2011 NATIONAL BEEF COOK-OFF® OFFICIAL RULES
Download the rules in pdf form.
On behalf of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, the American National CattleWomen, Inc. (collectively, the "Promotion Parties") present the 2011 National Beef Cook-Off ("Contest"). Participation in the Contest constitutes full and unconditional agreement to, and acceptance of these Official Rules. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.
HOME COOKS RECIPE CONTEST
PRIZE STRUCTURE
One (1) GRAND PRIZE WINNER will receive $25,000 plus one paid trip to The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show in Washington, DC on November 5, 2011 where they will be announced as the 2011 National Beef Cook-Off Grand Prize Winner. Trip includes economy coach air transportation for one person costing up to $750, hotel accommodations consisting of one single occupancy room for two (2) nights at a hotel to be determined by the sponsors, taxes, $30 meal per diem, and up to $50 parking, mileage and taxi’s or shuttle service per diem.
Four (4) CATEGORY WINNERS (one per category) will receive $3,000 in cash after the category winners are announced on or about July 15, 2011.
THE KIND OF RECIPES WE ARE LOOKING FOR
All beef recipe entries should be your original idea, demonstrate great taste, include ingredients that have broad consumer appeal and use simple preparation techniques. Avoid ingredients that are difficult to find or are considered expensive. Ingredients such as rice, pasta or packaged grain products that require cooking in water and may use butter, margarine, oil or milk will be counted as one ingredient. Otherwise, water, fat and any seasoning ingredient will be counted as separate ingredients if they are added during the recipe preparation or used to cook the beef recipe. Name your recipe in five words or less. Recipes should use one of the appropriate cooking methods for the featured beef cuts listed in the Matching Cooking Methods to Beef Cuts Chart posted on this website. Enter as many recipes as you like.
RECIPE CATEGORIES
- The 5:30 PM Dinner Crunch
Home cooks will demonstrate easy to prepare beef recipes using ingredients commonly on hand in their home for busy weeknight meals. The on hand ingredients would frequently be found in your pantry, refrigerator or freezer. Recipes should include a maximum of six (6) ingredients including the beef and be prepared and cooked in 30 minutes or less. Recipes should yield four to six (4 to 6) servings.
- Retro Recipes Revived
Home cooks will improve and modify an American classic or old-time family favorite beef recipe to be more convenient, healthier, or both for today’s busy families. Three major ingredient, preparation or cooking changes from the original recipe source would constitute a revived recipe. Include your comments telling us how you changed the recipe in 25 words or less. Recipes should include a maximum of 9 ingredients including the beef and yield four to six (4 to 6) servings.
- Fuel Up with Beef
Home Cooks will create convenient and healthy beef recipes using one of the 29 Lean Beef Cuts posted on this website and nutrient rich fruits, vegetables or grains. The recipes should appeal to people with busy lives – a portable, "on the run" recipe to bring with you, or a "make ahead" recipe when you have time to cook and freeze ahead of time then defrost and reheat for busy days. If a make ahead method is selected, include reheating directions. Recipes should include a maximum of 9 ingredients and be prepared and cooked in 35 minutes or less. Recipes should yield four to eight (4 to 8) servings.
- Stir Crazy Solutions
Home cooks won't go stir crazy when they have a chance to create a unique stir-fry recipe using one of the 29 Lean Beef Cuts along with fresh vegetables and grain ingredients. Recipes should include a maximum of 9 ingredients and be prepared and cooked in 35 minutes or less. Recipes should yield four to six (4 to 6) servings.
WHO CAN ENTER
Open to legal United States residents, residing in one of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia, who are 18 years of age or older as of February 1, 2011. Anyone submitting a beef recipe entry using wine, beer or spirits as an ingredient must be 21 years of age or older as of February 1, 2011.
ELIGIBILITY
- ONLY home cooks are eligible to enter. Previous National Beef Cook-Off finalists and winners of a grand prize, category prize or runner-up prize prior to 2009 are now eligible to enter the 2011 Contest.
- Food professionals such as chefs, food writers or someone who creates recipes for pay are NOT eligible.
- Sponsors including owners of one or more head of beef or dairy cattle for commercial use, members of any local, state or national beef or dairy industry organization, or any other Sponsors, members of their immediate family (parent, children, siblings, spouse, regardless of where they live), or people who live in the same household of such Sponsors or members are NOT eligible.
- Employees of any state or national beef or dairy industry organization, their agencies, program contractors, members of their immediate family (parent, children, siblings, spouse, regardless of where they live) or people who live in the same household of such employees are NOT eligible.
HOW TO ENTER
Between February 1, 2011 and April 30, 2011, home cooks submit their original beef recipe using the online entry form. All online entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. (CT) on April 30, 2011. Contest entrants may submit multiple recipes to all of the various contest categories. Mail in entries will NOT be eligible.
All entries and all legal rights and interests in them, including the rights of copyright, become the exclusive joint property of the Promotion Parties who reserve the right to edit, adapt, copyright, publish, transfer and use any or all of them, without compensation to you or any third party and will not be acknowledged or returned, or any portion thereof.
Use of automated processes and devices to submit online entries are not permitted. The National Beef Cook-Off Sponsors and its agencies are not responsible for any changes or effects caused to the entrant’s computer system as a result of submitting online entries, or entries that can’t be processed due to telephone, network, electronic or computer hardware or software failure, or technical failures of any kind.
RECIPE JUDGING
All recipe entries must meet the requirements of the recipe category entered. Recipe entries not meeting contest entry criteria will be disqualified. Entries must be the original recipe of the entrant. Initial judging will be done by food marketing and culinary professionals for appropriate use of the beef ingredient, in addition to the criteria outlined below for the finalist recipes:
| Appearance |
15 points |
| Convenient Preparation and Cooking |
20 points |
| Taste |
40 points |
| Healthfulness and Nutritional Balance |
20 points |
| The Top Five People's Choice Recipes Receive |
between 1 to 5 points |
Judges will disqualify previously published recipes, such as but not limited to those in cookbooks, in magazines and newspapers, from food companies, on food or recipe websites and winners in cooking contests, unless the recipe features changes considered significant by the judges.
The Promotion Parties may prohibit any individual from participating in the Contest or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines that said individual is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, hacking, deception, or to other unfair practices; violates the Official Rules; or acts in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner at any time during the Contest, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person.
Finalists will be required to certify, on information or belief, that their recipes are their original creation and have not been published or publicized and have not won a cooking contest.
Judges reserve the right to assign entries to the recipe category they deem appropriate.
The 20 finalist recipes will be posted on this website at People's Choice for a period of two weeks between June 27, 2011 and July 8, 2011. During this two week period, consumers 18 years of age and older as of February 1, 2011 can vote once a day for their favorite recipe. The top five finalist recipes receiving the most votes will receive an additional 1 to 5 points added to their recipe’s final judging score.
Final judging will be done by a panel of food experts. Decision of the judges is final in all matters relating to this Contest.
© 2011 Cattlemen’s Beef Board. Entrants are hereby authorized to copy these Official Rules on the condition that it will be for the entrant’s personal use and not for any commercial purpose whatsoever.
FINALIST SELECTION
Judges will select 20 recipes to become finalists. If your recipe is selected as a finalist recipe, you will be notified by phone on or about June 15, 2011.
FINALIST OBLIGATIONS
Selected Finalists will be required to sign a notarized affidavit of eligibility, a confidentiality agreement, and a liability release/assignment of rights and return these documents to Sponsor within 48 hours of receipt. Failure to return the Affidavit, Confidentiality Agreement and Release in the time permitted or if notification is returned as undeliverable, entrant will be disqualified and an alternate selected. Selected Finalists also agree to return any prize received if the representations made herein or in the Affidavit or Release prove to be untrue and to further indemnify and hold harmless the Promotion Parties, against any and all claims, damages and expenses, including attorney’s fees incurred as a result of any such misrepresentation. Entrants release the Promotion Parties from any liability whatsoever for any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with participations in this Contest, or the downloading or accessing of Contest or entry materials, or the acceptance, possession or use/misuse of any prized awarded herein.
Selected Finalists will also be required to sign a consent and release to grant the National Beef Cook-Off Sponsors permission to the use such finalist’s name, likeness and personal information in any media relating to their participation for publicity, promotion, advertising and other purposes without further notice or additional compensation to promote the Contest, the recipe and beef (the "Consent"); and shall further assign to the Promotion Parties or any of them, of all rights of ownership, including copyright, in any such recipe and return the Consent within forty-eight (48) hours of receipt of notification. Selected Finalists may be required to make themselves available for interviews during the time their recipe is publicized locally or nationally to the media and during the finalist competition.
Finalists may be required to make themselves available for publicity or promotional appearances between June 15, 2011 and December 31, 2011. The Grand Prize Winner will be required to travel and attend The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show in Washington, DC on November 5, 2011 at the direction of Sponsors. Sponsors may also request that the Grand Prize Winner make additional promotional appearances. Method of travel and accommodations for such appearances shall be chosen by Sponsor and at its expense. Except where required by law, each finalist will be required to sign a release giving Sponsors and it’s nominees full rights to use the finalist’s name, likeness, image and voice for National Beef Cook-Off® Contest related advertising and publicity, including such usage on the Internet. Winners will be posted on www.beefcookoff.org. Sponsors will advise finalists of further contest procedures and policies at this time, and all finalists agree to comply with such procedures.
It is expressly understood that Sponsors are under no obligation to the Finalists or winners other than as expressly set forth in these Official Rules. The winners are solely responsible for all federal, state and local taxes and fees associated with the receipt of any prize.
Entrants agree that: (i) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resorting to any form of class action, and exclusively by the United States District Court for the State of Colorado, or the appropriate Colorado State Court located in Denver, Colorado; (ii) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Contest but in no event attorneys’ fees, costs, punitive, incidental or consequential damages; and (iii) to the extent not prohibited by applicable law, entrants waive any right to a jury trial in any forum in respect to any issue, claim or cause of action arising out of or based on the subject matter hereof. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligation of the entrant and the Promotion Parties in connection with this Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Colorado without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of Colorado or any other jurisdiction) which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Colorado.