USMEF Provides Culinary Training in Central, Eastern Russia

Far Eastern Russia, Siberia and a major city in the Ural Mountains were the venues for USMEF-Russia’s recent series of instructional and promotional activities for U.S. beef and pork.

USMEF culinary training for 300 chefs was held with Beef and Pork Checkoff funding at the sixth annual Primorsky Culinary Festival, organized by the Far East Association of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers in Vladivostok. Vladivostok is Russia’s easternmost major city and most active Pacific port.

This year’s festival concept was based on two major principles: accessibility and experience. A USMEF chef’s competition was held in which 35 chefs were judged in steak cooking and presentation.

On the first day, chefs attempted to qualify as finalists by preparing traditional cuts such as New York strips, T-bones and pork loins. The next day, they took a break from the competition to focus on USMEF master classes in preparation of alternative cuts of U.S. beef and pork. Chef Sergei Anikin of Moscow’s Uncle Sam Café chain led the classes by cooking U.S. boneless pork chops as well as U.S. beef chuck rolls, flank steaks, top blade and short ribs. Instruction on the positive attributes of U.S. pork and beef was also provided by Sergei Klimenko, a chef from Vladivostok.

On the final day of the competition, finalists were presented with a “secret box” of ingredients that challenged their skills in preparing alternative cuts such as flank steaks and short ribs. The final competition was judged by Jeff Rotering of the Far East General Consulate, USMEF representative Galina Kochubeeva and chef Anikin. The grand prize was presented to chef Alexei Tarusin of the Diamond Restaurant & Club in Hakhodka, a city in Primorsk Territory.

USMEF also presented an instructional seminar on U.S. beef in Krasnoyarsk, a city in the heart of Siberia with a population of about 1 million. The Krasnoyarsk Territory isone of the largest regions in Russia, stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the mountainous areas of southern Siberia. It is exceptionally rich in raw materials and is one of Russia’s most important industrial areas.

The Beef Checkoff-funded seminar was presented jointly with USMEF industry partners Snow World (of Moscow) and Vladelita (of Krasnoyarsk), along with technical support from restaurant group Vladimirov and Company, which operates seven restaurants in Krasnoyarsk. USMEF provided an overview on U.S. beef production, including cattle breeding and selection, feeding, carcass grading, aging, packaging and storage. The presentation also covered advances in beef safety and the unique qualities and attributes of U.S. beef. 

Chef Sergei Galitsin of Delovaya Rus offered instruction on preparing U.S. beef premium cuts such as ribeye, striploin and tenderloin, showing participants the difference in color, flavor and marbling compared to similar cuts of Australian beef. Chef Galitsin gave special attention to preparation of alternative cuts such as brisket, top blade, chuck roll and top sirloin butt, including a cutting demonstration and suggestions on steak portioning and cooking methods.

Participants called the seminar the most significant meat event ever held in Siberia.

A similar seminar, held jointly with Snow World and the Yekaterinburg Academy of Food, was held in Yekaterinburg, one of Russia’s largest (pop. 1.4 million) and most dynamic cities, in the Ural Mountains of central Russia. Chef Galitsin was joined by chef Anver Yusipov of VneshTorgBank (Russia’s bank for foreign trade), who traveled to Texasthis summer with a USMEF Russian chef team. Chef Yusipov focused on slow-cooking alternative beef cuts. 

USMEF’s partnership with the Yekaterinburg Academy of Food also led to an invitation to take part in the annual Yekaterinburg Restaurateurs Ball, the region’s largest food industry event. The ball, held Dec. 4 at the Yekaterinburg Atrium Hall, attracted more than 400 restaurateurs, hoteliers and chefs.  

"These regional events play an important role in expanding the profile of U.S. beef and pork beyond western Russia," said John Brook, regional director for Europe, Russia and the Middle East. "There are major population centers across Russia that offer significant growth opportunities, and it is important that we develop a presence in these areas."

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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.

Far Eastern Russia, Siberia and a major city in the Ural Mountains were the venues for USMEF-Russia’s recent series of instructional and promotional activities for U.S. beef and pork.

USMEF culinary training for 300 chefs was held with Beef and Pork Checkoff funding at the sixth annual Primorsky Culinary Festival, organized by the Far East Association of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers in Vladivostok. Vladivostok is Russia’s easternmost major city and most active Pacific port.

This year’s festival concept was based on two major principles: accessibility and experience. A USMEF chef’s competition was held in which 35 chefs were judged in steak cooking and presentation.

On the first day, chefs attempted to qualify as finalists by preparing traditional cuts such as New York strips, T-bones and pork loins. The next day, they took a break from the competition to focus on USMEF master classes in preparation of alternative cuts of U.S. beef and pork. Chef Sergei Anikin of Moscow’s Uncle Sam Café chain led the classes by cooking U.S. boneless pork chops as well as U.S. beef chuck rolls, flank steaks, top blade and short ribs. Instruction on the positive attributes of U.S. pork and beef was also provided by Sergei Klimenko, a chef from Vladivostok.

On the final day of the competition, finalists were presented with a “secret box” of ingredients that challenged their skills in preparing alternative cuts such as flank steaks and short ribs. The final competition was judged by Jeff Rotering of the Far East General Consulate, USMEF representative Galina Kochubeeva and chef Anikin. The grand prize was presented to chef Alexei Tarusin of the Diamond Restaurant & Club in Hakhodka, a city in Primorsk Territory.

USMEF also presented an instructional seminar on U.S. beef in Krasnoyarsk, a city in the heart of Siberia with a population of about 1 million. The Krasnoyarsk Territory isone of the largest regions in Russia, stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the mountainous areas of southern Siberia. It is exceptionally rich in raw materials and is one of Russia’s most important industrial areas.

The Beef Checkoff-funded seminar was presented jointly with USMEF industry partners Snow World (of Moscow) and Vladelita (of Krasnoyarsk), along with technical support from restaurant group Vladimirov and Company, which operates seven restaurants in Krasnoyarsk. USMEF provided an overview on U.S. beef production, including cattle breeding and selection, feeding, carcass grading, aging, packaging and storage. The presentation also covered advances in beef safety and the unique qualities and attributes of U.S. beef. 

Chef Sergei Galitsin of Delovaya Rus offered instruction on preparing U.S. beef premium cuts such as ribeye, striploin and tenderloin, showing participants the difference in color, flavor and marbling compared to similar cuts of Australian beef. Chef Galitsin gave special attention to preparation of alternative cuts such as brisket, top blade, chuck roll and top sirloin butt, including a cutting demonstration and suggestions on steak portioning and cooking methods.

Participants called the seminar the most significant meat event ever held in Siberia.

A similar seminar, held jointly with Snow World and the Yekaterinburg Academy of Food, was held in Yekaterinburg, one of Russia’s largest (pop. 1.4 million) and most dynamic cities, in the Ural Mountains of central Russia. Chef Galitsin was joined by chef Anver Yusipov of VneshTorgBank (Russia’s bank for foreign trade), who traveled to Texasthis summer with a USMEF Russian chef team. Chef Yusipov focused on slow-cooking alternative beef cuts. 

USMEF’s partnership with the Yekaterinburg Academy of Food also led to an invitation to take part in the annual Yekaterinburg Restaurateurs Ball, the region’s largest food industry event. The ball, held Dec. 4 at the Yekaterinburg Atrium Hall, attracted more than 400 restaurateurs, hoteliers and chefs.  

"These regional events play an important role in expanding the profile of U.S. beef and pork beyond western Russia," said John Brook, regional director for Europe, Russia and the Middle East. "There are major population centers across Russia that offer significant growth opportunities, and it is important that we develop a presence in these areas."

# # #

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.