HCC Culinary Arts program pays homage to Houston food scene at ‘Taste of the Texans’

Nov 17, 2016

The Houston food truck scene was the inspiration behind an Asian-style dish created by the Community College (HCC) Culinary Arts program and served at the “Taste of the Texans” fundraiser.

Chef and instructor Christy Sykes, along with students Deandrea Buxton and Alex Schmidt, whipped up enough samples of the Korean Barbecue Braised Ribs to feed hundreds of hungry fans who spent the evening sampling menu items from more than two dozen popular restaurants across Houston.

For Schmidt, the opportunity for HCC to get this type of exposure is extremely rewarding.

“The best compliment we got tonight was from someone who asked us ‘what restaurant we were’,” said Schmidt.

The work Chef Sykes and her students put into creating the delectable dish was just as powerful as its flavors.

“We braised the meat for five hours,” said Chef Sykes. “We paired it with the spiciness of a Sriracha mayo, the sweetness of hoisin sauce, then finished it off with cilantro.”

And if that wasn’t enough, the short ribs sat nicely on top of a crispy creamer potato.

HCC is the official education partner of the Houston Texans. The annual event at NRG Stadium benefits the Houston Texans Foundation, Houston Food Bank, and Houston Methodist Hospital. The Houston Texans set a record for funds raised with more than $355,000.

The Culinary Arts program at HCC is part of the Consumer Arts and Sciences Center of Excellence. For more information, visit hccs.edu/culinary-arts.