PIG LEVY PAYERS organisation BPEX has released a new report and book to help chefs looking to tap into the street food phenomenon.
It is estimated that globally, some 2.5 billion people eat street food everyday; BPEX’s latest booklet offers advice and tips to chefs wanting to entice customers who prefer to eat less formal options but also want to eat a nutritious meal.
BPEX foodservice trade manager, Tony Goodger, said: “Part of the excitement of street food is that consumers are able to taste food from around the world. ‘The Word on the Street’ booklet contains nine recipe ideas that are ideally placed to give chefs access to a variety of authentic and popular dishes. The recipes are also designed to deliver in terms of value for money and customer loyalty.
“Pork is at the very heart of street food dishes due to its popularity in China, South East Asia, South America and Europe. Cuts such as pork shoulder, cheek and ribs are chosen as they combine great value with meltingly soft meat that diners find irresistible.”
BPEX teamed up with four popular street food traders to create ‘The Word on the Street’ booklet, to offer authentic tips and advice to chefs.
All the recipes in the booklet use Red Tractor Assured pork and encourage chefs to slow-cook the meat to produce deliciously tender fillings perfect for wraps and flatbreads. With street food strong on flavour, recipes for marinades and rubs have also been included to enhance the flavour of pork.
With relatively inexpensive and easy recipe ideas, such as ‘Muy Yum Pork and Pico’, ‘Brazilian Balls and Beans’, ‘Pork Samosas’ and ‘Creole Style Ribs’, chefs can package the dishes to appeal to customers accordingly – those wanting to eat quickly or just experience different flavours of the world.
Tony added: “There is a real opportunity for chefs to be inspired by what’s happening in places with large footfalls and gatherings and to offer their own street-styled dishes. ‘The Word on the Street’ is designed for chefs to take elements of what makes street food so attractive and to include it in their own business.
“Street food is robust and relies on distinctive tastes so it is important that dishes are packed with intense flavour. This doesn’t mean that all taste buds can’t be accounted for however; offering a variety of sauces including fiery chilli, sour cream and sweet chilli will give consumers the ability to turn up the heat or cool the dish down.
“All the recipes use readily available and economical cuts of quality assured pork, so chefs can benefit from excellent margins, as well as being confident they are serving nutritious, satisfying and tasty meals.”
