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Christine Riccitelli of Incline Village, NV won the 27th National Beef Cook-Off® in Chicago last week with this recipe.

Interesting—isn’t it—that it’s a slow-cooking recipe, not one that’s on the table quickly?

Nuevo Chipotle Beef in Butternut Squash Boats.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place 1 1/2 lbs lean beef for stew, 1/3 c water, 1/4 c tomato paste, 2 T brown sugar, 2 T balsamic vinegar, 2 t ground chipotle pepper, 1 t cumin, 1/2 t salt and 1/2 t black pepper in a stock pot. Cover and bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours or until beef is fork tender.

Meanwhile cut 1 medium butternut squash into quarters; remove seeds. Place squash cut side down in a 9×13-inch glass baking dish. Add 1 1/2 c water and bake in the 325-degree oven until fork tender, about 1 1/4 hours. Place each squash quarter onto a serving plate, fill with equal amounts of beef, top with 1 medium chopped tomato and 1 cubed ripe avocado. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Makes 4 servings.