Audio: Southwest Barbecue Team Promotes Texas-style Barbecue in Japan, Korea

Greg Hanes, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) assistant vice president of international marketing, recently joined a group of U.S. producers in Japan and South Korea to promote Texas-style barbecue and the advantages of using U.S. beef – especially underutilized cuts – as part of the American dish.

In the attached audio report, Hanes explains the approach of the Southwest Barbecue Team in the Asian markets and the strategy of highlighting Texas barbecue as a way to promote U.S. beef. The team included Texas Beef Council members Bryan Forester and Ryan Moorhouse, Oklahoma cattle producers Chuck and Ruth Coffey, Idaho Beef Council member Cevin Jones, Missouri corn producer Greg Schneider and renowned Texas pitmaster Bryan Bracewell.

Because barbecue’s popularity in Japan and Korea is growing, USMEF is continuing its effort to increase beef exports by introducing new barbecue dishes, while also stressing the quality and value delivered by U.S. beef. To add a personal touch, the team’s visits to Japan and Korea included chef training seminars and face-to-face meetings between U.S. producers and consumers.

TRANSCRIPT:

Ralph Loos: Consumers in Japan and Korea have an increasing appetite for barbecue, and the U.S. Meat Export Federation recognizes this food trend as an opportunity for U.S. beef. In this USMEF report, we speak with assistant vice president for international marketing Greg Hanes. Hanes recently joined a team of U.S. producers in the Asian countries to promote Texas barbecue.

Greg Hanes: One of the things we are always trying to do is differentiate U.S. meats and beef from the competitors out there, and one way we see of doing this is by introducing these unique cooking styles that we have in the U.S., and particularly one being southwest Texas barbecue. The goal is to play upon the already high demand and desire that the consumers have for the grilled meat. In both Japan and Korea, the Yakiniku or Korean style barbecues are very, very popular – and U.S. beef is very well suited for that. So in trying to create a new food trend or cooking style within those markets, we wanted to introduce these American regional-type cuisines. And so the Texas barbecue is really a unique way to be able to cook a lot of underutilized cuts.

Ralph Loos: The team offered insight into what makes Texas-style barbecue unique and flavorful, so chefs, restaurant managers and consumers in Japan and Korea would become familiar and begin adding the dishes to their menus.

Greg Hanes: The team was really geared toward two key objectives, one was to introduce this to the foodservice areas within these markets, so that way a lot of these foodservice companies, especially the ones that are already doing the Japanese-style barbecue, they can perhaps come up with a new concept within their existing restaurants – or some of them are even talking about how they could even introduce a whole new concept for a new chain that would be this real kind of authentic American-style barbecue.

Ralph Loos: For more on this and other trade issues, please visit USMEF.org. For the U.S. Meat Export Federation, I’m Ralph Loos.