Nearly a quarter of consumers say they’ve never cooked a beef roast, and 43% cook one roast or less per year.
That’s according to a new survey, conducted jointly by the Beef Checkoff and the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand.
Consumers cited “not enough time” and “don’t know how,” among other reasons for not roasting, even though almost three in 10 admit they have no idea how long the process takes.
Heading into the holiday season seems like the ideal time to change that, says Margaret Coleman, CAB assistant director of digital marketing.
“We looked at all the available tools and apps out there, and they were mostly geared toward grilling or a general roasting timer,” Coleman says. “We saw that as a major opportunity.”
Turkey and ham are often the center of many holiday tables, but the survey showed 30% of the population also considers beef roast appropriate for a holiday meal.
“We need to show them how to be successful when selecting and preparing a roast, especially when you consider that beef is sold at a substantial premium compared to pork and poultry,” Coleman says.
The research found nearly two-thirds of consumers don’t know what cuts of beef are best for roasting and 19% say they don’t know how to prepare a roast.
Until now.
This month, CAB launched Roast Perfect, a free app for smartphones and tablets designed to help consumers easily buy, prepare and enjoy a variety of beef roasts. The app is available now for both Apple and Android devices.
Roast Perfect includes a roast selection guide, chef-developed and tested recipes, step-by-step video tutorials, a store locator, built-in timer, portion calculator and more.
The highlights include:
• Select A Roast: From a tenderloin roast to the classic bone-in rib, select a type of roast and total people being served. The app then calculates the number of pounds of beef to buy, as well as suggested roast recipes for that cut and side dish pairings from Le Creuset®.
• Recipes & Tips: Browse recipes based on roast type, keyword search or bloggers’ favorites. “Heart” certain recipes to save in your Favorites Folder, or send directly to the printer with one tap. There’s also a “Degrees of Doneness” guide paired with helpful images, as well as video tutorials and step-by-step directions that demonstrate roasting techniques, such as how to choose, tie and carve.
• Roasting Timer: Simply select the roast type, weight and desired degree of doneness, and the app provides an automatic timer to guide you in the kitchen.
• Store Locator: Search local retailers and grocery stores by ZIP code, or tap the Current Location button to view stores nearby.
“We’ve really tried to make this app very user-friendly and intuitive,” Coleman says. “The ultimate goal is to give consumers more confidence in cooking beyond ground beef dishes and steaks.” For more information, visit www.CertifiedAngusBeef.com, read the brand’s blog at www.GoRare.com, or look for the brand on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
Source: Certified Angus Beef LLC
