U.S. Pork, Beef Featured at Saigon Professional Chefs’ Guild Event

U.S. Pork, Beef Featured at Saigon Professional Chefs’ Guild Event

Capitalizing on Vietnam’s rapidly growing foodservice industry, USMEF featured a wide variety of U.S. pork and beef cuts at a product seminar and showcase conducted by the Saigon Professional Chefs’ Guild. The event, attended by about 220 members of the chefs’ guild, was held March 2 at the Rex Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

Chefs sample a variety of pork sausages at the product seminar and showcase in Ho Chi Minh City

The Pork Checkoff, Beef Checkoff and the USDA’s Market Access Program supported USMEF’s participation in the event, which was also sponsored by the U.S. Potato Board and the Washington Apple Commission. The day kicked off with a product seminar focused on improving the chefs’ understanding of the quality and the grading systems used by the U.S. meat industry and the unique attributes of grain-fed U.S. pork and beef. Several pork and beef cuts popular with the foodservice industry were presented by Sabrina Yin, USMEF ASEAN director. Featured pork cuts included tenderloin and a wide variety of sausages, while beef cuts included chuck roll, short plate, ribeye, striploin, tenderloin and both bone-in and boneless short ribs. All participants received printed materials covering selection, preparation and presentation of U.S. pork and beef.

USMEF and the Rex Hotel’s catering division developed special recipes for the showcase sampling, including both Western-style and Asian-inspired presentations suitable for menus in Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese restaurants. The dishes were very well-received and drew strong interest from chefs in attendance. The evening event was highlighted by nine drawings for U.S. meat products contributed by local importers. Vincent Carpenter, U.S. consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City, was the guest of honor.

In 2009, U.S. pork/pork variety meat exports to Vietnam totaled 8,121 metric tons (17.9 million pounds) valued at $11.6 million. Beef/beef variety meat exports totaled 53,674 metric tons (118.3 million pounds) valued at $168.1 million.

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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.

For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.

USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.

U.S. Pork, Beef Featured at Saigon Professional Chefs’ Guild Event

Capitalizing on Vietnam’s rapidly growing foodservice industry, USMEF featured a wide variety of U.S. pork and beef cuts at a product seminar and showcase conducted by the Saigon Professional Chefs’ Guild. The event, attended by about 220 members of the chefs’ guild, was held March 2 at the Rex Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

Chefs sample a variety of pork sausages at the product seminar and showcase in Ho Chi Minh City

The Pork Checkoff, Beef Checkoff and the USDA’s Market Access Program supported USMEF’s participation in the event, which was also sponsored by the U.S. Potato Board and the Washington Apple Commission. The day kicked off with a product seminar focused on improving the chefs’ understanding of the quality and the grading systems used by the U.S. meat industry and the unique attributes of grain-fed U.S. pork and beef. Several pork and beef cuts popular with the foodservice industry were presented by Sabrina Yin, USMEF ASEAN director. Featured pork cuts included tenderloin and a wide variety of sausages, while beef cuts included chuck roll, short plate, ribeye, striploin, tenderloin and both bone-in and boneless short ribs. All participants received printed materials covering selection, preparation and presentation of U.S. pork and beef.

USMEF and the Rex Hotel’s catering division developed special recipes for the showcase sampling, including both Western-style and Asian-inspired presentations suitable for menus in Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese restaurants. The dishes were very well-received and drew strong interest from chefs in attendance. The evening event was highlighted by nine drawings for U.S. meat products contributed by local importers. Vincent Carpenter, U.S. consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City, was the guest of honor.

In 2009, U.S. pork/pork variety meat exports to Vietnam totaled 8,121 metric tons (17.9 million pounds) valued at $11.6 million. Beef/beef variety meat exports totaled 53,674 metric tons (118.3 million pounds) valued at $168.1 million.

# # #

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.

For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.

USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.