The North American Meat Institute and the beef checkoff have developed a new and innovative way to prepare beef, and foodies are going to love it.

Amanda Radke

February 24, 2018

3 Min Read
Beefshi makes its culinary debut
North American Meat Institute

Move over cronuts. Throw those kale chips in the trash. Forget the unicorn frappes from Starbucks.

Foodies, pay attention! There’s a new “trendy” food headed your way, and your taste buds are going to love it!

Earlier this month, the North American Meat Institute (NAMI), working with the beef checkoff, created a new culinary concept called “Beefshi.”

Beefshi beefs up traditional sushi by utilizing beef favorites like pastrami, corned beef, jerky, beef hot dogs and beef bologna in sushi rolls that are both eye appealing and delicious.

READ: Beef checkoff continues to enjoy strong approval

Thanks to the work of a professional culinary chef, eight new recipes have been created, and foodies can learn how to prepare these exciting new dishes at beefshi.com. The recipes include:

  • Texas Asade Sushi — Roast beef rubbed with lime zest, ground cumin and garlic and rolled with Cilantro, slivered jalapenos and onions, crumbled cotija cheese. Served with salsa.

  • Inside Out Wisconsin Maki — Sushi rice on the outside wrapped around a stick of summer sausage, a sliver of Colby cheese and shaved dill pickles. Served with brown, spicy mustard.

  • New York Deli Roll — Corned beef takes the place of nori on the outside of the roll. Slivers of fresh horseradish and Swiss cheese are rolled into the middle. Roll the exterior in a few caraway seeds.

  • The Reuben Roll — Warm pastrami, sauerkraut and thinly sliced Swiss cheese rolled into sushi rice and served with Russian dressing.

  • The Hiker’s Roll — A traditionally styled roll with nori wrapping around sushi rice, filled with slivers of beef jerky, slices of egg omelet and pea shoots or watercress with the leaves poking out the top of the roll. Dip into sriracha.

  • Carolina Sushi – Shredded fried beef bologna and carrot slivers rolled in rice with a vinegared cabbage leaf in place of Nori.

According to a beef checkoff progress release referencing Harris Poll data, “In a recent online survey, American adults who eat meat and fish were asked to rate how appealing they found a photograph of a sushi platter and a photograph of a Beefshi platter. More than half (59%) find the concept of Beefshi appealing, almost equal to those who find sushi appealing (58%). Millennials aged 18-34 (66%) and those aged 35-44 (69%) showed a particularly strong interest in trying Beefshi.

“Beef has always been popular among Americans and millennials and those aged 35-44, in particular, seem to see the appeal of beef prepared in new and interesting ways,” said NAMI Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Janet Riley. “When a new and not-yet-tasted recipe scores this well against a familiar food like sushi, it’s clear that Beefshi is positioned to be a hot culinary trend in 2018 and beyond.

READ: Beef checkoff launches "Rethink the Ranch" campaign

“Beefshi can serve as an excellent and innovative addition to sushi restaurant menus or any restaurant looking to innovate with a creative new food concept,” Riley said. “Beefshi recipes also use fully cooked and prepared beef products, making them safe and delicious options for beef fans of all ages.”

I could see Beefshi becoming a popular menu item at chic restaurants or even a fun appetizer at social gatherings. I may have to stock up on the supplies and give Beefshi a try. Watching the videos makes it seem relatively easy, and the sky is the limit for what types of combinations could be put together.

The opinions of Amanda Radke are not necessarily those of beefmagazine.com or Farm Progress.

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