Congratulations to the winners of the The Prairie Fresh USA Prime® Pork Contest! We challenged 50 US-based chefs to show off their culinary skills by creating an outstanding original dish using a complimentary whole boneless loin of Prairie Fresh USA Prime® pork to compete for huge cash prizes! We received so many incredible and creative entries, but these talented chefs really stood out. Our Grand Prize Winner will receive $2,000 cash and the Runners Up will each receive $1,000 cash. Plus a few honorable mentions will receive some Chef’s Roll swag. Congrats chefs!
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Stuffed Pork Loin
Stuffed Pork Loin with Mushroom Paste, Wild Spinach Pesto, and Oven-Roasted Tomatoes, Glazed with a Soy-Maple Top with Herb Crust and Sous Vide at 137 for 3hrs then basted in Beef Tallow and Garlic.
.
RUNNER UP WINNERS
Pork and Beans
Prairie Fresh Pork / English Pea Stuffing / Salisify Cream / Chickpea Fritter / Leather Britches / Garlic Chive Oil
I used a blend of fresh and preserved beans to create a play on pork and beans for this dish. The pork was marinated, slow cooked and stuffed with fresh spring peas and roasted garlic. Leather britches are beans I dried last season. I simmered them in pork stock and ancho chile to rehydrate for this dish. The chickpea fritter is seasoned with smoked paprika, shallot and tarragon. I served this over garlic chive oil and warm, creamed salisify.
Hazelnut Crusted Pork Loin
Hazelnut Crusted Pork Loin / Citrus Rhubarb Consommé / Seared Radicchio / Chili Radish Greens / Chèvre / Pickled Rhubarb / Purple Ninja Radish / Pomegranate
I love working with the seasons and with spring and early summer pork is a perfect protein. The pork loin was brined in a sweet brine with chilies, then crusted with hazelnuts and seared/ basted in brown butter. I also believe and using every bit of the an ingredient. The rhubarb was made into a consommé with lemon and lime juice, then crusted rest was pickled with crushed red pepper and garlic. With it being the beginning of the growing season I decided to use bitter and sharp produce. Radicchio for it mellowed when seared bitter notes and purple ninja radish for its sharpness. I took the radish greens and simply cooked them down with butter and chili flakes. To smooth it all out I added in whipped chèvre.
Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin
Bacon-Wrapped Pork / Blackberry BBQ / Sweet Potato / Apple Pomelo “Sunrays”
The smoked bacon-wrapped Prairie Fresh pork loin brings richness and depth, while the blackberry BBQ sauce adds a sweet-tart contrast. The chipotle sweet potato purée provides warmth and creaminess, and the pickled apple-serrano cuts through with bright acidity and heat creating a dynamic and memorable flavor experience that’s both comforting and innovative.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Whole Roasted Pork Loin
Wood Roasted Pork Loin / Mole / Pickled Farmers Vegetables
This dish has this beautiful pork loin as the star of the show and is cooked simply with simple accoutrement to really let it shine. The pork was brined for four days with orange and black pepper, then slow roasted in a wood fired oven resulting in a lovely crust and a juicy evenly cooked pork loin with citrus notes. I accompanied the pork with a pork mole sauce as well as a salad of various in season vegetables from my local farm co-op. The pork is melt in your mouth with a nice variety of flavors to enjoy with a salad of radish asparagus and beets all with different pickling preparations.
Whole Roasted Pork Loin
Quince and Calvados Glazed Pork, Carrot Puree ,and Potato Pave topped with Pickled Jalapeño and Mustard Seeds
The fruit from the calvados and quince really bring out the flavor of this prime pork! The subtle sweetness from the carrots are contrasted with the tang from the quince and pickled mustard seeds. The salted potato pave add the savory and textural element to really round out the dish. All compliment the pork and still allow the pork to be the star of the show.
Thank you so much to everyone who participated in this contest! Follow Prairie Fresh on Instagram for more!
