The Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) joined forces with Linden Foods recently to showcase the versatility of Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured (NIFQA) beef.
With the festive season approaching and many minds focused on the cost of living, the two organisations came together to deliver interactive cookery demonstrations with a focus on making the most of leftover beef during the festive period. With two thirds of the losses and wastes from meat production chains in developed European Nations attributable to food waste at consumption level (Gira Meat Club 2022) the opportunity to make a positive contribution to sustainability by reducing these food waste losses are immense.
LMC cookery demonstrator Wendy Donaldson and Linden Foods chef Ronan McLaughlin created dishes in front of an audience of approximately 400 people.
The first dish of the day was creamy peppered beef, demonstrated by LMC’s Wendy Donaldson. Commenting on the event Wendy said: “I had the pleasure of cooking for the Women’s Institute Christmas Dinner at Armagh City Hotel. Using NIFQA Rump Steak I demonstrated ‘Creamy Peppered Beef.’ It’s a great recipe for using up peppers and mushrooms – add a rich creamy sauce with a hint of spice and it’s delicious. This is a favourite recipe for us at LMC, I think it could also become a favourite for the WI members too!”
Next to take to the stage was Ronan McLaughlin of Linden Foods. Ronan cooked two dishes, beef pho and a festive sharing BBQ beef Christmas tree.
Speaking about the event Ronan said: “I was thrilled to be invited to cook for The Women’s Institute of Northern Ireland. We all see how much they give to their communities so it’s great for Linden Foods to support this event.
“Families are conscious of food waste now more than ever and with this in mind we have come up with two recipes to utilise left over roast beef, one winter warming dish with a twist and another fun party food recipe for all the family. Pho, pronounced Fuh, has its origins in the street food markets of Vietnam, it’s a warming dish that is simple to make and is packed full of fresh flavours – perfect for a winter’s night. Our BBQ beef Christmas tree is a fun crowd-pleasing party food dish that all the family can get involved in making and of course eating.”
Concluding LMC marketing and communications manager, Lauren Patterson said: “LMC was delighted to partner with Linden Foods to support this event. The festive season is largely characterised by good food shared among family and friends. NIFQA beef meets world leading standards for quality and is a popular choice, due to its extremely versatile nature it can be incorporated into a wide variety of dishes.
“This year in particular many may find themselves mindful of the dishes they choose to cook in a bid to minimise food waste. This event enabled us to reiterate in a very practical way how to maximise use of various cuts of beef and transform would be leftovers into flavoursome dishes suitable for all.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
