MOBeef Update

After a strong start in FY09, the checkoff-funded Masters of Beef Advocacy (MBA) program continues to build momentum in 2010. To date, more than 1,700 students have enrolled in the online courses and more than 700 have graduated, entering the “real world” of everyday beef advocacy. With graduates in 39 states and the District of Columbia, the MBA program has quickly built a nationwide network of beef advocates engaged in sharing the story of modern beef production with consumers in their local communities and in the global online community through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Iowa leads the way with 61 graduates, many of whom attended a special graduation ceremony at the Iowa Cattlemen’s Convention in early January. Kansas is close behind with 56 grads, followed by Oklahoma (52), Michigan (46), Texas and Ohio (tied with 38). Other states with more than 30 graduates include Nebraska, Illinois and Washington, which hosted a “commencement” training and graduation for more than 20 graduates at Washington State University on Jan. 8. A national commencement training/graduation was also held in San Antonio at the Annual Cattle Industry Convention.

Prospective students can request an application by sending an e-mail to MBA@beef.org.

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and what better way to say “I Love You” than with steak at the center of the plate? Checkoff-funded research shows that in this month of romance, beef is the preferred choice of Americans (62 percent) because nothing says love like a great steak dinner for Valentine’s Day.

Americans associate steak as a “best match” for love (44 percent), romance (42 percent) and passion (41 percent)—more so than other high-end proteins.

When it’s time to share that Valentine’s Day meal, beef wins. A ribeye (35 percent) or T-bone steak (32 percent) are chosen as the best meal to share with a significant other.

Americans most often associate beef with celebrations (50 percent), compared to chicken (18 percent), pork (17 percent) or fish (15 percent).

Sixty-two percent of Americans say they choose to prepare beef if they are looking for gratitude or appreciation from their dinner partner.

Fifty-three percent of Americans identify filet mignon as the food most associated with candlelight romance and 50 percent of Americans think filet mignon is the best way to say “I love you.”

So if you can’t find the words, let the steak do the talking. Here’s the recipe for a T-bone For Two or a Filet Mignon with Herb Butter Sauce.

Featured in this week’s Missouri Beef Checkoff Chat are three state producers who are serving in different capacities on the national level – Leon James of Hurdland, Sally Angell of Centralia and Jim Freeman of Salem.

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Whether you’re a Colts fan or a Saints fan (I personally have to cheer for the Saints since Minnesota didn’t make it – I’m still mourning the end of Favre’s season) – the Big Game is a time to gather with family and friends to enjoy a tasty meal and a great game.

The beef checkoff has some recipes to make this Sunday a great game-day:

Spicy Nacho Beef Pizza

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef (75% to 80% lean)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup prepared thick-and-chunky salsa
1 to 2 teaspoons Original TABASCO brand Pepper Sauce
1 package (14 to 16 ounces) thick or thin prebaked pizza crust
3/4 cup prepared nacho cheese and salsa dip
1/3 cup pickled jalapeño pepper slices

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 450°F. Brown ground beef in large nonstick skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is not pink, breaking up into 3/4-inch crumbles. Pour off drippings. Season with salt. Stir in salsa and Original TABASCO Pepper Sauce.
2. Place pizza crust on pizza pan or large baking sheet. Spread dip evenly on crust, leaving 1-inch border around edge. Top evenly with beef mixture and jalapeño slices.
3. Bake in 450°F oven 12 to 15 minutes or until edge of crust is deep golden brown. Cut into 8 wedges.

For more great beef recipes for Sunday’s bowl game, visit Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.

Help us ignite a conversation about America’s love for beef. The checkoff-funded “I Heart Beef” program is designed to help drive demand for beef middle meats by elevating consumers’ passion for great steaks like the T-bone and tenderloin. A secondary emphasis of this program is to help generate more awareness that lean beef is good for your heart, especially in light of February being Heart Health Month.

Please join us in building momentum around the “I Heart Beef” campaign. We’ll continue to post blog entries with the top five ways you can help share your love for beef. We encourage you to take on a few of these simple steps to help celebrate Beef Lover’s Month.

Here’s what you can do this week:
• Share your love for beef through email
– Insert the “I Heart Beef” graphics as your email signature this month. (If you need any of these things, contact the Missouri Beef Council.)
• Spread your love for beef on your Web site
– Place the special “I Heart Beef” widget on your Web site. You can easily do this by using one of the “I Heart Beef” graphics.
• Make your love for beef known on Facebook
1. Make sure you’re a fan of “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner” on Facebook
2. Add “I Heart Beef” flair to your Facebook page
3. Share your love for beef by posting why you love tenderloin or T-bone steaks
4. Highlight consumer survey data.
5. Request a list of suggested “I Heart Beef” Facebook posts by emailing mstevens@beef.org
• Make your love for beef known on Twitter
1. Make sure you’re following @BeefForDinner and @BeefRD on Twitter
2. Add the #IHeartBeef hashtag to all your loving beef tweets
3. Use the special “I Heart Beef” twibbon on your Twitter page
4. Request a list of suggested tweets by emailing mstevens@beef.org
• Promote the RDs Love Lean Beef Recipe Contest!
5. Visit BeefNutrition.org to learn more about the recipe contest geared toward Registered Dietitians. Get in touch with the Missouri Beef Council to find out how you can spread the word.

February is the perfect month to share your love of beef. You can always access the Newsroom of BeefItsWhatsforDinner.com to read more about the campaign.

The annual Cattle Industry Convention was held in San Antonio, TX last week and Missouri beef producers were well represented. The convention features the combined annual meetings of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, National Cattlemen’s Beef Board and American National Cattle Women.

You can see Missouri’s representatives in the photo taking part in the annual business meetings that are held at the conclusion of the convention. We’ve recorded interviews with several MBIC board members and others at the convention which we’ll be featuring here in coming weeks as part of our Checkoff Chat podcast series.

This week’s Checkoff Chat is coming to you from the Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio, TX. MBIC Executive Director John Kleiboeker talks about the Missouri beef producer representatives attending the convention and their activities. He also reviews the issues important to Missouri that are on the agenda. In coming week’s we’ll also be featuring interviews from the convention with MBIC Board Members who are there as well.

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A survey conducted on behalf of the beef checkoff revealed the many reasons Americans love beef, and it served as the foundation for the I Heart Beef program launching this February, also Heart Health Month. Recognizing that 62 percent of Americans said steak is their most desired Valentine’s Day meal, culinary experts shared the perfect recipe for love: a special T-Bone Steak for Two. For the more than half of Americans who prefer filet mignon to accompany candlelight, red wine, linen tablecloths, and romance, the culinary team also created a Filet Mignon with Herb-Butter Sauce and Mushrooms.

Beef enthusiasts can follow @BeefForDinner on Twitter and use the #IHeartBeef hashtag to capture the conversations. You’re also encouraged to become a fan of the beef Facebook page and express your love of beef.

In this week’s Missouri Beef Checkoff Chat, John Kleiboeker with the Missouri Beef Industry Council talks about two new web-based projects funded by checkoff dollars – one to educate producers and one to educate consumers.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

It’s time to quiz your beef knowledge. Here are three photos of popular beef cuts. How good are you at identifying them?

a. Beef Eye Round Steak
b. Beef Bottom Round Steak
c. Beef Bottom Round Roast

a. Beef Loin T-bone Steak
b. Beef Ribeye Steak
c. Beef Loin Tenderloin Steak

a. Beef Loin T-bone Steak
b. Beef Ribeye Filet
c. Beef Loin Porterhouse Steak

Let’s see how you did:
Answers: 1. a; 2. b and 3. a

If you’d like to find out more about beef cuts, visit the checkoff-funded BeefRetail.org Web site, then zip over to Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner for recipe ideas on how to cook these cuts!