Advantages of U.S. Chilled Beef Shared with Uzbekistan’s HRI Sector

Seminars highlighting the advantages of U.S. chilled beef for Uzbekistan’s hotel, restaurant and institutional (HRI) sector were recently conducted by USMEF in two of the country’s largest cities. Funded by the Beef Checkoff Program, the seminars offered chefs and restaurant managers menu ideas and included educational sessions on proper handling, preparation and storage of chilled beef.

Chef Pavel Galkovsky shares his experiences with U.S. chilled beef and explains the advantages of using U.S. beef cuts to HRI chefs and managers at a USMEF seminar in Samarkand, Uzbekistan

U.S. beef has predominantly been imported into Uzbekistan as frozen product, but growth in the HRI sector has created opportunities for chilled beef, according to Galina Kochubeeva, USMEF representative in the region. Since September 2017, chilled beef imports have entered Uzbekistan under a zero tariff rate, creating an economic advantage for U.S. chilled beef.

“There is a big push in Uzbekistan to develop the tourism industry to boost the national economy – and hospitality businesses like restaurants, hotels and foodservice operators play a major role,” Kochubeeva said, adding that Uzbekistan has a population of 30 million and one of the most diverse economies in the region. “As HRI outlets look to expand menus for banquets, receptions and tourist events, interest in U.S. beef, both chilled and frozen, is growing.”

Chef Pavel Galkovsky demonstrates proper preparation and cooking of U.S. beef steaks

A seminar for the HRI sector in Samarkand, a major tourist destination and the second-largest city in Uzbekistan, marked the first time USMEF focused on U.S. chilled beef in that city. More than 50 chefs and restaurant managers attended the event, which was held at the popular BBQ Terrace restaurant.

Chef Pavel Galkovsky works with cuts of U.S. chilled beef in preparation for a USMEF seminar in Uzbekistan’s capital city, Tashkent

Russian chef Pavel Galkovsky, a USMEF culinary consultant, shared his experiences with cooking U.S. beef and introduced various cuts suited for barbecue, including brisket, short plate and ribs. He also spotlighted various steaks – New York strip, flank steaks, skirt steaks, butcher steaks and ribeyes, along with prime rib and beef bacon (short plate). As a bonus, Galkovsky shared how to use steaks left over from cutting demonstrations for beef burgers.

USMEF shared the many advantages of U.S. chilled beef over competitors’ products, including Russian chilled wet-aged beef. The seminar offered step-by-step instruction on handling chilled beef and properly storing cuts to avoid losses.

The other U.S. chilled beef seminar was a USMEF educational course at Sam’s Steakhouse in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan and its largest city.

Chef Pavel Galkovsky slices U.S. chilled beef for HRI professionals in Tashkent, Uzbekistan

The workshop provided more than 50 HRI specialists from large restaurant chains and high-end hotels with information about the advantages of chilled beef over frozen beef, along with instruction on the proper handling, storage and aging of chilled beef.

With help from Galkovsky, USMEF also introduced several U.S. beef cuts and dishes that are relatively new to the Uzbekistan market: tri-tips, boneless rib meat, inside skirts and short plate roasted and sliced. Galkovsky also shared ideas for beef burgers following recipes of classical steakhouses around the world.