Japanese Foodservice Team Examines Texas Barbecue Farm-to-Fork

As part of its Texas barbecue tour, the Japan foodservice team took part in a “Beef 101” learning session and barbecue workshop with chef Jay McCarthy

USMEF and the Texas Beef Council provided foodservice professionals from Japan with a taste of Texas barbecue as part of an effort to promote U.S. beef and its connection to what has become one of Japan’s fastest-growing menu items.

The team, made up of buyers, restaurateurs and representatives of the Japan Barbecue Association, was given an in-depth look at the Texas barbecue industry in a “farm-to-fork” tour that included visits to Texas cattle operations, training courses on the attributes that make specific cuts of beef well-suited to barbecue cooking methods and samplings at several well-known Texas restaurants and meat shops.

“The team was extremely impressed with every aspect of their Texas experience,” said USMEF-Japan Marketing Manager Satoshi Kato, who accompanied the group. “The cutting and cooking demonstrations, as well as the visits to the barbecue restaurants and meat shops, were very informative. The wonderful hospitality of the cattle producers who hosted us at their operations was also greatly appreciated, as well as the support we received from the Texas Beef Council, which made the entire tour a success.”

To get a look at where the meat originates, the team toured Texana Feeders in Floresville, Texas, a feedlot and ranch operated by Jason Peeler, past director with the Texas Beef Council. Peeler explained to the Japanese his approach to raising and finishing cattle on the family operation. Also part of the tour was a visit to the J.D. Hudgins Ranch in Hungerford, Texas. The ranch, which has raised registered purebred Brahman cattle for more than a century, is also family-owned and operated. Coleman Locke, president of the J.D. Hudgins operation, shared his insight into producing high-quality beef.

A day-long training session at the Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio featured chef Jay McCarthy and “Beef 101,” a training session focused on cutting and preparation of U.S. beef. The workshop also included a Texas barbecue overview and instruction on beef cut fabrication and usage.

Enhancing the experience for the Japanese team were various stops at popular barbecue restaurants and meat shops. Among the highlights was a visit to Smitty’s Market in Lockhart, Texas. The business features a historic grocery storefront, sausage-making facilities and a smoker area for cooking sausage and other meat products.