2003 Winning Recipes

2003 marked the 25th anniversary of the National Beef Cook-Off. The 2003 competition focused on ways busy families get dinner on the table. The $50,000 "Best of Beef" grand prize winning recipe, Grilled Steaks Balsamico, uses only four ingredients and takes just 30 minutes to prepare.

In addition to emphasizing quick, family meals, the 2003 Cook-Off inspired contestants to enjoy the best that beef has to offer, such as fresh beef - including the industry's newest beef cuts like the flat iron steaks - as well as convenient beef products, such as Hormel® refrigerated fully-cooked Beef Roast with Au Jus and Hormel® refrigerated fully-cooked Beef Tips with Gravy, that the Beef Checkoff Program has awarded its Mark of Quality.

The Grand-Prize recipe reflects the trend toward easier cooking methods using more flavorful, convenient ingredients. Other recipes, including "Ginger Beef & Noodle Bowls," and "South Pacific Steak," reflect the continued love for ethnic dishes. Nontraditional ingredients, such as dark sesame oil, mango chutney, hoisin sauce and fresh pineapple, found their way into more recipes as well. In addition, more contestants relied on timesaving ingredients than did so in previous years, such as refrigerated fully-cooked taco sauce with seasoned ground beef, and refrigerated fully-cooked shredded beef in barbecue sauce.

You don't have to take our word for it - try this year's winning recipes for yourself!

Grilled Beef

Beef Tikka with Pineapple