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Alternative U.S. Beef Cuts Promoted to Uzbekistan's Growing HRI Sector

Published: Feb 18, 2020

Working to reach more consumers in Uzbekistan and create greater awareness of U.S. beef within the hotel, restaurant and institutional (HRI) sector, USMEF conducted seminars and tasting sessions at two of the country’s most popular tourist destinations.

Funded by the Beef Checkoff Program, both activities introduced new menu items and ideas utilizing alternative cuts of U.S. beef.

USMEF consultant Pavel Galkovsky explains the quality advantages of U.S. beef to HRI professionals in Bukhara, Uzbekistan

“As Uzbekistan’s HRI sector develops and grows, more and more restaurants are interested in serving barbecue, burgers and steaks. Thus, there is a lot of potential for U.S. beef,” said Galina Kochubeeva, USMEF representative in the region. With beef from Kazakhstan and other neighboring countries available to buyers in Uzbekistan, it’s very important for us to help decision-makers understand the quality attributes of U.S. beef and make them aware that it’s available.”

Following is a summary of each of the USMEF activities in Uzbekistan:

Bukhara

A U.S. beef workshop and tasting session was held in Bukhara, one of the most ancient cities in Central Asia and the second largest tourist attraction in Uzbekistan. The workshop introduced alternative cuts of U.S. beef to consumers and HRI professionals in the city.

HRI professionals in Bukhara learned cooking tips for alternative U.S. beef cuts

The advantages of the U.S. beef over domestic beef and competitors’ products were explained. USMEF introduced high-quality U.S. beef cuts such as ribeye and striploin, then promoted the quality attributes of alternative cuts such as flanks, skirts, briskets, short plates and short ribs.

More than 30 managers and buyers representing restaurants, hotels and foodservice operators attended the workshop.

Pavel Galkovsky, a USMEF consultant and chef who is considered an expert on Uzbekistan’s HRI sector, prepared and roasted alternative cuts for the tasting session.


Tashkent

Christopher Williams, a popular chef and restaurant owner from Texas, shared his experiences cooking alternative U.S. beef cuts at a workshop in Tashkent

About 35 restaurant managers, chefs and meat buyers from hotels and high-end restaurants in Tashkent gathered for a U.S. beef workshop led by Christopher Williams, owner and executive chef at Lucille’s and U.S. Smith’s in Houston, Texas.

“USMEF conducts U.S. workshops in markets such as Tashkent on a regular basis to educate chefs about methods for grilling and roasting U.S. beef,” explained Kochubeeva. “This workshop also included a technical aspect, with Williams covering the handling and storage of U.S. beef.”

Williams shared his experiences cutting and cooking U.S. beef flanks, briskets, skirts, tri-tips, short ribs and New York strips. He also fielded numerous questions about U.S. beef and explained nuances of cutting, cooking, seasoning and serving various cuts.

U.S. beef cuts available in Uzbekistan were also on display throughout the workshop.

A large group of Uzbekistani restaurant managers, chefs and buyers document lessons learned during the U.S. beef workshop in Tashkent