Where's the Beef?

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was asked to be a judge of a contest cosponsored by the Junior League of Hampton Roads and Certified Angus Beef Brand, in conjunction with the Michelob Ultra LPGA Open at Kingsmill May 5-11. The Michelob ULTRA Open partners with the Junior League of Hampton Roads to present the "Fairways and Runways" Fashion Show and Luncheon presented by Certified Angus Beef®. A recipe contest that focused on dishes made with Certified Angus Beef was held and the winner's dish was served at the Fashion Show Luncheon.

There were more than 20 entries and they were winnowed down to 5 semifinalists that were prepared for a panel of judges (including me). I took a long lunch from the salt mines (aka nuclear physics lab) and travelled up to the Eagle's Nest Clubhouse at Kingsmill, a treat in itself since it was a sunny day, and the Williamsburg area, and specifically Kingsmill is absolutely gorgeous in the Spring (especially after the 4-5 consecutive days of rain that we have had, greening up the golf courses). Now, I have to admit I am not a big golfer, but I am a big fan of golf courses since they are gorgeous expanses of green grass, sparkling water, and lush woodlands- what's not to like. But the Michelob Ultra Open is really a big deal. Forty-nine of the top 50 women golfers compete in this event, which takes Open organizers a full year to prepare for.

When I arrived, I was met by Jennifer from Certified Angus Beef who introduced me to the other judges, including two members of the Junior League of Hampton Roads (Patty and Rebecca),Nicole Lee, the Sales and Marketing Manager for the Open, the Corporate Executive Chef for Farm Fresh stores Bob Hirasawa and Certified Angus Beef Corporate Chef Scott Popovic. We were given a feedback form for each of the dishes, and one by one they were plated by Chef Scott and brought to us for our opinion. Table conversation centered around, of course food, places and people that the two chefs had cooked with and questions about food blogging and how I got started. In assessing each recipe we looked at how well it showcased the Certified Angus Beef, how easy it was to recreate at home, flavor and originality.

After about an hour and a half of tasting(and great conversation) Jennifer tabulated the results and a winner was chosen. Now you can see and taste for yourself the dishes we judged :

Lisa Moore – Petite Sirloin Tapenade Tapas
Mary Anderson – "Cowboy Up" Round Beef Supper
Samantha Bishop – Colorado Flank Steak
Holly Hage – Beef & Scallion Rolls
Sue Kerr – Teriyaki Steak With a Twist

The winner according to the esteemed panel of judges was Lisa Moore's Petite Sirloin Tapanade Tapas, a delicious tidbit of beef that is great for a cocktail party or a tapas-style meal. Lisa won $50 a month for the next year in Certified Angus Beef for her recipe as well as having her dish served at the Fairways and Runways event(Lisa and CAB Corporate Chef Scott Popovic, pictured right)

While you are at the CAB website check out their file other delicious beef recipes. They even have a feature on grilling, now that it is the season for fire and charcoal! Congratulations to Lisa and all the other finalists, and those of you who are beef fans, start now working on your entry for next year!

Photos courtesy of CAB (Don't those Thai Spring Rolls, upper left look great?)