Caledonia Argus

Spring Grove womanís recipe chosen MN Beef Cook-off winner

Posted: 5/13/03

by Andrew Miller
Argus News Reporter

With the recipe deadline for the 2003 Minnesota Beef Cook-Off less than a week away, Anne Doering of Spring Grove was struck with a winning idea.

While mulling over possible recipes out on her mail route in Caledonia, a light bulb went off in her head, and the idea for Bacon Cheeseburgers on a Stick was born.

ìOut on the mail route, I have space between houses, and I get to do some thinking,î Doering said. ìMy first idea was to use pocket bread or tortillas, but then I decided to do something on a stick. I considered breadsticks, but finally decided on pretzel rods.î

The recipe won her first prize and $250 at the Minnesota Beef Cook-Off held March 15 in St. Paul.

The hardest part of the creation process, Doering added, was not coming up with the idea, but writing the recipe. Rules had to be followed exactly, and straying from the rules meant disqualification. Cook time for the dish had to be less than 45 minutes, and the recipe was limited to eight ingredients, aside from water, salt, and pepper. To help with the writing process, she read cookbooks.

After submitting the recipe by the January 31 deadline, Doering received word sheíd been selected as a finalist, and was asked to prepare the dish for the Cook-Off at the St. Paul Womenís Expo in St. Paul in mid-March. To get ready, she made the meal about every other night for a month, and by the time the competition arrived, she and husband Gary Klinski had eaten their fair share of it.

ìIt was to the point where we almost never wanted to see them again,î Doering joked.

Doering was a finalist at the Beef Cook-Off in 1997, but said this yearís competition was more intense, owing to scads of spectators watching her cook. ìThere was definitely more pressure,î she said, ìbecause it was at the Womenís Expo, and there were a lot of people watching.î

Doering didnít let the pressure get the better of her, and took first place in the Handheld Kid Pleasers category. When she got the call notifying her sheíd won, she was ecstatic. ìI was so excited I almost fell over,î she said.

After giving the award to Doering, the MN Beef Council entered her recipe in the national Beef Cook-Off which, if sheís chosen as a finalist, Doering will compete in this September.

BACON CHEESEBURGER ON A STICK
Total prep and cooking time: 35 min. ï Makes 4 (2-stick) servings

1Ýpound lean
ground chuck
2Ýtablespoons ketchup
1/8Ýteaspoon salt
1/8Ýteaspoon pepper
1Ýcup shredded
Cheddar cheese
8Ýpretzel rods or large bread sticks (at least 6 inches long)
4Ýslices bacon,
cut in half
Ketchup for dipping
Ý
1. Heat oven to 425†F. Combine ground beef, 2 tablespoons ketchup, salt and pepper in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly with fork. Add cheese; mix lightly.

2.ÝDivide meat mixture into 8 portions; form each portion around the upper half of a pretzel. Spiral wrap 1/2 strip bacon around meat mixture on each stick. Wrap exposed half of pretzel rods with foil.

3.ÝPlace cheeseburger sticks on a nonstick pan. Bake in 425†F oven about 15 minutes to medium (160†F) doneness, until not pink in center and juices show no pink color. Remove foil; serve immediately with ketchup, if desired.

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