Meat + Poultry - June 2016 - 48

INGREDIENT ISSUES

SMOKY FLAVOR
TOPS THE CHARTS
Culinary professionals have spoken. Smoking is one of the top-three
hottest cooking methods among chefs today, only outranked by pickling
and fermenting, according to the National Restaurant Association's "What's
Hot 2016 Culinary Forecast" report. This presents an opportunity for meat
and poultry processors to develop added value "smoky" prepared proteins.
"Barbecuing and smoking of meat continues to gain popularity among
culinary professionals and home cooks," says Mark Crass, vice president,
sales and marketing, general manager, Red Arrow Products, Manitowoc,
Wisconsin. "The challenge is that these processes take time and are not
readily duplicated. Consumers like consistency."
Red Arrow works with culinary chefs and product developers to educate
them on how including condensed smokes and savory cooking method
flavors can improve efficiencies and provide cost savings. These natural
ingredients deliver consistent flavor and enhance the protein's inherent
flavors, all while being able to create customized, signature flavor profiles.
According to Chef David Salm, co-owner of Al Corso Restaurant, Collins,
Wisconsin, "Red Arrow's products allow me to very precisely enhance
flavors, to provide consistent results and to work faster," he says. Salm has
represented Red Arrow's Legends of Smoke team in various cook-offs and
is also a certified judge for barbecue competitions.
In addition to smoke, grilled foods are increasingly being embraced by
consumers. In fact, according to research from Datassential, Chicago,
grilled is the most popular cooking method in foodservice and is featured
on the menu of 80 percent of all US restaurants.
The Holy Grail of outdoor grill flavors are designed to simulate the flavors
that develop when juices from the food drip down onto the hot coals or
wood. "Our flavors provide that same profile without the grill or cooking
pit," Crass says.

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MEAT+ POULTRY | 06.16 | www.meatpoultry.com

handed down over generations. The generally
accepted method of American regional
barbecue is a technique of slow cooking
the meat for a long period of time over very
low heat using indigenous hardwood. This
traditional method of cooking when done over
an open fire is also referred to as pit cooking
and delivers amazingly tender, moist products
with distinctive smoky flavors."
The flavors of American barbecue continue
to evolve. According to an Internet survey
of 1,768 adult users of sauces, marinades,
dressings or dry seasonings by Lightspeed GMI,
Warren, New Jersey, almost half (46 percent) of
respondents say they prefer spicy/hot flavors.
Nearly four in 10 say they prefer sweet flavors
and a third prefer salty flavors. Nearly four
in 10 say they prefer authentic US regional
flavors, with nearly a quarter preferring locally
made. Almost the same percentage prefer
international/ethnic flavors.
"These results underscore the need for
brands to offer a wide variety of flavors,
keeping up with trends consumers encounter
in other food areas, to meet their demand for
interesting tastes," Schaefer says.
The Heinz brand is now entering the
barbecue sauce category with its Heinz BBQ
sauce line, a collection of authentic regional
sauces made with only 100% natural, locally
inspired ingredients and recipes. The five
sauces were developed in partnership with five
of America's top pit masters.
"As interest in barbecue continues to grow
across the country, people are becoming more
aware that different regions have different
styles of sauce, but we know that a lot of
consumers are reluctant to try a sauce from a
brand they don't know and trust," says Jessica
Ryan, director of marketing at The Kraft Heinz
Company, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
That's the inspiration behind the new line,
which includes Classic Sweet & Thick BBQ
Sauce, a well-rounded, all-American barbecue
sauce. But it's the four regional flavors that
Heinz is talking up.
Kansas City Style Sweet & Smoky BBQ
Sauce is said to be the perfect balance of thick,
sweet and tangy. Memphis Style Sweet & Spicy
BBQ Sauce, on the other hand, is based on
brown sugar and has a rich and sweet taste
with a pop of spice.
Texas Style Bold & Spicy BBQ Sauce is all
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