Culinary trend reports and food predictions for 2013 are making their debut as the New Year gets underway with insight from chefs, restaurateurs, food managers, writers, bloggers and enthusiasts into what’s hot in the food world. With several interesting trends emerging, chefs from around the world are taking note and gearing up for an exciting year in food. This report focuses on how beef plays a role in the top menu trends.
Every year the National Restaurant Association releases a report based on a survey of more than 1,800 professional chef-members of the American Culinary Federation. The report details what will be hot on restaurant menus including food, cuisines and themes (Table 1).
Topping the list at No. 1 of the "Top 10 Menu Trends" for 2013 was locally sourced meats and seafood. Local sourcing has been a trend on the rise particularly when it comes to beef. Over the last year, beef prices have increased and with a skilled chef, purchasing primal cuts and cutting them down in-house can be economical. "It's a good time for operators to look at some of the other cuts and muscles being fabricated from within the round and chuck," says Jim Ethridge, executive director, account development for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the beef checkoff. He cites steak options such as the Round Petite Tender and Denver Steak from the chuck roll.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Beef Issues Quarterly