Lambassador Chef Profile: Kareem El-Ghayesh with KG BBQ
Lambassador Kareem El-Ghayesh is part of the American Lamb Board’s growing network of “Lambassador Chefs,” cooking up flavorful new dishes and featuring nutritious American Lamb at venues and events nationwide.
The owner of KG BBQ in Austin, Texas, Kareem has taken his captivating culinary skills on tour, featuring unique American Lamb dishes at trendy foodie events. Born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, Kareem earned a degree in finance but always knew cooking was his true calling. While visiting a friend in Austin, he discovered his love for BBQ. This pivotal experience led him to move to the city and pursue his culinary career, where he developed a unique mashup of Texas-style barbecue with an Egyptian twist.
“The Lambassador program is a great way to introduce flavorful American Lamb to consumers who may have never even considered trying lamb,” says ALB Chair Jeff Ebert. “Kareem’s unique recipes and passion for sharing great food has a positive impact on the American Lamb industry as we continue to reach more consumers looking for unique food flavors.”
At recent events, Kareem showcased American Lamb by serving delicious dishes and offering American Lamb Board swag to help attendees associate the new flavor-packed dishes with American-raised lamb.
Hot Luck | Austin, Texas
Kareem wowed the audience with his live-fire cooking skills as he served ribs with chimichurri and yogurt dipping sauce at Hot Luck in Austin, Texas, over Memorial Day weekend. Hot Luck is a live food and music event created in part by James Beard Award-winner Aaron Franklin. The event has been dubbed a huge family get-together and backyard cookout, featuring 70 chefs from around the world gathering for four days of live-fire cooking. Thousands of people attended this year’s event.
Heritage BBQ | Los Angeles, California
KG BBQ hit the road in June for a pop-up event at the renowned Heritage BBQ, where Kareem showcased his Egyptian-style Lamb Shoulder Rice Bowls. Heritage BBQ knows a thing or two about pop-ups. The restaurant started cooking up Texas-style BBQ at various breweries and events while awaiting the construction of their standalone restaurant in San Juan Capistrano, which is now considered one of the best places to eat in Orange County, California.
EEEEEATSCON LA | Las Angeles, California
At Eeeeatscon LA, Kareem served delicious Lamb Shoulder Tacos and Lamb Rice Bowls during the two-day event. Eeeeatscon is a food festival built in the spirit of a music festival but with restaurants as the headliners. The LA event showcased dozens of unique restaurants from across the country. The event, which will take place in six US cities this year, is designed for people wanting more from a food experience than just tasting-sized portions and cooking demonstrations.