Many recognize Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce as spice for steaks and other meat dishes.
But at the recently concluded cook fest, “Lea & Perrins Isang Kutsara Nationwide Cooking Challenge Year 2,” this brown fermented seasoning went beyond the dining table into the kitchen.
Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce became one of the main ingredients in various competition dishes.
Tasty all-around sauce
The participants showed that Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, which can be used as a marinade or a meat tenderizer, can do an amazing job in enhancing the flavors of dishes, be they seafood, beef, chicken or pork.
At the Manila leg of the cook-off, the top three dishes were Lea & Perrins Tangy Barbecue Ribs by Kathleen Lachenal, Crispy Pata Tim a la Lea & Perrins by Julianne Yuki, and Simple Beef Stir Fry in Lea & Perrins by Leonardo Cruz.
Lachenal, who is the Manila area’s grand champion, said her recipe has been with her family for years. But including Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce in the marinade has further improved the taste and texture of the dish.
“It’s part of the marinade, which was reused to become the dish’s sauce. We used to treat Worcestershire sauce as a condiment but when it was mixed with the marinade, the flavor was noticeably strengthened. The sauce adds flavor and perks up the dish,” Lachenal said.
Yuki, the first runner-up, shared that she used Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce to enhance the flavor of her Crispy Pata Tim a la Lea & Perrins, which is her own recipe.
Meanwhile, Cruz, the second runner-up, said his simple recipe was made more special by using Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce and the triple stir-fry technique.
Versatile product
The cook-off’s twin goals are to promote the other uses of the Worcestershire sauce and encourage home cooks to use Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce so that their simple fare can turn into restaurant-quality meals.
“We now would like to showcase the flexibility of our product,” said Kraft Heinz Philippines Country Manager Charles Mendoza.
He added, “What’s good about our contest right now is that it turns normal or home cooked food into gourmet or restaurant food. That is one of the qualities that we check in the competition.”
Considered the biggest live cooking competition for two years now, the “Lea & Perrins Isang Kutsara Nationwide Cooking Challenge Year 2” had more than 300 participants this year coming from Albay, Cagayan De Oro, Davao, Iloilo, Cebu and Metro Manila.
According to the Kraft Heinz Philippines Advisory Chef Mia Yan, the winning dishes in the other areas were simple fare with distinctive tastes and flavor profiles.
In Albay, the winner was Pechay Wrapped Chicken in Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce; in Cagayan De Oro, Skinless Lea & Perrins Pork Longganisa; in Davao, Tasty Lea & Perrins Beef Empanada; in Iloilo, Lea & Perrins Beef Stroganoff Pasta; and in Cebu, Lea & Perrins Sweet & Spicy Wings.
Competition expansion
When asked about plans, Mendoza said, “Hopefully we can continue this next year to show the usage and variety of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce. With this kind of activity, consumers can gain knowledge that there are other uses for our product.”
He enthused that Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce is the best choice for whipping up regional dishes. “Our sauce can be used in a variety of dishes especially Filipino recipes,” Mendoza shared.
Special prizes
More than half a million in cash and prizes were given away in this year’s competition alone.
Each area visited had three top winners who took home cash and prizes. The area’s grand champion, first runner-up and second runner-up each received P25,000, P15,000 and P10,000, with gift packs, plaque of participation and Lea & Perrins gold, silver and bronze trophy respectively.
All non-winners in the six areas were given consolation prize money, plaque of participation and exclusive gift packs from Lea & Perrins as well.