Last summer the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) cooked things up at Sam

Last summer the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) cooked things up at Sam’s Club warehouse stores in Mexico, conducting “Cocinando ando” (cooking) workshops to help introduce customers to U.S. pork. These workshops had consumers cook and taste the pork in the stores.

The program was so successful in educating consumers how to select and prepare U.S. pork that USMEF is adding U.S. beef information to the workshop and extending its outreach to 30 Comercial Mexicana retail stores in Mexico City this month and 30 Gigante outlets in January and February.

“Such outreach educational activities strengthen ties with supermarket personnel and increase demand for U.S. meat with consumers,” said Chad Russell, USMEF Regional Director, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. “The seminars also provide consumers with information they can use to increase their success when buying and cooking with U.S. meat.”

USMEF works with the meat department manager of each store to invite 40 consumers to the event and to have the necessary items on hand for the seminar, which is advertised as “Myths and Realities of U.S. Meat.”

During the workshops, USMEF Chef Ricardo Ornelas first introduces the advantages of U.S. meat, such as its high quality, superior flavor and safety. His presentation includes information about refrigeration of fresh meat, freezing and defrosting meat safely. Ornelas then identifies a variety of dishes that can be prepared with the U.S. meat cuts customers can purchase at the store.

Ornelas allows selected customers to help cook dishes with U.S. pork and beef as part of the presentation. The cooks and those watching can taste the dishes once they are prepared.

Seminars Benefit Others
Seminars have also been a benefit to hotel chefs, food managers and meat purchasing mangers in Cancun and Los Cabos recently. These individuals attended cooking workshops provided by USMEF along with Rational Ovens and Alta Reposteria, a maker of fine pastries and cakes.

USMEF featured new U.S. meat cuts and provided attendees an inside look at market trends in the area, safe meat handling procedures and dish preparation. These workshops have provided hands-on experience with U.S. meat cuts so chefs are comfortable using them at their restaurants.  In addition, buyers can analyze which cuts would work best for their establishments.

“This type of information takes the mystery and risk out of trying U.S. meat,” Russell said. “USMEF is providing the tools chefs and buyers need to ensure using U.S. meat is successful and also profitable for them.”

USMEF highlighted U.S. beef flap and tri-tip, U.S. pork tenderloin and U.S. lamb rack and sirloin at the workshops. The Rational Ovens personnel showed how to sauté, roast and braise the different U.S. meat cuts.

Participants said they left with new knowledge of characteristics that set U.S. meat cuts apart from others. They were encouraged to try the high quality and affordable cuts in their restaurants.

USMEF will extend these seminars in Monterrey, Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, Tijuana, Playa del Carmen and Mexico City in the near future.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation 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, lamb, corn, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs.

– USMEF –

The following photos are available with this release:

Photo 1 – USMEF Chef Ricardo Ornelas selected customers to help cook dishes with U.S. meat as part of a cooking workshop. The cooks and those watching tasted the dishes once they are prepared.

Photo 2 – Learning to cook with U.S. meat is an essential component to USMEF cooking workshops conducted at warehouse and retail stores to help take out the mystery of buying and cooking with U.S. meat cuts.