Vietnamese Chefs, Restaurateurs Participate in U.S. ‘Meat and Potatoes’ Seminar

USMEF ASEAN Director Sabrina Yin provides a cutting demonstration

More than 30 chefs and restaurateurs from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, recently traveled to Vung Tau Island, a resort area in the southern part of the country, to participate in a “meat and potatoes” seminar. The two-day event, which focused on the preparation and usage of U.S. pork and beef as well as U.S. potatoes, was conducted with support from the Pork Checkoff, the Beef Checkoff Program and the U.S. Potato Board (USPB).

To kick off the seminar, an introduction to USMEF and the U.S. Potato Board was given by Dwight Wilder, agricultural attaché at the U.S consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. USMEF ASEAN Director Sabrina Yin introduced participants to the U.S. beef grading system and provided a cutting demonstration featuring pork spare ribs, beef inside round, chuck roll, rib fingers and top blade.

“This ‘meat and potatoes’ seminar is a really fun way to connect with leading chefs in Vietnam about the quality and versatility of both U.S. pork and beef,” said Yin. “Of course, meat and potatoes are a traditional mealtime combination, but this is a unique opportunity to inform and educate about these top-quality U.S. products while putting a Vietnamese spin on traditional American dishes.”

USMEF and the USPB also teamed up to host a cooking demonstration and tasting with a Vietnamese twist. USMEF Regional Chef Chang Yi Ping created glazed U.S. rib fingers with hoisin, oyster and soysauce on a U.S. potato pancake, along with a deep-fried U.S. beef inside round rolled with basil and mint paste accompanied by U.S. potato wedges.

USMEF Regional Chef Chang Yi Ping (right) and U.S. Potato Board Chef Norbert Ehrbar evaluate dishes prepared by seminar participants

USPB Chef Norbert Ehrbar also created two dishes: eggs baked in a hash brown cup with U.S. pulled pork and a Vietnamese-style shepherd’s pie featuring braised U.S. chuck roll.

On the second day of the seminar, participants were educated on the attributes and specifications of U.S. pork, processed pork and deli meats. Attendees were then treated to a session called “The Great American Hamburger,” where topics included the different cuts of beef used to make hamburgers and how to properly and safely prepare and handle ground beef. A brief discussion was also held regarding U.S. lamb, though it is not currently eligible for Vietnam.

To wrap up the session, the chefs were given an opportunity to break down several of the meat cuts discussed during the seminar. Chefs were then separated into teams and given an hour to put their cooking skills to the test, preparing an appetizer and main course featuring U.S. pork, beef and potatoes.

“This type of hands-on education is the best way to connect to chefs around the world about the quality of U.S. pork and beef,” Yin said. “It is exciting to see seminars like these succeed in countries like Vietnam where we see potential for export growth in exports of both U.S. pork and beef.”

Seminar participants said they were impressed with the quality of U.S. pork and beef, as well as with the wide variety of potatoes, with several expressing interest in featuring more U.S. items on their restaurant menus.