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Seminars Aim to Expand Role of U.S. Beef, Pork on China’s Menus

Published: Dec 03, 2018

Helping chefs in China’s restaurant sector gain new ideas for red meat dishes and sharing with them the attributes U.S. beef and pork bring to those dishes, USMEF organized a pair of seminars in Shanghai led by Chef Jay McCarthy. The U.S. Red Meat Seminars were funded by the Beef Checkoff Program and the National Pork Board. USMEF is a contractor of the Beef Checkoff.

Ming Liang (right), USMEF marketing director in China, introduces Chef Jay McCarthy during the U.S. red meat seminar at the Stonesal Steakhouse in Shanghai

The first seminar was labeled a “Latina Foodservice Training” and held at Latina Grill, a South American-style restaurant chain that has more than 30 locations in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. The franchise’s standard menu offers steak, grilled mutton and sausages. According to Ming Liang, USMEF marketing director in China, Latina Grill has been using U.S. beef for five months – mostly ribeye, top sirloin cap and bottom sirloin.

“The chain really wants to offer an authentic American-style barbecue dish to diners, so USMEF arranged this training to give them new ideas and help make U.S. beef stand out on the menu,” said Liang.

After an overview of the U.S. beef industry, McCarthy conducted an educational session on U.S. beef cuts and aging methods. He then performed a cutting demonstration using U.S. beef top sirloin cap, top blade muscle and boneless short ribs in the following dishes: U.S. beef top sirloin cap prime rib rub, short plate burned ends and grilled boneless short rib. A tasting session allowed attendees to experience the flavor of McCarthy’s work and recognize the potential for U.S. beef as a restaurant menu mainstay.

A second seminar was held at the Stonesal Steakhouse, a high-end restaurant that opened in Shanghai in 2017, about the time U.S. beef regained access in China.

More than 60 guests, including executive chefs from various Shanghai restaurants, food and beverage managers from high-end hotels and nearly 20 food journalists and bloggers, participated in the seminar.

Chinese food journalists and bloggers check out one of chef Jay McCarthy’s U.S. beef and pork dishes at the Stonesal Steakhouse

McCarthy stressed the flavors of U.S. beef and pork and explained how grain-fed beef differs from grass-fed product. He then presented a few of his signature dishes: U.S. pork tomahawk steak with rosemary serrano rub and red chimichurri sauce and U.S. beef cowboy ribeye steak.

Chef Jay McCarthy demonstrates how to use U.S. beef cuts for various American-style barbecue dishes during the U.S. red meat seminar at the Latina Grill in Shanghai

“At our request, the Stonesal staff dry-aged the ribeye for 42 days and chef Jay explained the process and where the unique flavor comes from,” said Liang. “He is an expert in preparation of underutilized cuts of beef, including chuck and round cuts, so he talked about the many U.S. cuts that are available and how they can be used in many different ways.”

The seminar garnered positive responses from the journalists and bloggers who attended. Coverage included articles and posts on the social media site WeChat and in traditional newspapers and magazines.