‘MasterChef Indonesia’ Puts Spotlight on U.S. Beef as Center-of-the-Plate

U.S. beef striploin, tenderloin and ribeye steaks were prepared by competing chefs during a television cooking show in Indonesia that attracted an estimated audience of more than 50 million people. Funded by the Beef Checkoff Program, USMEF partnered with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) in Jakarta to promote several U.S. beef cuts as center-of-the-plate menu items on “MasterChef Indonesia.”

Aired in late February, the episode featured five contestants tasked with cooking a main dish and two side dishes using U.S. beef, along with fruits and vegetables imported from the U.S.

This screenshot from the ‘MasterChef Indonesia’ reality television show in late February shows a U.S. beef dish prepared by one of five competing chefs

The five competing chefs (left) discuss U.S. beef and the dishes they plan to prepare during the competition

Heather Variava, charge d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, was a celebrity judge on the show.

“We believe Indonesia holds great potential for U.S. beef and, in recent years, the foodservice industry has been thriving,” said Sabrina Yin, USMEF director in the ASEAN.

Along with 40 million broadcast viewers and 10 million followers across digital platforms, the MasterChef Indonesia show was shared across social media, with millions of stories and posts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.