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Taste of Elegance

Bethany — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:29:08 +0000

A few weeks ago I went to help the Ohio Pork Producers at the Taste of Elegance. The Taste of Elegance is a food competition like the Iron Chef America but in downtown Columbus!

The secret ingredient for this cuisine showdown was pork of course! There were some absolutely gorgeous and delicious dishes prepared by the chefs.

Delicious pork dish created by our contestants

Our judges and winners of the night!

Congratulations to our winners!

Chef Par Excellence: Chef Todd McDunn of Lakeview Café at the Scotts Co.

Superior Chef: Chef Dave MacLennan of Latitude 41

Premier Chef & People’s Choice Award: Chef Michael Delligatta of Michael Anthony’s at the Inn in Versailles

Participants: Chef Tim Franks of Flavorseal

Chef Scott Pierce of the Refectory

Chef Michael Thompson of The Hideaway Inn

To see more pictures take a look at Ohio Hog Farmers on Facebook!

P.S. I tried to get all the leftover pork from the competition and it was all gone because it was so delicious!

P.P.S. Since the pork was quickly devoured, there was a lot of cupcakes left. I did manage to walk out with around 20 cupcakes so I didn’t walk away empty handed

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Bethany — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:00:18 +0000

It seems as though Valentine’s Day seems to be focused more and more on candy, flowers, and hearts. I think it’s important to get back to what is really important and that is expressing your love for whomever and whatever it may be.

Well, I obviously love pork! So I decided to give my five top reasons that I love pork and I decided to show them all in video form. Enjoy and if you do go out to eat with your loved one, try out the pork tenderloin or pork chop!

5. I love that tenderloin is just as lean as a boneless skinless chicken breast.

4. I love that pork can help you out impress your friends at a party.

3. I love that pork gives us the ability to make restaurant ribs at home. Yum!

2. I love all the recipes you can make with one pork loin!

1. I especially love the farmers who bring us delicious pork!

Slow Cooker Pork Recipes to Keep You Warm!

Bethany — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:43:36 +0000

I was watching the large snowflakes float down as I was heading home last week. Trying to keep the chill away made me wish that I had supper waiting for me. I wanted something warm, comforting, delicious, and ready to eat as soon as I walk through the door. I wasn’t thinking ahead that day, but maybe you have the same wish some days this winter. If that is the case, I decided to share some wonderful recipes slow cooker recipes with you!

Slow Cooker Orange-BBQ Pulled Pork

Slow Cooker Pork Chop Supper

Slow Cooker Pork Lo Mein

I hope everyone is staying warm out there and enjoying some wonderful food. If you come up with your own pork slow cooker recipe, you should try out for The Other White Meat’s slow cooker challenge next year. Check out this year’s winner!

Eldora Speedway

Jennifer — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 21:28:33 +0000

What would you do if you were charged to increase the demand for pork in Ohio?

: Like the t-shirts?

That’s one of my missions while on the clock. I plan and attend promotions expecting to feed people pork. I’ve learned to expect a surprised look once the pork is actually consumed and tastes great. Sometimes the eater’s face becomes a little contorted and they admit they didn’t know pork could taste like that. Then a pork farmer who has volunteered to help at the promotion, a co-worker or I say, “The key is not to overcook your pork. Pork is safe to eat when it is still slightly pink in the center and leaving a blush of pink will make it juicier and more flavorful.” And people tend to stop and think that one through. They might not have believed that pink was safe in the past, but they must be thinking, here are a bunch of healthy looking people (farmers) serving me something delicious (properly cooked pork), in a friendly manner (as long as you agree to eat a sample quickly) telling me I can do this at home if I just use a meat thermometer.

Delicious!

I believe that it doesn’t really matter what the rub, marinade, or whatever else you put on your meat tastes like for beginner cooks as long as it’s not overcooked. I encourage you to master properly cooking pork, then worry about dressing it up with all that fancy stuff.

Busy Giving Away Samples!

So Excited to be Promoting Pork

I go to promote pork and sometimes I get more than I bargained for rather it’s grape cigars or an offer from a race enthusiast to purchase a pork sandwich for me if I sat by him.

If only he knew how silly that was, ……..I get as much free pork as I want at these promotions, which is fitting for the time and effort involved in deal. Even though I turn down unforgettable offers like these I still leave rewarded for sharing the joy of properly cooked pork with the masses.

Pork Chops and Bacon, My Two Favorite Animals

porktastic — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:15:40 +0000

Today we would like to take a few moments to salute television’s biggest fan of bacon and everything else pork, Homer J. Simpson.

Ok, so he doesn’t know that pork comes from pigs, but he sure has eaten a lot of it and is quite possibly responsible for keeping all of Springfield’s invisible hog farmers afloat. And since so many pork lovers tune in to watch their kindred spirit, we’re pretty sure Homer’s eating habits are the reason for the show’s success.

Since Homer doesn’t know the most basic thing about pigs and pork (one becomes the other) we’re guessing he’s not up on other facts of modern hog farming either. Like how pigs are raised in state of the art barns that provide a stable climate year round and protection from predators and disease, or that they eat feed that has been specially formulated to meet their needs at every stage of growth. He probably also missed the memo announcing that pork is leaner than ever and that pork tenderloin is just as lean as skinless chicken breast. But we can forgive him for not knowing all that as long as he remembers farmers are doing what’s best and keeps right on eating pork!

So, Homer keep baconing up your sausage, ordering your smiley-face breakfasts with bacon noses, bacon hair, bacon mustaches, five o’clock shadows made of bacon bits and bacon bodies, and enjoying the wonderful, magical animal that gives you pork, bacon and ham, and we’ll keep watching your show for another 20 years.

The Most Important Day of the Year

porktastic — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:01:57 +0000

Today is the most important day of the year. It is a day to stay home from work. It is a day of celebrating with family and friends. It is bigger than Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year’s and the Fourth of July combined. It is a day to honor the reason there can be delicious bacon and pork chops and swine inspired doo-dads and even a nation of Porktastic. My fellow Porktasticans prepare yourselves because today is National Pig Day.

My friends, we will be grilling, baking and slow roasting all of our favorite forms of pork throughout the day, not to mention watching our favorite famous pigs like Babe, Porky, Gordy and Miss Piggy. So come party with us! We’ll be easy to spot since we’ll be the ones decked out head-to-toe in true pig style – nose, ears and of course curly-q tail.

But, if for some crazy reason your boss won’t let you off to celebrate this holiday of holidays, we have a few ideas to help you take the party to work with you:

Choose your favorite pig tie or jewelry to commemorate the day.
Hang a string of pig lights around your office or cubicle.
Grill up some pork loin chops and bring enough to share with your coworkers, remembering they want to be home celebrating just as much as you.
Get a pig piñata filled with bacon candy.
Wear your favorite pig inspired tee underneath a button-up dress shirt. When everyone complains about missing Pig Day rip your top shirt off like Clark Kent and set up a completely awesome celebration of pigs and pork.

Have a Porktastic day holiday and be sure to tell us how you celebrated National Pig Day by emailing stories or pics of your celebration to Mr.Oinkers@gmail.com.

Porktastic Nine Recipe: Italian Pork Hoagie

porktastic — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:34:24 +0000

Hoagie, sub, grinder, zep, po’boy, torpedo… whatever it’s hailed by, Number Four on our Porktastic Nine is sure to delight even the most finicky of eaters. Even though your child turns their nose up to anything that’s not mac’n’cheese; this recipe may even interest them and it’s so easy that they can help. Lo and behold the beginning of a Porktastic family meal!

Italian Pork Hoagie

4 boneless pork loin chops, cut into thin strips
¼ cup reduced- fat Italian dressing
¼ cup pizza sauce
4 ½ ounce slices mozzarella cheese
4 hot dog buns

Cooking Directions- serves 4

In a heavy plastic bag, combine pork strips and dressing; refrigerate several hours or overnight. Discard marinade. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add pork strips to the pan stirring frequently, for 8 minutes or until pork strips are lightly browned. Divide pork strips into 4 equal portions and place on bottom halves of buns. Spoon on 1 tablespoon of pizza sauce for each sandwich. Top with slice of mozzarella cheese. Bake in a 350° F oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese melts and bun is lightly toasted.

Salute to the Hog Farmer

porktastic — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:25:59 +0000

We would like to take a few moments to salute the men and women on the front lines of pork production, the Hog Farmer!

They are up early rain, snow, or shine to make sure their animals have clean, fresh feed and water and are relaxing under the perfect temperature. Available 24/7, they are often woken up in the middle of the night (while dreaming of dancing pork chops) to their cell phone ringing because an alarm has gone off. The building has dropped in temperature or lost electricity and called your phone, so you put on your boots and save the day.

We honor your expertise and dedication with each piece of succulent bacon, savory pork chops, or saucy ribs we consume. So we thank you for making everyday Porktastic and raise our pork high in salute to you, the Hog Farmer!