2001 Winning Recipes

Underscoring the 2001 theme of convenience cooking, entrants used several new and convenient beef products available nationwide in both the refrigerated meat case and the frozen-food section of local grocery stores. These included: fully-cooked pot roast, meatballs, tri-tip roasts, smoked beef sausage, beef brisket and pre-marinated steaks.

Besides convenience, the "Best of Beef" grand prize recipe reflects some common themes emerging from American kitchens - a love for ethnic dishes and innovative use of prepared ingredients. Indeed, Mediterranean, Southwestern U.S., Caribbean and Asian influences were extremely popular among the 2001 entries. In addition, more contestants relied on time saving ingredients, such as bottled pesto sauce and new, fully-cooked beef cuts. Nontraditional ingredients such as balsamic vinaigrette and feta cheese found their way into more recipes as well. The 2001 Cook-Off showcased various chuck and round beef cuts that are often overlooked by consumers when looking for convenient, affordable quick-cooking meal options.

Fresh Beef

Greek-Style Beef & Cheese Ravioli	Cumin-Crusted Beef Steaks with Orange-Olive Relish	Oriental Express Beef Lettuce Wraps	Mediterranean Beef Steak-and-Salad Pizza
Sonoran Beef Steak	Tuscany Beef & Spinach

PREPARED BEEF

Mediterranean Beefy Basil Roll-Ups	Sweet & Spicy Chinese Meatballs on Brown Rice	Spicy Roast Beef Chili Over Cornbread	Tuscan Beef & Pesto Pasta
Grilled Peppercorn Sirloin Sandwiches with Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli	Roast Beef Cheddar Pockets