On Saturday, May 15 top chefs from Los Angeles and San Diego gathered in Palm Desert, California for Meat & Livestock Australia’s “Raise the Steaks” Australian Lamb & Grassfed Beef Immersion event. Held at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resport & Spa, chefs learned about meat from the land Down Under, enjoyed a culinary and butchery demo, and took part in a cooking-show style challenge.
JW Marriott Executive Chef Thomas Horner and his family also kindly hosted chefs and their guests for an informal barbecue at their Rancho Mirage home Friday evening, where MLA Master Butcher Doug Piper manned the “barbie” and cocktails flowed from the poolside bar.
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa – Palm Desert, California.Australian Lamb Immersion Event with *Top Chefs from across Southern California
- Perry Cheung, Phorage
- Executive Sous Chef John Feeney, JW Marriott
- Chef/Partner Neal Fraser, Red Bird
- Jason Fullilove, Ethereal Palate
- Ed Glebus CEC, San Diego State University
- David Goldstein, Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill
- Tony Gurske, Slater’s 50/50
- Aron Habiger, most recently Petite Trois
- Nigel Henderson, Convi Collective
- Louie Jocson, Zov’s
- Chef de Cuisine Leo de Leon, Rockwood Grill at the JW Marriott
- Executive Chef Cyrille Pannier, Four Seasons Beverly Hills
- Banquet Chef Alejandro Placeres, JW Marriott
- Tamra Scroggins, Sizzler
- Head Chef Joseph Sharpe, The Brixton
- Executive Chef John State, Walt Disney Resorts
- Senior Banquet Chef Jon Wheeler, JW Marriott
- Executive Chef Claudette Wilkins, most recently Bracero
*All chefs listed alphabetically by last name.
MLA Business Development Manager – Foodservice, Catherine Golding.THE TRUE AUSSIE STORY:
MLA Business Development Manager Catherine Golding welcomed the group before leading an informative talk about Australia’s unique climate, diverse landscape, and unparalleled farming heritage. Chefs learned that, thanks to abundant pastoral land, a healthy environment and best practice animal rearing, which ensures healthy and happy stock, Australian growers are able to raise some of the best quality animals available anywhere in the world. Premium Programs Manager at JBS Imports, Linden Cowper, and Broadleaf Food Distribution Company Sales Manager Tim Mitchell also took the stand to discuss production practices and how, with niche proteins like lamb and grassfed beef growing in popularity, the US is currently Australia’s largest export market.
Chef Aron Habiger, winner of the US Chefs Australia Tour 2016 contest, concluded by sharing anecdotes about his trip with MLA and thoughts on Aussie beef and lamb, of which he said Aussie lamb really blew it out of the water, “The texture, flavor, color – I can’t go back to using anything else now!”
TRENDS ROUNDTABLE
Helmed by Flavor & The Menu Magazine Editor-in-Chief Cathy Holley, chefs discussed trending flavor profiles and concepts, plus culinary techniques currently driving menu design. Conversation points ranged from Deli Flavors Re-imagined, Meatballs Go Global, Hashes, Flavored Butters, and Toast 2.0, to Bold Cocktail Ingredients, Bowl Based Meals, Grass Fed, Pickled & Burnt, Beyond Bahn Mi, Modern Indian, Bar Bites, and Japanese Flavors.
CULINARY & BUTCHERY DEMO
After a quick break the group headed into the kitchen where Food Network star and restaurateur Chef Jet Tila led a fun and informal culinary demo alongside MLA Corporate Chef Adam Moore, and sous chefs for the day, Nick Rivera and Taji Marie. There, chefs sampled five delicious dishes, including northern Thai-style curried noodles Khao Soi with succulent Aussie Lamb leg, Korean tacos with braised Aussie goat shanks, a “Greens & Grains” crispy rice bowl with lamb shoulder and poached egg, succulent satay Australian lamb chops with peanut sauce, and, last but not least, a classic shaking beef plate.
(L-R) Chef Taji Marie, Chef Jet Tila, MLA Master Butcher Doug Piper & Chef Nick Rivera during the butchery & culinary demo.
Chef Jet Tila serving up his “Greens & Grains” lamb shoulder crispy rice bowl.MLA Master Butcher Doug Piper created an assortment of cuts during his live lamb butchery demo – including French rack, cap-on rack, cap-off rack (fat removed from the back), cutlets, leg roast “family roast”, easy carve leg, butterflied leg of lamb, shoulder rack, double eye loin and riblets – while discussing dish suggestions for each.
MLA Master Butcher Doug Piper during the live butchery demo.“MARKET BASKET” CHALLENGE
After lunch chefs were divided into teams for the hands-on cooking part of the immersion and assigned ingredient baskets, which contained everything from beluga lentils, cane vinegar and matcha tea, to tamarind paste and pepitas. Each team was then challenged with creating one appetizer plate, one center plate, a chef’s choice plate, plus a custom cocktail based on a variety of themes. Contest rules stipulated teams using the assigned cut of meat and each ingredient from their baskets at least once, with dish and menu development reflecting the team’s specifically alloted theme.
Team 1: Neal Fraser, John Feeney & Tony Gurske
CUTS: Fresh Lamb Rack & Grassfed Beef Flank
THEME: Global Pub Foods & Skewers/Kebabs
Team 2: Alex Placeres, Perry Cheung, John State
CUTS: Fresh Lamb Shoulder & Grassfed Beef Bottom Sirloin
THEME: Pies/Handhelds & Tartares/Toasts
Team 3: Jason Fullilove, Jon Wheeler, Tamra Scroggins
CUTS: Ground Lamb & Grassfed Beef Top Sirloin, Cap Off
THEME: Familiar Formats (Burgers/Meatballs etc.) & Global Pub Foods
Team 4: Louie Jocson, Aron Habiger, Leo de Leon
CUTS: BRN Lamb Leg & Grassfed Beef Ribeye, Lip On
THEME: Skewers/Kebabs & Pies/Handhelds
Team 5: Cyrille Pannier, David Goldstein, Nigel Henderson
CUTS: Ground Lamb & Grassfed Beef Top Sirloin, Cap Off
THEME: Tartars/Toasts & Familiar Formats (Burgers/Meatballs etc.)
Team 6: Ed Glebus, Claudette Wilkins & Joseph Sharpe
CUTS: Grassfed Beef Ribeye, Lip On & BRN Lamb Leg
THEME: Global Pub Foods & Familiar Formats (Burgers/Meatballs etc.)
Over the course of the afternoon chefs worked ‘showdown style’ from six individual, fully stocked work stations set up within the JW Pavilion, in addition to making use of assorted grills, barbecues and outside fire pits. In true Aussie style teams enjoyed “cold ones” from the bar while they set about creating a total of seventeen dishes – ranging from Moroccan spiced lamb meatballs and skewers, to wood-charred Aussie beef flank, and an adventurous goat tartare.
Chefs presented their dishes on the JW Pavilion lawn.Around 5 p.m. family and friends were invited to enjoy a presentation by the chefs, who introduced each of their dishes and team’s accompanying cocktail, while discussing inspiration behind the team’s menu concept and design. Everyone was then encouraged to sit down and enjoy the spoils ‘family-style’ around a large communal table before departing later that evening.
Attending chefs agreed the chance to learn about the versatility of Australian lamb, beef (and even goat!), collaborate with peers, and bring back menu concepts to their respective restaurants made the day one to remember. As a farmer and a chef passionate about cultivating sustainable, local fare, Executive Chef Thomas Horner concluded by saying one the biggest reasons he was honored to host Meat & Livestock Australia was because they’re such good stewards of the land.
For additional information about Meat & Livestock Australia, future immersion events and trade show enquiries please visit www.australian-meat.com. If you are interested in attending similar events like in the future, please email mlateam@summitmg.com
