Start with 15 chefs from Mexico and 12 from the Caribbean, add U.S. red meat,...

Start with 15 chefs from Mexico and 12 from the Caribbean, add U.S. red meat, a dash of creativity and a handful of competition. The result is flavorful dishes featuring U.S. beef, pork and lamb cooked up at the Sixth Annual U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Chef Competition held last week at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu Academy in Mexico.

To make the contest even more of a challenge, chefs were asked to adapt their recipes for consumers, using readily available ingredients and cooking styles that could be easily repeated in home kitchens.

“This contest is an exceptional method to introduce new cuts and uncommon cuts, such as the tri-tip, to Mexican consumers. This translates into added value for members by opening new avenues for their products and to consumers by expanding the many flavors of Mexican cuisine,” said Adriana Cadena, USMEF-Mexico food service manager and chef contest organizer.

A panel of experts, consisting of nutritionists, chefs and restaurateurs, graded the contestants on speed of preparation, sanitation, nutrition, originality and versatility while preparing recipes using U.S. meat.

“This contest is highly regarded in the Mexican culinary world as it awards participants with prestige and helps them gain experience with new cuts and fusion tendencies,"said Salvador Sevilla, a USMEF-Mexico chef consultant.

To enter the contest, chefs submitted three of their favorite recipes, one each for U.S. beef, pork and lamb. The chefs also demonstrated that they use and feature U.S. meat products in their restaurants.

“The contest is an enriching idea to Mexican cuisine because it contributes to the innovation of dishes balanced with appropriate nutritional content,” said Ulises Alvirde of Zubirán Nutrition Institute Research in Mexico City. Alvirde was one of six prestigious contest judges for Mexico.

Winners in categories of originality, versatility and nutrition for Mexico and originality and versatility for the Caribbean were announced in front of 400 importers, distributors, restaurateurs and Mexican and U.S. officials.

First place winners from Mexico for originality, Tlaltekiti Rivera-Perez of the Crown Plaza Hotel in Veracruz; for versatility, Sally Guzman Flores of La Antigua restaurant in Mexico City and for nutrition, Armando Montano of El Chillar restaurant in San Jose, Mexico.

First place winners from the Caribbean for originality, George Reed of Cap Juluca restaurant in Anguilla and for versatility, Mark Nightingale of the Courtyard by Marriot Hotel in the Cayman Islands.

The festivities, held at the Marquis Hotel in Mexico City, featured a dinner prepared with U.S. meat sponsored in part by Hormel and Certified Angus Beef.

Winners each receive US$1,000 and a gastronomic trip to the United States with stops in renowned restaurants in New York City and San Francisco in addition to visits to California wine country and a course at the world-famous Culinary Institute of America.

Mexico was the No. 1 market for U.S. beef and beef variety meat in 2004 and is holding that position so far this year. From January through May, U.S. beef and beef variety meat to Mexico totaled 103,300 metric tons (mt) valued at $321.9 million.

Mexico is the second largest market for U.S. pork and pork variety meat. U.S. pork and pork variety meat to Mexico during the same time period totaled 129,926 mt valued at $199.7 million.

From January through May, U.S. beef and beef variety meat exports to the Caribbean increased from the same period last year 12 percent in volume to 4,334 mt and 22 percent in value to $16.8 million. U.S. pork and pork variety meat exports also increased 90 percent in volume to 7,484 mt and 104 percent in value to $13.6 million.

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, corn, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs.

– USMEF –

The following photos are available with this release:

Photo 1 – Winning chefs line up with their awards at the Sixth Annual USMEF Chef Competition. Winners receive prize money and visits to the United States with stops in California wine country and the world-famous Culinary Institute of America.

Photo 2 – Chef Tlaltekiti Rivera Perez from Mexico took first place in the originality category. Chef Perez works at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Boca del Rio, Veracruz. Recipes from the competition are compiled in a book so consumers can duplicate recipes at home.