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Grilling Competition
Navy Daily News Update 06/03/2006
Video
A Naval Media Center News Clip

It Wasn't Just About Cooking A Good Steak. It Was To Benefit Marine Charities

Command of the grill! Help out here!

Marines showcase grill skills:
May 25, 2006; Submitted on: 05/28/2006
By Sgt. Paula M. Fitzgerald, New York City Public Affairs

NEW YORK CITY (May 25, 2006) -- The aroma of grilled steaks greeted pedestrians in New York’s famous Times Square during
morning rush hour May 25 as 10 U.S. Marines competed against each other in a nationally televised cook-off.

The 10 Marines were invited to the all-beef barbecue battle in New York after winning semi-final competitions held at various Marine
Corps bases across the country. The event, held during the 19th Annual Fleet Week, was featured live on ABC’s “Good Morning
America.”

The Command of the Grill competition was inspired after a meeting between Mike Kempster, executive vice president for Weber-
Stephen Products Co., and Marines from the Manhattan public affairs office.

Kempster said the company was interested in doing something for the Marine Corps to raise money to donate to Marine-specific
charities. The result of planning and meetings between Weber-Stephen and Marine representatives was a steak-grilling
competition
opened strictly to Marines.

Each participant was required to submit an original recipe and an essay detailing why his entry should be selected. Finally, the
Marines showcased their culinary skills by grilling two New York strip steaks using their original recipes.

The judges at the semi-final chose winners based on recipe creativity, visual appeal and the taste of the steaks. The winning
recipes were published by Weber-Stephens in a book titled Command of the Grill: A Salute to Steaks.

One-hundred percent of the proceeds generated from book sales will go to four charities that benefit Marines injured or killed in the
line of duty. The charities include: Wounded Warrior Project, Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, Fisher House, and Marine Corps –
Law Enforcement Foundation.

“We want to show our support for the brave men and women who have been separated from their families, wounded in the line of
duty, and need help coping with new challenges when they come home,” explained Kempster.

Kempster also said that the company hopes to raise a half-million dollars from book sales. The books are priced at $10 a piece and
are available at www.weber.com.

Although the idea behind the Command of the Grill competition was serious, the participating Marines brought their game faces to
New York City. One Marine in particular was upholding a family tradition by making it the finals of the grilling event.

Lance Cpl. Jaynine Goodroe, an administrator stationed at Yuma, Ariz., said, “I’ve been cooking since I was five. My dad is a huge
griller, and I learned a lot of what I know from him.”

Goodroe, the lowest ranking Marine at the event and the only female, got to the finals with her Rib-eye steaks with Mediterranean
“Marine-ade.” And although the competition was fierce at Times Square, Goodroe said she and the other participants got along
very
well.

“It’s been such a great experience,” she added. “Even though I don’t have a lot of rank and I’m the only female, the other Marines
have treated me the same as everyone else. But I do feel like I have to work harder to prove myself.”

Eight minutes after grilling started at the competition in Times Square Goodroe was chopping vegetables and cooking her steaks.
The glint of determination in her eyes made them seem watery, but it could have been the smoke.

Each griller took their finished New York strip steaks up to the judges table where four critics tasted and evaluated the creations.

Chef Jamie Purviance, expert griller and best-selling author of several cookbooks, was on hand for the event.

“We’re looking for a good spice rub and marinade – something spicy but that still allows the beefy flavor of the meat come through,”
Purviance said.

When it was all said and done, Col. Stewart Navarre from Camp Pendleton, Calif., was named the Commander of the Grill. His prize
package includes a luxury Weber gas grill, a grilling lesson from Purviance, and a party for 10 friends with the chef.