MARKET NEWS May 3, 2017 CHEESE TRENDS Bloomy Frame of Mind Meet some of my favorite bloomy cheeses SPECIALTY INSIGHTS The Truth About Salt & Pepper (part 1) It s time to rethink our use of this fundamental duo FROM OUR CUT SHOPS Beef Market Update Short-term increases should stabilize by June The Mother s Day Beef Carving Station Changing it up with Tri-Tip Fish Market Update George s Bay Scallops and fresh NC shrimp Local Spotlight NC Mahi Mahi
BEEF MARKET NEWS 5.3.17 Greensboro, NC 336.545.3800 www.southernfoods.com
Beef Market News MARKET UPDATE Tenderloin: extremely strong Ribeye: steady to increasing Strips: extremely strong We will see a strong market on middle meats until after Mother s Day. There is talk that the packers may reduce harvest days, which will only drive the whole market up even more and create shortages over the near term. However, all should stabilize by the end of May. THE MOTHER S DAY BEEF CARVING STATION Try something new this year with Tri-Tip If it s time to change up the beef on your Mother s Day menu, consider tri-tip this year. It s more economical than other traditional Mother s Day roasts, but full of flavor and requires less time to cook. The tri-tip comes from the bottom sirloin and resembles a flat-cut brisket but with less outside fat. As a leaner cut, flavor and tenderness improve dramatically with age. You want a minimum of 21 days (though 40+ is just fine with me!). If you re thinking but I don t have that much time before Mother s Day, don t worry. Get a Certified Angus Beef brand tri-tip and you re gauranteed at least 21 days of age when you receive it. Plus, the improved fat content characteristic of CAB will help with juiciness. Tri-Tip Cooking Tips: The tri-tip is very low in connective tissue, so it doesn t require the low-and-slow approach like other roasts. I would recommend marinating or dry-rubbing with hearty flavors like paprika, cumin, and cayenne. You can give the entire muscle a hard sear on the grill to create a nice crust (plus, it takes well to smoke), then finish in the oven to the desired doneness. Because of the tapered shape, there will be varying degrees of doneness throughout, making this cut ideal for a buffet carving station where preferences differ. Rest for about 10 minutes before slicing against the grain, pivoting around the angular shape. CAB Tri Tip (case) #10046941 CAB Tri-Tip (piece) #10048197 Beef market news provided by: Chris Casey CAB /Protein Specialist ccasey@southernfoods.com
SEAFOOD MARKET NEWS 5.3.17 Greensboro, NC 336.545.3800 www.southernfoods.com
Seafood Market News Finally we are seeing signs of Spring! Local Fresh Mahi, NC caught swordfish and fresh shrimp are all part of our seafood mix now. The weather is finally cooperating, allowing the fisherman to fish more. That, plus the warmer water temps are why we re seeing a great variety of species being caught. GROUPER (Mexican) Supply is finally getting better, plenty of big fish landed from the Gulf of Mexico and we expect pricing to trickle downward. SNAPPER (Gulf) We are sourcing Gulf of Mexico True American Red Snapper this week. Expect to see good landings for the next 10 days. SCALLOPS Fresh U-10 George s Bank Scallops are a great buy right now. The Nantucket Lightship opened up this month. We have seen great landings, excellent quality and a drop in price. We will be running a special on all of our U-10 Dry Pack Sea Scallops for the week of Mother s Day. Ask your rep for this special pricing. The Nanatucket Lightship is a fishing ground on the Southern part of Georges Bank that produces some of the best tasting andfirmest scallops in the Atlantic TUNA Yellowfin Supply is abundant and pricing is steady, We do have 2+ and 2G available, brand new fish in today. SALMON Canadian - The Canadian Salmon market is finally showing signs of relief. There are plenty of fish in house. NC CATCH NC Shrimp The local and regional catch features a mix of Fresh Shrimp, Mahi, Swordfish, Wild Striped Bass (Rockfish), Flounder, and Sunburst Rainbow Trout. Local Spotlight: North Carolina Mahi Mahi You know it s getting warm when Mahi show up along the Carolinas coast. They just arrived this week and Fishermen are telling me they expect an awesome season. The quality should be excellent, and as landings increase, pricing should drop. It s a great item to promote for the next 6 weeks. 10048787 Mahi Mahi Whole 10048752 Mahi Large Fillet Skin-On Seafood market news provided by: Dave Forcinito Fishmonger dforcinito@southernfoods.com
ARTISANAL CHEESE TRENDS 5.3.17 Greensboro, NC 336.545.3800 www.southernfoods.com
Artisanal Cheese Trends Bloomy Frame of Mind May is a good month for brie, a popular choice for all the special occasions like Mother s Day, graduation ceremonies, and weddings. But many people don t know that brie is only one type of many different bloomy cheeses. Bloomies (as we cheesemongers call them) are soft ripened cheeses distinguished by a thin white rind. Brie may be the most widely known bloomy, but by exploring other possibilities you can easily stand out from the crowd and make your special occasion cheese offering a little more interesting. Here are two of my very favorite bloomies: Cottonseed from Boxcarr Handmade Cheese in Cedar Grove, NC - item #10054351 This is quickly becoming a spring and summer favorite in North Carolina (and it s spreading to other states!). A delicate, snowy rind yields to a creamy, gooey center with notes of earth and truffle in this mixed-milk masterpiece. This is made with a touch of goat s milk as well as cow s milk. A fine example of precision and craftsmanship with luxurious, full-bodied flavors. Brillat Savarin ( brie-yacht SAV-er-in ) from Burgundy, France - Item #10055440 Named after 19th century gastronome and epicure, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin. Look him up! He is a pretty interesting guy. The cheese is infused with cream 3x over, or as they say in France, Triple Crème. This was the first ever cheese made this way and remains very popular for being very light and airy. This is where the lines blur a little between cheese & butter. Try this with a sliced Baguette! Monsieur Brillat-Savarin Artisanal cheese trends provided by: Sasha Shreders, ACS CCP Cheesemonger sshreders@southernfoods.com
LOCAL & SPECIALTY INSIGHTS 5.3.17 Greensboro, NC 336.545.3800 www.southernfoods.com
Local & Specialty Insights The Truth About Salt & Pepper (Part 1) Part of every mis en place and paired together on every dinner table, salt and pepper are the most ubiquitous duo in modern cooking. I say modern cooking because until fairly recently salt was used for just about everything except cooking. Salt has a tumultuous and fascinating history, and if you have a passion for food knowledge like me, I would suggest a book given to me by my good friend Sam Suchoff from Lady Edison Ham and Pork, The Story of Salt by Mark Kurlansky. For now, there s plenty that needs to be discussed just around the basics. So this is the first in a two-part series where we will explore some important considerations for this puzzling pair. Salt is a seasoning and Pepper is a spice. Let me be clear. I understand that salt and pepper are often right next to each other on your station, but that doesn t mean everything that gets salt needs pepper. Salt, when used properly, is a seasoning that enhances existing flavor characteristics. Pepper on the other hand is a spice that add its own flavor to foods, and, to be honest, doesn t belong on most foods. Pepper won the lottery by being paired with salt. It could have just as easily been coriander seed, cumin, or dried chilies, and in some cultures it is. A commonly overlooked misuse of pepper is the infamous 3-foot long pepper mill brandished during your salad course. Before approving the waiter, ask yourself a few questions: Are these peppery greens? Is it a peppery vinaigrette? Is anything bitter? If the answer to these is no, you d be better off without. The truth is, pepper has no place at the dinner table. What is pepper? There are several types of peppercorns green, black and white each with its own nuances. But they all come from the same plant. The green are freshly picked peppercorns, and meant to be eaten fresh. The black are simply green ones that have been dried. The white are just black ones with the outer skin removed. Each form has the ability to add a specific characteristic to your dish, and by no means is a dish incomplete without the use of any one of them. Green and white pepper align better with lighter, softer flavors, while black pepper can stand up to intense, robust flavors. Peppercorns are fruits, and like grapes, the soil, growing conditions, and variety of peppercorn are all going to have an impact on flavor profile. As one of the world s most popular spices, it s grown all across the world s spice regions, from India to Indonesia to Ecuador and Brazil, each having their own distinct flavor. Here are just a few: Lampong (origin: Indonesia) A slow burn that evolves into intense heat. Strong citrusy aromas; woodsy and pine notes.
Local & Specialty Insights Tellicherry (origin: India) These are like San Marzano tomatoes - make sure they actually come from Tellicherry, a city on the Malabar coast of Kerala in India. Sweet, fruity and grassy with notes citrus and pine with a fresh sensation hard to describe. Brazilian Pungent but basic, mild citrus, herbal, quick and punchy but doesn t linger. Vietnamese Massive aroma with citrus, fennel, black tea, smoke and wood notes. Mild heat. Malabar (origin: India) Malabar peppercorns hail from the same growing region as Tellicherry, but aren t as tightly controlled. Accents of citrus, resin, and berries. Warm and spicey, not sweet like Tellicherry. Sarawak (origin: Malaysia) Musky, earthy aroma and a mild flavor. Slight sweetness, good for BBQ. Talamanca (origin: Ecuador) Chili-like heat. Lemon oil and smoke aromas with pungent flavor and a bitter finish. And then there is Szechuan. The warm spice and citrusy aroma of Szechuan peppercorns can be totally addictive. They produce a tingly, numbing sensation that wakes up your tongue, or when combined with fiery chilies creates an effect known as ma la, or numbing heat. Chefs can be intimidated by these if their first experience is in Szechuan cuisine - spicy not because of the peppercorns but because of the chilies. Alone, they re no spicier than a black peppercorn. The tingling effect is actually a flavor enhancer. Add them to something slightly sweet and it will seem sweeter; something salty will seem saltier. General Quality indicators: Peppercorns should be a relatively uniform color, a signature of higher quality and more consistent flavor. Darker peppercorns are more flavorful. Higher-grade peppercorns are usually fresher than their low-grade counterparts, and thus, more expensive. As with most things in cooking, understanding your ingredients will make you a better cook. I encourage you to do a pepper tasting with your staff. Look closer at the quality of pepper you are using and, perhaps most importantly, reflect on why you are using it. Taking a moment to consider our habitual approach to seasoning may help uncover a new way of thinking. What to look for in a tasting: Acidity Sweetness Citrus, mustard, or camphor flavors Texture: do the peppercorns crumble easily or stay solid? Local & specialty updates provided by: Bobby Zimmerman Southern Foods Brand Manager bzimmerman@southernfoods.com