Veal Recipe Contest Winner
Offers Asian Inspiration
Culinary Students' Recipes Are in Tune with
the Trends and Show Veal's Versatility

CHICAGO (June 15, 1999)

As the veal industry looks to increase awareness of underutilized cuts of veal, the "Veal. Eat smart. Eat well." Recipe Contest called for students to create award winning dishes combining cutting edge flavors with cost cutting cuts of veal. The results are both flavorful and fantastic.

Culinary students from schools across the nation created a wide range of recipes using a variety of ethnic and flavor profiles. From the Grand Prize winning Asian Veal to Southwestern-style and Mexican-style dishes, tomorrow's chefs showed that veal can go beyond traditional Veal Milanese.

"Judging by the diversity of the entries, the culinary students entering the contest recognize the versatility veal offers," said Dean H. Conklin, executive director of veal programs at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA). "By introducing students to underutilized cuts of veal early in their careers they learn the value these cuts offer to a restaurants' bottom line, which will enable them to create flavorful, profitable menu applications in the future."

The Grand Prize winner of the 1999 "Veal. Eat smart. Eat well." Recipe Contest is Asian Braised Veal with Potato Salad and Soy Vinaigrette Oriental Greens developed by Michelle Karr, from the Culinary Institute of America. Karr, a native of Honolulu, Hawaii, shows veal's mainstream popularity and versatility -- even outside of the mainland -- by flavoring it with a Far Eastern flair.

By braising a veal shoulder with soy sauce, sake, ginger, cloves, lemongrass, and chicken stock, Karr imparts the veal with the unique flavors of the Orient. She offers a unique flavor combination with a traditional potato salad, presented in a towering display. For her top recipe Karr wins $2,500 and a four week internship at a leading restaurant in San Francisco, New York or Chicago.

The Second Prize winner, Anthony Tharp-Sinnes, from the Florida Culinary Institute, takes a more traditional approach with his Stuffed Veal Roulade. Tharp-Sinnes offers his own take on a classic French cooking technique by rolling a veal shoulder with julienne carrots, red bell peppers, wild mushrooms, roasted pine nuts, spinach, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, and simmering in a veal stock with wild mushrooms, garlic, shallots, cream and Marsala wine.

The Veal Committee also presented $50 for four honorable mention recipes. The honorable mention winners are:

• Kammrella Moe, Columbus State Community College -- Caribbean Veal Breast

• Mark Reineck, Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts -- Firehouse Five-Spice Veal Sandwiches

• Ming-Chu Lin, Culinary Institute of America -- Formosa Veal Stew with White Rice, Sautéed Lemon-Butter Carrots & Green Beans

• James McDuffe, Culinary Institute of America -- Veal Breast with Green Peppercorn Jus Sautéed Potatoes with Onions and Caraway and Creamed Brussel Sprouts

Final judging was held at March restaurant in New York City on April 21. The panel of expert judges included Executive Chef Wayne Nish, March restaurant; Executive Chef Scott Campbell, Avenue restaurant; Certified Master Chef Edward Leonard, Food 1st Consulting; Michael Batterberry, Publisher, Food Arts; and Susan Lamb-Parenti, NCBA Culinary Center.

The "Veal. Eat smart. Eat well." Recipe Contest was open to all culinary students across the country. All recipe entries used veal cuts from the chuck (shoulder) or breast as a key ingredient. Recipes were judged based on taste, creativity, use of contemporary flavors/ingredients and presentation.

Veal Culinary School Seminars

To introduce the "Veal. Eat smart. Eat well." Recipe Contest the Veal Committee also hosted a veal foodservice teaching tour at culinary schools nationwide.

Master Chef Leonard conducted two-hour seminars and cooking demonstrations for students at the Culinary Institute of America, Peter Kump's New York Cooking School, Culinary School of Kendall College, California Culinary Academy and Columbus State Community College to further demonstrate to students and instructors the benefits of veal.

Working with culinary students ensures that the next generation of chefs will have experience developing creative menu solutions with veal. Teaching students to create dishes with underutilized cuts from the breast and shoulder offers a lesson in economics, as well as in cooking.

Initiated in 1898, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association is the marketing organization and trade association for America's 1 million cattle ranchers and farmers. With offices in Denver, Chicago and Washington D.C. NCBA is a consumer-focused, producer-directed organization representing the largest segment of the nation's food and fiber industry.

- NCBA -