US Beef Master Class Showcases Alternative Cuts for Uzbekistan Chefs
UZBEKISTAN - USMEF partnered with the Association of Uzbekistan Chefs to conduct an educational master class on US beef for Uzbekistan chefs and other foodservice professionals.
18 January 2017
2 minute read
Funded by the Beef Checkoff Programme, the class was part of an ongoing effort to familiarize Uzbekistan with US beef and encourage restaurant owners and managers to include it on their menus.
An additional goal of this particular master class was to pave the way for US beef to select retailers in the capital city of Tashkent, explained Yuri Barutkin, USMEF representative in Russia and the surrounding region.
“Generally, Uzbekistan consumers are big meat eaters of beef, chicken and lamb,” said Mr Barutkin. “However, most of the domestic beef is derived from dairy cattle produced in small backyard farms, so finding beef of sufficient quality and consistency is a challenge for Uzbekistan restaurants. While US ribeye is already a regular menu item at many Tashkent restaurants and has earned a solid reputation, the focus of this USMEF class was on alternative cuts of US beef.”
USMEF used brisket, shoulder clod and top sirloin to demonstrate the value of alternative US beef cuts can deliver for family-style restaurants and their advantages compared to domestic Uzbek beef. One premium cut – striploin – was also presented to the class of about 60 chefs.
Chef Serge Fery from the five-star Astoria Hotel in St. Petersburg, led the Master Class. Fery is an alumnus of Texas Beef Council courses and knows a great deal about US beef.
The educational portion of the event was followed by a dinner organized by a US beef importer in the region. The dinner attracted local media attention and special guests included Pamela Spratlen, US Ambassador to Uzbekistan, and Elizabeth Leonardi, US agricultural attaché in Turkey.
Ambassador Spratlen addressed the audience and emphasized the importance of establishing a trade relationship between the US and Uzbekistan.
“We received a lot of questions about US beef production, about ways to use various cuts and about the availability of US beef suppliers serving Uzbekistan,” said Mr Barutkin. “Uzbekistan remains a challenging market, but US beef is slowly making its way to the tables of many Tashkent restaurants. We hope that in 2017, with US beef prices being more competitive and with the Uzbekistan economy recovering from the economic turmoil of the past two years, we may see growth in sales of US beef, especially alternative cuts.”
TheCattleSite News Desk
