Michigan juniors tied for second place in the recipe category and won third place overall in the junior steak division of the All-American Certified Angus Beef® (CAB) Cook-Off at the 2015 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS), July 15-18 in Tulsa, Okla. Pictured are (from left) Paige Zellmer, Brady Zellmer, and Thea Zellmer, all of Nashville; and Blake Pillars, Martin. They prepared “Quick CAB® Oriental Stir-fry.” The American Angus Auxiliary sponsored the event. Photo by Pearls Pics on behalf of the American Angus Association.
During the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS), movie stars and pop culture characters were seen milling around the exhibition hall. Characters from the movies The Three Amigos and Scooby Doo mingled with contestants for Dancing With the Steers, rock stars, cavewomen, cheerleaders and Santa and Mrs. Claus. The juniors in these costumes competed in the All-American Certified Angus Beef® Cook-Off July 14 in Tulsa, Okla.
The contest, sponsored by the American Angus Auxiliary and Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB), is one of the most popular events at the NJAS. Participants prepare a CAB recipe, and write and perform a skit that promotes the product in an educational and entertaining way to the judges, the audience at the Cook-Off and, ultimately, to consumers. Teams may consist of two to six juniors, and are divided by age and type of beef used in the recipe: steak, roast or other beef.
“Year after year, we are always impressed by our Angus youth participating in the Cook-Off,” says Anne Lampe, co-chair of the competition. “The Angus breed and the CAB brand is fortunate to have such a strong future in the National Junior Angus Association members.”
As teams vie to present the best recipe and most informative and entertaining skit, they test their beef industry and CAB knowledge outside of the showring. Teams use the 10 quality standards and other research and historical facts about CAB in their skits to showcase the brand to consumers. The competition was fierce this year with 37 teams, but light-hearted banter and loud laughter could be heard throughout the competition area.
“Today we’ve been doing the Certified Angus Beef Cook-Off. All of our teams make a skit, prepare a dish and present it to the judges,” says Anna Carpenter, Wamego, Kan. “It’s a lot of fun!”
In each age division — junior, ages 9-13; intermediate, ages 14-17; and senior, ages 18-21 — and beef category, teams are judged on their recipes and showmanship. Recipes are evaluated on taste and ease of preparation, while the showmanship criteria are presentation, costumes and creativity. Winners in each evaluation type, as well as an overall winner, are chosen.
The Black Kettle Award
Established in memory of Paul St. Blanc, a long-time friend and supporter of the Cook-Off, the Black Kettle Award is the highest prize a team can earn in the Cook-Off. It is presented to the highest placing team across all age and beef divisions.
This year, the Kansas junior team entered in the steak category took home the Black Kettle Award. Winning team members include Kady Figge, Onaga; Eva Hinrichsen, Westmoreland; Clay Pelton, Paradise; and Kelsey Theis, Leavenworth. The team impressed the judges with their military-themed skit and tasty flank steak recipe.
A list of award winning 2015 Cook-Off recipes follows.
Black Kettle Award Winner & Overall Steak Recipe: Kansas Junior Team
Team members: Kade Figge, Onaga; Eva Henrichsen, Westmoreland; Clay Pelton, Paradise; and Kelsey Theis, Leavenworth.
All-American Grilled Flank Steak
1½ lb. CAB® flank steak, cut 3/4-in. thick
½ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup chopped onions
2 Tbs. vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs. honey
½ tsp. chili powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbs. margarine
¼ tsp. pepper
To prepare:
For sauce, in a small saucepan cook onion, garlic and chilipowder in margarine until tender. Stir in tomato sauce, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil 5 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.
Meanwhile, trim fat from flank steak. Score steak diagonally into diamonds on both sides. Brush with sauce. Grill steak on an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 7 minutes. Turn and grill to desired doneness, allowing 5-7 minutes more for medium. Brush occasionally with the remaining sauce.
To serve, thinly slice the flank steak across the grain.
Overall Roast Division Recipe: Oklahoma Senior Team
Team members: Alisa and Alyson Friesen, Arnett; Braden Henricks, Anadarko; Karisa Pfeiffer, Orlando; and Jackson Ray, Holdenville.
Oklahoma Angus Leading the Way Pot Roast
3-5 lb. CAB® chuck roast
salt and freshly ground pepper
Montreal Steak Seasoning
¼ cup flour
2 or 3 Tbs. olive oil
2 whole onions, peeled and halved
6 to 8 whole carrots, unpeeled, cut into 2-in. pieces
1 clove garlic
Worcestershire sauce
3 cups beef broth
To prepare:
Preheat the skillet to 275° F.
Generously season the chuck roast with salt and pepper and Montreal Steak Seasoning and roll the roast in flour.
Heat the olive oil in large pot or electric skillet to medium-high heat. Add the halved onions to the pot, browning them on both sides. Remove the onions to a plate.
Throw the carrots into the same very hot pot and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so. Reserve the carrots with the onions.
If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pot. Place the meat in the pot and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.
With the pot still on high, use beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom with a whisk. Place the roast back into the pot and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway.
Add in the onions and the carrots and season the top of the roast with garlic and Worcestershire sauce.
Put the lid on and roast for 3 hours for a 3-pound roast. For a 4- to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.
The roast is ready when it is fall-apart tender.
The roast can be served with mashed potatoes and gravy or, for a different taste, mushroom or chipotle butter.
Overall Other Beef Division Recipe: Indiana Senior Team
Team members: Nick and Sarah Innis, Milroy; Karson Patton, Frankfort; Austin Waterman, Anderson; Jordyn Wickard, Greenfield; and Madison Butler, Vincennes.
Roast Beef & French Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwich
2 thick slices CAB® deli roast beef
1 small onion
1 tsp. thyme leaves
1 Tbs. whole-grain mustard
kosher salt
pepper
1 Tbs. olive oil
mayonnaise (optional)
4 slices rye or sourdough bread
2 oz. Gruyere or provolone cheese
To prepare:
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook uncovered for 12 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in thyme leaves and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown, 15-20 minutes more (add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water to the skillet if the onions start sticking.)
Brush one side of the slice of bread with butter or oil. Form sandwiches with bread, whole-grain mustard, Gruyere or provolone cheese; roast beef and onion mixture. Add mayonnaise, if desired. Cook sandwiches, covered, until the bread is golden brown and crisp and the cheese has melted, 4-5 minutes per side.
Serves 2.
Additional NJAS contest placings, awards and scholarships can be found on www.angus.org. Coverage is also available on the NJAA Facebook page, including videos, show results and photos.
