seasoned Ground Beef, KC Masterpiece? Original Barbecue Sauce with Seasoned Shredded Beef, Lloyd’s Barbecue Company® BBQ Sauce with Sliced Beef, Mosey’s® Time for Dinner? Corned Beef with Juices, Mosey’s® Time for Dinner? Beef Pot Roast with Gravy, Mosey’s® Time for Dinner? Beef with BBQ Sauce, Mosey’s® Time for Dinner? Mesquite Seasoned Beef Brisket, Old El Paso® Taco Sauce with Seasoned Ground Beef, Red Oak Farms® Beef Pot Roast, Red Oak Farms® Beef Brisket Barbecue, RMH Foods® Beef Pot Roast with Gravy.

For a complete listing of Cook-Off rules, please visit www.beefcookoff.org <http://www.beefcookoff.org/> or call 1-800-848-9088.

Prizes
Twenty National Beef Cook-Off finalists will be notified by July 16. The finalists will be flown to Fort Worth, Texas, to compete in the Cook-Off competition on Sept. 26 and 27, with the opportunity to win the$50,000 Grand Prize “Best of Beef” award. Eight other cash prizes also will be awarded, bringing the amount of total prizes to $110,000.