Shanghai Seminars Highlight Value and Quality of U.S. Pork

Training seminars conducted by USMEF in Shanghai provided Chinese importers, distributors and chefs information about cutting, preparing and marketing a variety of U.S. pork cuts. The trainings, funded by the Pork Checkoff, also included sessions for foodservice managers and traders with retail clients in the Shanghai area.

U.S. pork training seminars conducted by USMEF in Shanghai covered thawing, cutting, cooking and marketing various U.S pork cuts

Overall, more than 70 people attended the three seminars, each of which began with an introduction and overview of the U.S. pork industry. A detailed look at U.S. pork production and U.S. pork products was included, along with tastings of several U.S. pork dishes.

The title of each seminar and the specific U.S. pork cuts featured were:

• Foodservice Accounts Training Seminar: French cut loin, tomahawk loin, CT butt, jowl meat, boneless loin, tenderloin, single rib belly, regular belly and spare ribs.
• Foodservice/Retail Packages Seminar: Spare ribs, St. Louis spare ribs, bone-in loin and boneless butt.
• Cutting and Culinary Applications in Foodservice Seminar: Bone-in and boneless butt, St. Louis spare ribs and bone-in loin

Tasting samples were included in the seminars, which were designed to educate Shanghai-area foodservice managers and chefs about U.S. pork

For chefs and butchers, a primer on thawing techniques for imported U.S. pork was followed by a demonstration on proper ways to prepare cuts for various styles of Chinese, western and Japanese cuisine.

Importers and distributors were educated on the value of U.S. pork and the difference in cost performance between U.S. pork and its competitors in foodservice and retail settings.

A session on packaging and marketing pork cuts highlighted the versatility of U.S. pork and suggested ideas for new merchandising opportunities.

Each seminar also featured a look at new ideas for preparing U.S. pork and a cooking demonstration and tasting. Among the U.S. pork dishes prepared were boneless loin Wellington style, pan-fried French cut loin with carrot puree, roasted boneless loin with soy sauce, slow-cooked grilled tomahawk loin, pan-fried boneless loin with pumpkin puree, roasted bacon roll boneless loin with mustard sauce and pan-fried tenderloin with chutney.