Celebrity chef, restaurateur, and international award-winning book author, Chef Myke Tatung Sarthou recently showcased the versatility and excellent quality of natural, grass-fed beef from Europe in a unique online Chef Masterclass.  Bord Bia – the Irish Government Food Board, with co-funding from the European Union, organized this event for a select group of professional chefs and media on March 17th. 

In 2019, the European Union selected Ireland to implement a co-funded campaign promoting European Pork & Beef in the Philippines. Ireland, being the largest net exporter of beef in the European Union, exports exceptional pork and beef around the world. Dedicated producers are fully invested in producing the highest quality food in harmony with nature, producing natural and sustainable food is their passion. Ireland is a small island on

the edge of Europe, with a population of just 5 million people, yet it produces enough food to feed 40 million. The Irish people are passionate about the food they produce and they want to share them with the world.  As such, it is widely endorsed by over 90 Michelin-starred chefs across the globe primarily because of the meat’s tenderness and rich flavor, making it the top choice for chefs looking to satisfy the healthier and environmentally-conscious consumers while maintaining great taste and texture.

Mr. Jack Hogan, Bord Bia Market Specialist, said, “We are very pleased with this year’s Chef Masterclass, which is the latest activity under our European Pork & Beef campaign in the Philippines.  This activity, working with the renowned and respected Chef Tatung, demonstrates the compatibility and versatility of our high quality meat to the Philippine cuisine.” He also added that “Ireland’s trading relationship with the Philippines can be traced back many decades ago. In fact, Ireland is one of the largest suppliers of beef to the Philippines. We have developed a strong long-lasting relationship with our local partners and are fully focused on growing our exports of quality meats to the market. The Philippines is Ireland’s number one destination for our beef exports outside of Europe and is our pork exports to the Philippines grew by 60% last year, making it an increasingly important market. We look forward to continued growth and providing opportunities for the public to try our quality meat from Ireland.”

This year, Chef Myke Tatung Sarthou, best known for his revolutionary “Simpol” on-line cooking series, teams up with Bord Bia and the European Union. His books, Philippine Cookery: From Heart to Platter (2017) and Simpol: The Cookbook (2021), both won the prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. He was also one of the highlights in the Asian Madrid Fusion, Spain 2017, where he introduced the Mindanao cuisine. For this masterclass, he took consideration of the Filipinos’ love for their meats and developed two (2) recipes using European beef from Ireland, Herb-Crusted Beef Striploin Steak and Beef Short Ribs Piyanggang. The Herb-Crusted Beef Striploin Steak was cooked rare and looks like an appetizer that any international guest would be excited to try. While the Beef Short Ribs Piyanggang is a regional saucy curry that anyone could imagine to be flavorful with its curry and smoky features with fall-off-the bone meatiness from the European beef from Ireland. Surely, one can’t help but salivate while watching them on a zoom webinar.

The online Chef Masterclass was sure to excite and inspire the professional chefs and media to get their hands on cooking the recipes while developing their knowledge on taste, texture, and quality of the beef from Europe which they received in a cooking kit a few days prior to the event. European beef from Ireland is currently available at several high-end restaurants and hotels in Metro Manila. It is also becoming more prevalent in premium stores and supermarkets such as Landers. Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, will continue to work in partnership with Filipino traders and importers to help deliver high quality meat to the Philippines.