The Dish | Merry & Bright Meals (Reinhart)

TO UNWRAP FUN, CASUAL PRESENTATIONS ‘Tis the Season

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

The lights are bright, the air is a little crisp, the sounds of the season lift us up – and we all gather around great food.

Performance Foodservice understands that it’s a busy period for restaurants, juggling both your business and your own families over the next several weeks. So, wholesale holiday menu changes probably aren’t practical. In this month’s Dish, we explore casual, accessible takes on holiday specials – offering one or two options that could be added to appetizer, centerof-plate, or dessert menus.

We placed an emphasis on quality protein brands that tell a story, on-

trend family ingredients from regions around the world, easy-prep items, and ready-to-serve sweets to make the holidays a little more palatable for your team.

For starters, steak frites get a Korean-style makeover topped with Braveheart® Skirt Steak. And we share the brotherly love as dippable Philly cheesesteak apps come ready to roll.

For the main course, Hispanic flavors bring out the best of a Braveheart steak salad, while a Contigo® Ribeye is served with Bountiful Harvest® and Culinary Secrets® trimmings. The center-ofplate gifts keep coming, as coconut elevates traditional pork tenderloin, and the beauty of Japanese cuisine

influences a tender Allegiance® Pork Belly plate.

And it wouldn’t be the holidays without a few sweet slices, so let’s put the milk and cookies aside to focus on pre-made cakes that deliver homemade taste, reducing stress on your staff. Ready-toserve gluten-free chocolate cake and Italian lemon cream cake from Sweet Encore® help you end the night’s service on a high note.

We hope these recipe ideations can provide some seasonal inspiration and help service run smoothly.

Happy holidays from the team at Performance Foodservice!

Main

BOUNTIFUL

BOUNTIFUL HARVEST

RICE

CONTIGO GRATED COTIJA CHEESE

Made from cow's milk with a bold, salty flavor

Feast Your Eyes

A strong performing holiday special can be as simple as a quality protein and sides. Ribeye à la Plancha is a great example, contrasting the dark, caramelized sear of a steak against light, fresh Southeast Asian flavors.

À la plancha cooking is inspired by Aztec culture and is translated to mean prepared on a round, flat metal surface, like your griddle. Traditionally, the seasoned surface and high heat allow the essential flavors of the meat to shine – with no enhancements necessary, and that’s certainly true here of the ribeye from our Hispanic-inspired Contigo brand.

On the side, coconut milk adds a sticky richness to fluffy Bountiful Harvest Jasmine Rice originating out of Thailand. Whole baby corn and juicy Mandarin orange segments are blended with Mexican Cotija Cheese and radishes for a touch of sweet and savory crunch.

Slice Season

Asian influences also elevate the flavors of this classic holiday pork tenderloin.

Coconut milk, rice vinegar, and cilantro mingle to create a vibrant marinade for the premium Allegiance Pork. Singlesourced from a Midwest family farm and perfected using our industry-leading PathProven® program, the beautiful marbling of Allegiance produces superior flavor, juiciness, and tenderness.

Toss Asian Pride Edamame and quinoa in a side salad with a zesty dressing that combines hints of peanut butter, honey, ginger, cayenne powder, and soy sauce and you’ve got a simple, healthy complement to the pork showcase.

What are some fun twists on the traditional holiday menu?

Sauces are an easy way to put a spin on traditional holiday fare. Looking to add a bit of heat? Try a Buffalo-inspired turkey with Frank’s RedHot® brine or create a mouth-watering Buffalo chicken dip appetizer with Frank's RedHot Original Buffalo Wings Sauce. For a smoked BBQ flavor, Cattlemen’s® BBQ Sauce is the perfect enhancement to a baked mac & cheese dish that will have even the pickiest guests coming back for seconds. The options are endless with sauces!

ASIAN PRIDE® RICE WINE VINEGAR

Sweet, vinegary punch made from fermented rice

I Saw Edamame

Kissing Santa Claus

ALLEGIANCE® PORK BELLY

From the same cut of meat that's made into bacon

Chef Talk

The night before prep: score the top of the pork belly with a knife, about 1/8” deep, in a crisscross. Season pork the night before with the rub, then pat dry lightly the next day before searing. This will create a crispier crust, along with a deeper flavor infusion.

CONTIGO® BIRRIA SAUCE

Authentic, delicious mixture of onion, garlic, and spices

BOUNTIFUL HARVEST® WATER CHESTNUTS

Specially selected to offer exceptional crunch and consistent quality

Jolly Belly

Edamame is the star ingredient for this layered, yet elegant Japanese presentation.

Grab guests’ attention by roasting succulent Allegiance Pork Belly in one of the buzziest ingredients on the scene, a birria sauce from our authentic Contigo brand. Create a bed of soft coconut jasmine rice for the base of this eyecatching dish.

Smashed edamame cakes form a vivid middle layer, adding texture, color, and flavors that counterbalance the rich pork and starchy rice. Bountiful Harvest Water Chestnuts and Panko Breadcrumbs are blended with egg to give the cakes a stuffing-esque quality and then seared golden brown. A sprig of cilantro adds a green holiday touch on top.

Prix Fixe: Not Just for Four Stars

It’s got a fancy reputation, but prix fixe can help control costs this season. click here for more info

Flanks for the Memories

Green goes a long way on a holiday plate – adding festive color, crunch, and a healthy contrast to the density of the protein.

For this seasonal salad, a bed of peppery arugula and delicate, creamy hearts of palm form a tasty and lush place to start. Then take Braveheart Skirt Steak, a cut prized more for its flavor than tenderness, and marinate with a zesty salsa verde sauce.

Combine Contigo Tomatillos, jalapeños, and lime juice for the citrusy, mildly spicy marinade that will bring immediate joy to patrons’ taste buds. The salty, earthy flavors of Cotija cheese from Contigo top off a salad that can be sold at an entrée price point.

Serve Upscale Classics and Tame Costs

Diners love classic holiday fare. Give a nod to tradition while getting creative. Count the Cost

BRAVEHEART® SKIRT STEAK

Cut across the grain for added tenderness

ASIAN PRIDE® SESAME OIL

Made from toasted sesame seeds

Time to Fry

If a crackling fire is a hallmark of the holidays, then bulgogi, or fire meat, fries are delicious and easy additions to seasonal menus.

For this shareable app, marinate Braveheart Skirt Steak in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and white wine vinegar. Carve the steak into thin strips and place it on a bed of golden, easy-prep Bountiful Harvest French Fries. Then infuse the sour cream topping with caramelized onions and toss in some melty Bacio Mozzarella Cheese.

When customers come across this fun, colorful plate on social media, or see it deliciously described on a specials board, or catch a glimpse of it steaming as it’s delivered from the kitchen to a nearby table – they won’t be able to resist placing an order for the whole group.

Chef Talk

Add all ingredients in a bowl and place sliced beef in the marinade overnight. This will allow the flavors to infuse in the beef and tenderize it as well. Also, slice onions, toss in olive oil, and season with vegetable seasoning before placing in a sauté pan and adding 3 ounces of bourbon. Cook on medium heat to sweat the onions and caramelize them along with infusing them with bourbon. This creates layers of flavor.

ENTICE® PHILLY EGG ROLLS

Heat-and-serve, with housemade taste

Egg Nosh

We know that during the holidays, time is of the essence. Your restaurant needs to be able to plate certain items quickly without over-burdening the back-of-house staff.

Consider fry-and-serve egg rolls from Entice. These efficient apps are stuffed with a rich, hearty Philly cheesesteak filling and then frozen to last. Simply drop in the fryer for one to two minutes and guests will be clamoring for classic, dippable cheesesteak taste in a handheld egg roll casing. Include roasted jalapeño queso or other dipping sauces that fit your concept.

This is an ideal item for an app special or shareable holiday plate. And if you are expanding to catering service during this time of year, Philly egg rolls offer homemade, comfort flavor with ease of execution to help you jingle all the way!

Looking for cost-effective ways to put a spin on your traditional holiday fare?

Roma® Pork & Beef Gourmet Meatballs are the perfect holiday dish, not only for their versatility, but they also save on labor. The meatballs are fully cooked, so you save time and money without sacrificing flavor and that fresh, authentic Italian taste. Slow cook them in a spicy curry sauce, festive chili and cranberry sauce, or served atop hearty risotto for delicious twists on classic holiday comfort food.

Chef Talk

Cut the individual cake slices with a plastic knife to prevent sticking and for cleaner portions. To create a different texture, roll the candied lemon zest in

Oh, the

PEAK® LEMONS & BLUEBERRIES

Picked from prime growing regions

Weather

Outside is Trifle

Create a decadent winter wonderland by serving sweet treats in mason jars that will light up social media like Rudolph’s nose.

Pre-made slices of creamy Italian lemon cake from Sweet Encore can be utilized in a variety of fun ways. In this case, you simply slice the cake into segments and distribute them into the jars. Top with a fresh, fruity blueberry lemon mix, and then add spoonfuls of orange caramel, made with pureed Mandarin oranges from Bountiful Harvest. A dollop of whipped cream on top is worth celebrating, whether you’ve been naughty or nice this year.

It might be a trifle, but we’re not playing around. Offer guests desserterie-quality specials without the laborintensive prep.

Box Up Holiday Cheer

Cater to your guests with tips that bring the holidays back home.

Click here to START Event Planning

Chocolate Curtain Call

Regardless of diet restrictions, everyone deserves a little sweet love during the holidays.

Sweet Encore offers flourless gluten-free chocolate cake that is simply divine. Did we mention it’s pre-made? Save time, labor, and costs with bakery-fresh desserts that are ready-to-serve.

And you can even top this chocolatey confection with housemade vegan whipped cream, featuring Asian Pride Coconut Milk. Add Peak Fresh Raspberries for a festive final touch of red and green color.

ASIAN PRIDE® COCONUT MILK

No artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives

What’s

Garniche® dehydrated orange slices look fabulous as decorations not only on cocktails but on holiday cakes and cupcakes too. There's no need to worry about this shelf- stable garnish going to waste as shelf life will last you long after the holidays. Easily top a gin or holiday cocktail like an orange cranberry Moscow Mule. Dehydrated orange slices are a beautiful element for the holidays and will dress up your drink and put your customers in a festive mood.

Inspected upon packing for quality and safety

an easy way to elevate a holiday cocktail – creating a festive presentation with little labor & waste?

NOW THAT WE HAVE INSPIRED YOUR MENU, LET’S EXECUTE IT ACROSS YOUR BUSINESS

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Merry & Bright Meals

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