Miami Blog

Beef has taken some serious body punches in the last couple of years. Michael Pollen, Mark Bittman, and a merry cast of vegetarians have been steadily hammering away at our poor American steers, calling them expensive, health-hazardous resource hogs that have done little to whittle the national waistline. Now the Association for American National Cattlewomen has thrown down the gauntlet: The ladies are offering a $25,000 grand prize to the home cook who comes up with the most fabulous original, "Sonoma-style," beef recipe nationwide (see, steak CAN be healthy!), plus three $10,000 checks for category winners and another five grand for three runners-up. There's even a special category for teenagers. Best of all, 15 finalists will be flown to Sonoma for the cook-off.