Engaging Chefs With Beef Cuts, Culinary & Creativity

At the beginning of April, the beef checkoff hosted a dynamic group of chefs and center-of-the-plate specialists from Performance Foodservice for a one-of-a-kind beef culinary immersion in Charleston, SC. As one of the nation’s leading foodservice distributors, the Performance Foodservice chefs maintain relationships with and influence menus of thousands of independent and national chain restaurants. The day-and-a-half culinary tour of Charleston included visiting some of the most influential restaurants across the city and visiting with the chefs behind those restaurants to gain insight and inspiration for beef on the menu.

To further their culinary inspiration, the chefs observed Bridget Wasser, executive director, meat science technology, cut the Chuck Roll and Top Sirloin to demonstrate some of the underutilized cuts from the carcass. After a series of creative brainstorming to encourage additional beef menu applications, the chefs spent time in the kitchen producing new beef appetizer and entre concepts that they shared with the entire group. Ethnic-inspired and citrus flavors dominated the creative results that ranged from steak pinwheels to new steak applications.

“Performance Foodservice’s commitment to our premium beef program is an important part of our business as we work with our restaurant customers across the country,” said John Eccleston, senior director, brand development for Performance Foodservice. “Our relationship with the beef checkoff provides Performance Foodservice with the resources and know-how for us to engage with our own customers to provide value beyond price. The time that our chefs and center-of-the-plate team spent together in Charleston was invaluable for us to look at new ways that beef can continue to be a mainstay with our customers.”

Initial feedback from the immersion experience generated a unanimous rating of “Excellent” from all attendees and how they plan to utilize their learnings to expand beef options with their customers.

To learn more about your beef checkoff investment, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com.

UNDERSTANDING THE BEEF CHECKOFF PROGRAM

The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

www.mybeefcheckoff.com

Source: The Beef Checkoff Program