South Dakotan Named Finalist in National Beef Cook

South Dakotan Named Finalist in National Beef Cook-Off

PIERRE (September 9)--A Chamberlain woman will be traveling to Ft. Worth, Tex., at the end of this month to compete with 19 other amateur cooks in the National Beef Cook-Off® September 26-27.
    Kathi Anderson was named a finalist in the prestigious event that will attract food editors and celebrities from across the country. Her winning ticket? A recipe in the Handheld Kid Pleasers category called "Beefy P B & J Wraps".
    As a contestant, she will by vying for a portion of the $110,000 in prize money. In addition to the "Best of Beef" Grand Prize, eight cash prizes totaling $60,000 will be awarded in four categories: One-Dish Meals, Grilled Beef, Handheld Kid Pleasers, and Quick & Easy Beef. Winning recipes from each category will be judged against the others to determine the overall $50,000 Grand Prize "Best of Beef" award winner.
    "I was really surprised when I found out that I had been selected as one of the finalists because it’s a strange recipe," says Anderson. The recipe combines what may seem like an unlikely combination: ground beef, peanut butter, jelly, soy sauce, peanuts, peppers and onions wrapped in a tortilla.
    Her recipe may use an interesting combination of ingredients, but her selection doesn’t surprise Nancy Stirling Neuhauser of Midland, S.D. Neuhauser was the chairperson of the South Dakota Beef Cook-Off Contest for 16 years—until 1999. That year, Anderson won the state contest. "It thrills me that she kept on competing on the national level and has come out a finalist," says Neuhauser.
    Anderson says she loves to cook, but is generally not careful about using exact measurements or following a recipe. "I did go out and buy a set of measuring spoons for this because everything has to be exact," she admits.
    Not accustomed to cooking in front of others, she says she’s been practicing in front of family at home and co-workers at the Cedar Shore Resort in Chamberlain where she works in sales.
    She’s also been meeting the media about her new-found fame. She recently conducted interviews with the Rapid City Journal, KOTA-TV and Tri State Livestock News. She also talked to the Argus Leader, Tri State Neighbor and KSFY-TV in Sioux Falls.
    The interviews are just an example of how the Beef Cook-Off can make a difference in consumption of beef, says Neuhauser, who is a member of the South Dakota CattleWomen and also serves as Region VII director of the American National CattleWomen. "Food editors from all over come to the Beef Cook-Off," she explains. "These recipes will be published in national magazines and get wide coverage. It’s a great opportunity."
    Neuhauser and other representatives from the South Dakota CattleWomen will accompany Anderson who will be traveling with her husband Roger. The South Dakota CattleWomen are studying the possibility of hosting the national contest in 2005—a big undertaking that would bring 600 to 800 people to the state. "We’ll be making a final decision in October," says Neuhauser, who adds that they’ll travel to Ft. Worth to find out more about how the Cook-Off is organized and to cheer Anderson on. South Dakota last hosted the national event in 1991.
    Anderson, in the meantime, is getting excited. "I just think it will be fun to meet the other contestants and see what they’ve come up with," she explains.
    The National Beef Cook-Off was created in 1974 by the American National CattleWomen, Inc., and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, on behalf of the CBB and state beef councils. The Cook-Off is sponsored by America’s beef producers through their $1-per-head checkoff, in partnership with Albertsons®

Beefy P B & J Wraps

1 pound ground beef chuck
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
˝ teaspoon pepper
˝ cup chopped green onions
2 ˝ tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons grape jelly
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 medium flour tortillas (8 to10-inch diameter), warmed
Ľ cup chopped dry roasted peanuts

Brown ground beef in large nonstick skillet over medium heat 5 minutes. Add bell pepper; continue cooking 3 to 5 minutes or until beef is not pink, breaking beef up into large crumbles. Pour off drippings. Season with pepper. Stir in green onions, peanut butter, jelly and soy sauce; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until peanut butter and jelly are melted. Spoon beef mixture evenly onto tortillas; sprinkle with peanuts. Roll up.

Total preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.