Connie Smith, Contributing Editor

Winning Recipe Blazin' Colorado Steak
by Linda Morten

The excitement might have been enough to take her mind off Hurricane Rita, then threatening her hometown of Katy, Texas, just west of Houston. With word that her husband had been evacuated from the oil rig he works on in the Gulf of Mexico, Morten still managed to cook up a storm of her own with her Blazin’ Colorado Beef Steaks recipe.

And what a storm it is. Her recipe utilizes the flat-iron steak – one of the value cuts from the chuck and round that the beef industry works so hard to promote. Morten grilled the steak, combining it with fiery ingredients like green chilies, chipotle peppers and tangy lime. The result is a steak with enough zing to leave a lasting memory – and impress a judging panel of five, carefully selected food experts from across the country.

“The reason I chose the flat-iron is that it’s convenient and not very expensive, and it’s a fine cut of meat,” explained Morten.

Those are just the sentiments that organizers of the event – the American National CattleWomen, Inc. (ANCW) – long to hear. After all, they invest hundreds of hours of volunteer time and utilize close to $1 million in total beef checkoff dollars from the national and state levels to create an event that gets the media talking about beef. Better yet, that increased buzz plays well to consumers looking for innovative, great-tasting and convenient home recipes.

Publicity bonanza
The National Beef Cook-Off is one of only three premier cooking events left in the United States, based on its total cash awards of $110,000. And, in today’s culture of TV reality shows like Survivor, the idea of bringing together 20 finalists from across the country to hash it out for a lot of cash has plenty of competitive appeal as well as interest for those who love to cook or love to eat.

ANCW figures show that, between July and September 1, 2005, messages about the upcoming cook-off reached more than 13 million consumers. Video footage taken during the cook-off aired more than 300 times on TV affiliates across the U.S., reaching more than 7 million Americans. In addition, South Dakota and regional press covered the drama up close and personal as each cook prepared their beef entrée.

In a media savvy world where much of success is judged by the number of media impressions, the 2005 National Beef Cook-Off scored big. Sherry Hill, ANCW’s cook-off project manager, said that from January to mid-October 2005, actual media coverage included more than 2,300 placements, with 357 million media impressions. That’s a 36 percent increase over media impressions from the 2003 cook-off.

“Those are some pretty great numbers,” Hill said. “And we will continue to track media impressions through spring 2006.”

Creating PR connections
The cook-off’s success isn’t measured strictly by the number of media hits. There are also five cook-off judges with influential media connections who are holed up in a room for a day, tasting one creative beef dish after another. While their primary task is to select the winning recipes, cook-off organizers anticipate they’ll go home with a new appreciation of beef and a file full of ideas to share with readers.

This year’s judges were Janaan Cunningham, food editor for Reiman Publications, publishers of Taste of Home, Quick Cooking and Light ‘n Tasty Cooking for 2; Nancy Wall Hopkins, deputy food and entertaining editor for Better Homes & Gardens; Paula Disbrowe, cowgirl chef at the acclaimed Hart & Hind Fitness Ranch and food and travel writer for various magazines; Mary Garrigan, food editor at the Rapid City Journal; and Jarett Bies, food staff writer and columnist at the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.

Better Homes & Gardens’ Hopkins said she was very impressed with what she saw and tasted in the judge’s room. “The choice of ingredients, beef cuts and cooking techniques were very smart and appropriate for any audience.” When it came to Blazin’ Colorado Steaks, Hopkins was happy to explain why its creator was selected to win the big money. “It showcased the flat-iron steak in a delicious manner,” she says. “We felt the dish would have wide appeal for both family and company. It is a great dish.”

Carnitas Style Grilled Beef Tacos by Erin Myroie

NCBA’s Mark Thomas, vice president of global consumer marketing, says it’s those types of comments from people in influential positions outside of the beef industry that make the cook-off such a positive event. “The cook-off is the platform from which we can generate huge public relations results,” Thomas said.

Pat Adrian, executive vice president of the South Dakota Beef Industry Council (SDBIC), agrees. When South Dakota was selected to host the cook-off, the state’s beef council decided to invest $75,000 of its checkoff budget to help fund the event. “Our directors understand the importance of the cook-off,” said Adrian, who has monitored in-state media coverage.

To date, she likes what she’s seen. “Coverage has included not only the recipes, but also interviews with the contestants and judges who praise the taste, convenience and versatility of cooking with beef. The beef industry couldn’t afford to pay for this much great publicity.”

Power in the recipes
Media relations aside, there’s no escaping the fact that the cook-off is about recipes – innovative, convenient and great-tasting beef dishes. Selected from thousands of entries, the 20 that made the final cut have begun a life of their own.

Even before the cook-off, color brochures of the 20 finalist recipes were printed and ready for the public eye. Those brochures are being widely distributed, Thomas said. “The checkoff publicizes these recipes on www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com and at www.beefcookoff.org, and our state beef councils will promote them,” he said, adding that they’ll also be utilized in national advertising and in conjunction with retail promotions. “We look for all of the avenues possible to get mileage from these recipes.”

Smoky Beef Enchilada Skillet by Carolyn Collins

“The cook-off recipes were just extraordinary,” Hopkins said. “These contestants were doing smart things with beef – simple but flavorful. We like to think we’re helping the American mom feed her family. She loves beef – whether it’s ground beef or the new flat-iron steak. We must stay on top of that, and there’s no better way than with the National Beef Cook-Off.”