Culinary students are pushed towards creativity in flavor and finances

LBCC’s Culinary Arts program hosted a food demonstration featuring guest speakers from Broadleaf Game on Oct. 9 at the LAC campus open to all students, staff and faculty.

Broadleaf is a family-owned company based in Vernon, California that has been around for 37 years and supplies specialty meats and foods “to distributors and retailers across the United States and abroad,” according to their website.

Tre Nguyen and Kristian Diaz, speaker for Broadleaf, brought meats like duck sausage, lamb, wild boar and wagyu beef to the demonstration. 

_{Executive chef of Broadleaf Tre Nguyen sprinkles salt over steaks during a food demonstration event on Oct. 9 at the LAC campus. At the event, representatives of the meat supplier Broadleaf Game, who sells specialty meats, cooked up wild boar, wagyu and lamb, as well as gave financial tips. (Tien Nguyen)}

According to Nguyen, Broadleaf products are available in all U.S. territories including the states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, as well as in other countries. The company has about 800 active items. 

_{Broadleaf cook Kristian Diaz, right, demonstrates to students how to prepare Australian wagyu beef for cooking, while chef Tre Nguyen, left, finishes grilled lamb patties at a food demonstration event on Oct. 9 at the LAC campus. Broadleaf Game is a company that sells specialty meats, and they did food demos and gave students financial tips at the event. (Tien Nguyen)}

Both Nguyen and Diaz have similar journeys from working as chefs to becoming food sale workers and shared how chefs can creatively manage food costs without compromising menu quality.

“So, for the most exceptional food costs right now, for independent restaurants and hotels, it’s about 27%. So for those of you who’ve done your spreadsheets and costs down every single ounce of the lamb and come up with a basic future cost per plate, this is where other muscle crus say, well, maybe you can’t put a lamb rack on the menu for like 40, 50 bucks to make 27%,” Nguyen said.

In this case, he suggested using other cuts, such as lamb shoulder or leg, and to incorporate them into dishes like aioli, pasta or risotto.

“Just be creative. There’s all sorts of ways to still feature a unique menu and still hit your food cost goal,” Nguyen added.

While Nguyen was finishing up grilling lamb patties, Diaz demonstrated how to break down an Australian wagyu striploin and prepare it for cooking.

Diaz emphasized that every part of the animal could be utilized to minimize waste and create a diverse menu, for example, bones for broth, fat for oil and meat scraps for sausages and burgers.

“While your competitor is trying to struggle with 10, 12 bucks, for a regular commodity, it’s that extra spectacle we’re trying to get at stake. That extra meat that you put in your menu will make sure that it’s above the guy next door because at the end of the day, we love our neighbors, but that will be your competition. What separates you from the guy two doors down, three doors down? They all sell the same thing,” Diaz said.

The speakers hoped students learned something new from their demonstration, “whether it’s professional or just cooking at home.”

Nguyen said that beyond the kitchen, there would be many career paths to choose from, including sales, food photography, food styling and product development.

After the presentation, students had a chance to taste the grilled meat samples: New Zealand lamb patties, venison medallions, wild boar tenderloin and Australian wagyu striploin.

_{Students serve themselves dishes prepared by Broadleaf cooks at a food demonstration event on Oct. 9 at the LAC campus. At the event, representatives of the meat supplier Broadleaf Game, who sells specialty meats, cooked up wild boar, wagyu and lamb, as well as gave financial tips. (Tien Nguyen)}

An LBCC Culinary Arts student shared their rating of the food.

“I liked the preparation. The wagyu was delicious, usually something I don’t buy when I’m out of a restaurant, just because it’s usually out of my price range,” said Jabaree Brown.

“I didn’t know that much [in] high school, about the costs of food and how we had to keep our costs in between, you know, a certain number.
I didn’t know that the 27% was the number that most restaurants are shooting for food costs. So with what we learned today, I have an insight on what to look for,” Brown added.