Official Rules Eligibility: 18 years of age as of September 6, 2008 (if younger, parental permission and cook-off accompaniment required).

How to enter: Mail, fax or e-mail original beef recipe using required cut or beef product between July 7 and August 20, 2008.

Include name, occupation, address, home and work telephone numbers, email address, recipe category, recipe name, list of ingredients with specific quantities in order of use, and complete preparation directions including cooking time and temperature. Each serving must contain at least 3 ounces of cooked trimmed beef.

Each recipe must serve 8 servings. 3 will be for the judges and 5 will distributed to the audience for the "Audience Choice" award judging (in small serving cups).

Please indicate the type of beef cut for the dish and the quantity requested (the beef will be provided by the PBF, to a maximum of 2 pounds for contestant, other other ingredients are to be provided by the finalist.)

Entries must be postmarked no later than August 20, 2008. Finalist will be notified by August 25th (we will also provide set-up and other logistical information at that time).

All entries must include a non-refundable $5.00 entry fee. If you email or fax in your recipe, your entry fee check must arrive on or before August 20, 2008. Please make entry fee checks payable to the Prime Beef Festival.

 
Ground Beef Dish: 
Includes ground beef dishes using cooking methods such as stove-top skillet cooking (pan-broiling, sautéing, stir-frying), a stove top undercover cooking method (braising, stewing,) an oven cooking method (broiling, roasting, braising, or stewing), or prepared on a charcoal grill. Recipe must include 20 ingredients or less, including beef and garnish (salt, regular ground black pepper, cooking spray and water are not included). All ingredients other than beef must be nationally available and not brand specific. Recipe preparation and cook time must be 90 minutes or less.

Select Choice Beef Cut Dish: 
Includes select cut beef dishes using cooking methods such as stove-top skillet cooking (pan-broiling, sautéing, stir-frying), a stove top undercover cooking method (braising, stewing,) an oven cooking method (broiling, roasting, braising, or stewing), or prepared on a charcoal grill. Recipe must include 20 ingredients or less, including beef and garnish (salt, regular ground black pepper, cooking spray and water are not included). All ingredients other than beef must be nationally available and not brand specific. Recipe preparation and cook time must be 90 minutes or less.

Recipes in this category must use one of the following beef cuts: boneless beef chuck eye steak, beef shoulder tender steak, beef shoulder top blade (flat iron) steak, beef round tip center steak, beef round tip side steak, or cuts requiring marinating such as boneless beef chuck shoulder steak, beef eye of round steak, beef bottom round (Western Griller) steak, or beef top round steak. If you have any questions, please ask.

• 3:30 Cook Off Team arrives
• 4pm Cooks arrive
• 4:15 Grillers can start coals
• 4:20 meet with cooks
• 4:30 ground beef contestants get meat
• 4:35 select cut contestants get meat
• 4:40 hand out audience choice ballots
• 4:45 meet with judges if all there
• 5:15-6 door prizes and trivia
• 6:00 ground beef dishes to judges (start working on audience samples)
• 6:05 select cut dishes to judges
• 6:15 audience choice handouts
• 6:25 audience choice and judge ballots in
• 6:30ish announcements

Prizes: finalists will be notified by August 25, 2008 and invited to compete in the Prime Beef Cook-Off to be held on Saturday, September 6, 2008 in Monmouth, IL (4:30pm-6:30pm). The finalists will prepare their original recipe for a panel of judges. All cooking equipment will be furnished (grills and electric ranges will also be furnished).

All participants will each get a 2008 PBF Cook-Off item (hat, apron, etc.). Each category winner will win a $275 cash prize and a trophy, each category runner up will also win a $100 cash prize, and the Audience Choice winner will receive a trophy. Prizes are graciously sponsored by Frontier Communications.

By submitting a recipe, contestant is representing the recipe as original and owned exclusively by contestant. Previously published recipes, such as those in magazines or cookbooks, will be disqualified.

The Cook Off judging criteria are as follows:

TASTE 10 points 

ORIGINALITY 5 points 

APPEARANCE 5 points

Scoring (both judge scoring and audience choice scoring) will be done as an average (rather than cumulative) score. There is a time penalty of one (1) point off of a participant's final score for every minute late for the dish to reach the judge's table. The Prime Beef Festival Cook Off team will carry the plates to the judge's table.

By participating, entrants agree to these official rules and the decisions of Prime Beef Festival and the judges which shall be final in all matters relating to the Prime Beef Cook Off. Rules are subject to change without notice.

Important Finalist Information: Once submitted, recipes and all legal rights and interests in them, including rights of copyright, become the exclusive property of Prime Beef Festival. Finalist entries will be printed and will be available to festival attendees after the Cook-Off

By entering the Prime Beef Cook-Off, all finalists warrant the originality of their recipe and will be required to sign an affidavit verifying the originality, authorship and ownership of their recipes prior to competing in the Cook-Off.

All Finalists will sign a consent and release to grant the Prime Beef Festival sponsors permission to use their names, 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, their recipe and beef.

Additional Information: Any questions regarding the Prime Beef Cook-Off should be directed to the cook-off chair-person (Paul Schuytema) by phone at 309-734-3297. If you are interested in helping sponsor the event, contact Paul Schuytema at 309-734-3297 or contact us online