U.S. Beef, Pork Featured at Culinary Competition in Korea

U.S. beef ribs and pork Boston butt were the featured cuts for the Marriott K-Gourmet Race, a first-ever culinary competition for Marriott hotel chefs in South Korea. Twenty-two teams from 17 Marriott properties competed.

Chefs were challenged to create modern Korean dishes with the U.S. beef and pork cuts. Three winning teams from the preliminary rounds traveled to Seoul for the grand finale event at JW Marriott Dongtan Square Seoul. Event judges were renowned culinary experts including Michelin 2-star chefs, the chairperson of the World's 50 Best Restaurants Academy, chief editor of Blue Ribbon Survey, and the vice president of Samsung Welstory.

The teams competed head-to-head at a live gala dinner with 150 guests, in which each team presented signature dishes prepared with the U.S. beef and pork cuts. The winning dishes were en croute braised U.S. beef short ribs and U.S. pork dumpling soup wrapped in pumpkin leaves. During the event, USMEF highlighted how the quality of U.S. feed inputs - including soybeans - results in superior quality of U.S. pork and beef. USMEF estimates that every pound of U.S. pork exported represents the utilization of nearly a pound of soybeans.

The winning dishes from the finale are showcased in a special promotional event through the end of August at the 17 participating Marriott properties.

The competition was made possible by the Beef Checkoff Program, Texas Beef Council and United Soybean Board.