Beef checkoff introduces five new beef cuts from the chuck

Ever notice how people glance up when they're deep in thought--as if the answer is in the stars? Look no further--the stars are on the dinner plate. The checkoff-funded Beef Innovations Group has just launched five bright, new stars among their team of new beef cuts as a result of extensive chuck roll optimization efforts.

The new cuts include:

--The Delmonico Steak (Chuck Eye Steak)--Extremely tender and juicy; exceptional beef flavor and taste similar to a Ribeye;

--The Denver Cut--Tender, flavorful, versatile; the fourth most tender muscle; perfectly marbled for a restaurant-quality steak experience;

--America's Beef Roast--Great beef flavor; dry roast application; an impressive roast that is affordable and simple to prepare;

--Boneless Country-Style Beef Chuck Ribs--Flavorful, juicy, meaty and tender; these meaty boneless ribs are extremely convenient and perfect for backyard cookouts;

--Country-Style Beef Roast--Fully-cooked; a premium, flavorful roast that is perfect for time-challenged families; great with barbecue sauce.

"Expanding the chuck cuts line is among the checkoff-funded tools aimed at reaching the industry's Long Range Plan goal to increase beef demand another 10 percent by 2010," says backgrounder and stocker Mark Pendleton from Lawsonville, N.C., Cattlemen's Beef Board member and vice chair of the Joint New Product & Culinary Initiatives Committee. "Not only are the new cuts ideal for consumers, but good news for producers. Cattle-Fax estimates that the first group of value cuts, led by the Flat Iron and the Petite Tender, added $50 to $60 a head to the value of the chuck; so, we know from experience how popular products can affect our bottom line."

The new product development process hinges on work completed in 2006. The following year, the B.I.G. team then created product names, conducted consumer validation of those names and sensory testing on the cuts. This process was then followed by meetings with key meat processors, exploring culinary applications and recipe development, meetings with chefs and retailers, additional consumer testing and, ultimately, the launch into consumer markets.

The new cuts represent "the next big stars" to the program that began in the late 1990s with the checkoff's groundbreaking muscle profiling research. Chuck roll optimization research will also result in two new cuts in a subsequent fall 2008 launch--the Sierra Cut and Beef Strips.

B.I.G. is a team of culinary professionals, food scientists, marketing, operations and research experts working together to inspire beef and veal product innovation and facilitate success by providing information, insights, ideas, science and tools to the beef industry. Visit www.beefinnovationsgroup.com for cutting guides, cooking applications and sell sheets.

The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 farm bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

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Date: 4/11/08

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