USING lamb in a burger, on a pizza or as a meatball proved the way to win over Americans, who are not accustomed to seeing our Aussie staple on their dinner tables.

David Pietsch recently returned from a four-year trip to the United States marketing Australian lamb and beef, in his former role as the Meat and Livestock Australia international business manager for North America.

Growing up on a farm with sheep and cattle in Inglewood, Mr Pietsch said more than half of Americans had never tried lamb, as alternatives such as beef, pork and turkey were much more popular.

"One of the big challenges to overcome is many don't know how to cook lamb,” he said.

"Not only are you trying to get them to try it but to also prepare it.

"But to really get some headway you try to present it in a meal that they're familiar with.

"You can have lamb meatballs or [lamb] on your pizza.

"It's a little easier to have a go at it.”

Moving with his wife, Rosanne, and three kids Charlie, 11, Lily, 8, and Zoe, 8, the family were based in Washington DC.

Mr Pietsch travelled around the US, Canada and Mexico holding events and liaising with chefs and retailers to promote the products.

"Taking them through the paddock to plate story of how Australian beef and lamb is raised and exported,” he said.

"The quality attributes and safety attributes.”

He said most people were surprised by how much they enjoyed the taste of lamb, offering a different flavour to other meat options on the market.

The perception of Australia being a clean, green country was also a key selling point.

"Grass-fed was a big thing,” he said.

"Australia is all about grass-fed, America not so much, so it's a good point of difference.

"More consumers are looking for what they perceived to be natural.”

Should lamb be brought on board, Mr Pietsch said he would assist with promotion within the stores or restaurants and work closely with Australian exporters.

"They don't have as much sheep so they need imported products to fill the gaps,” he said.

Over his time abroad Mr Pietsch noticed the appetite for lamb in the US was on the rise, a market he identified as being of the highest value for lamb.

"It's just a steady increase in the demand for lamb,” he said.

"It's increasing steadily as the younger generations are more willing to try different cuisine styles.”

The Darling Downs in particular has developed a strong reputation, as he said members of the culinary world were aware of the quality of products from the area.

"When you're in America you're marketing Australia as a whole,” he said.

"The Darling Downs has a good reputation as a region. Particularly the chefs are familiar with the Darling Downs, there are some pockets of awareness.”

Now living in Toowoomba, Mr Pietsch has finished up with MLA and is looking forward to taking a break on the family farm in Inglewood.