In the July/August 2009 issue of The Iowan

Morsels

Haute Bacon      
Expectations rise with high-end pork

[ by David Dolmage ]


It shouldn’t come as any surprise that the best bacon comes from Iowa. Iowa is, after all, the undisputed king of pork, sending more than 37 million hogs to the market in 2008. But it’s not volume that’s earning the state its crown. Iowa is now quietly becoming known for the extreme high quality of its pork products — specifically its bacon.

Cooks Illustrated recently ranked Vande Rose Farms Artisan Dry Cured Bacon number one in a blind taste test of artisanal bacons from across the country. Dave Wheeler, who manages the Vande Rose Farms processing facility in Ackley, says the secret to producing a world-class product is a labor-intensive process that’s unique to the industry. “It feels pretty good to know that we did this right here,” says Wheeler.

Great bacon starts with great hogs. Niche producers like Vande Rose Farms exclusively rely on grain-fed, hormone-free Duroc hogs, raised on farms in the Oskaloosa, then processed in the Ackley facility, where the labor-intensive process begins.

First the pork bellies are hand-rubbed, rather than coated in a tumbler, and hung to cure for 5 to 7 days. Once cured, the bellies are smoked overnight before they are cut and packaged. Wheeler, who began working in his uncle’s Earlville meat locker when he was 8 years old, says the end result is a product unlike any other. “Our bacon, once people try it, it’s so good they want more of it,” assures Wheeler.

Brooks Reynolds certainly wouldn’t disagree. To say that Reynolds loves bacon would be a gross understatement. He is a bacon fanatic. His love of bacon led to weekend bacon-and-beer getaways with friends and eventually to the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival, which he created in 2008. Taking place in Des Moines every February, it is a bacchanalian celebration of everything bacon.

Reynolds is working hard to take bacon to the next level, a job he says is easier given the large number of premium bacon producers in Iowa. Premium, or artisanal, bacon is the result of labor-intensive seasoning, curing, and smoking practices that bigger producers often gloss over. The Iowa Pork Producers Association estimates that 1-2 percent of the state’s more than 8,000 pork producers fall into a smaller niche category, producing a hormone-free, organic product. At Vande Rose Farms that means a product that is source verified, something Vande Rose Farms Marketing Manager Tiffany Bomer calls “from farm to fork.” 

“We want to get the word out about great Iowa products,” says Reynolds. “People are becoming aware that there are products other than the mega brands.”
As well as spotlighting local Iowa producers, Reynolds also wants to show people that bacon isn’t just for breakfast anymore. Reynolds paired up with Executive Chef Phil Shires of Des Moines’ Cafe di Scala to host a five-course meal aimed at taking bacon beyond the breakfast table. “I want to expand people’s palates,” explains Reynolds. “This is the next evolution of bacon.”

From the bacon-stuffed pork chop to the candied-bacon ice cream, every dish on the dinner menu was designed to affirm bacon’s role as a premium ingredient in great food. Tony Lemmo, owner of and assistant chef at Cafe di Scala, says diners were stunned and stuffed when they walked out of the restaurant after the meal.

Lemmo believes that the interest in high-end bacon springs from consumers’ growing desire for healthier, natural products. “Bacon’s been around forever,” says Lemmo. “But now we’ve got more locally grown, healthier options.”

Shires hopes the bacon dinner went a long way toward changing people’s expectations about bacon. He’s hoping it’ll lead to more high-end bacon dishes popping up on menus. “People are breaking away from seeing it only as a breakfast item,” says Shires, who, along with Lemmo, is crafting another bacon-centered fine dining experience for 2010. “You just don’t see bacon with things like a demi glace sauce, but everyone who left here left happy.” 

Diners interested in the next bacon dinner and other upcoming bacon events, including details for the 2010 Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival, can explore further online at www.blueribbonbaconfestival.com. Vande Rose Farms’ Artisan Dry Cured Bacon, Applewood Smoked is available at all Dahl’s stores, at select Hy-Vee and Fareway locations, and can be ordered direct (www.vanderosefarms.com/store).


David Dolmage is a freelance writer in Des Moines who, at any given moment, is likely thinking about bacon. Particularly a nice BLT.


Online Extra
Recipe

Bacon-Wrapped Figs With Maple Snakebite Glaze and Goat Cheese and Thyme Dip

6 strips bacon, halved crosswise
12 Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California figs, stemmed
12 pecan pieces, toasted
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Goat Cheese and Thyme Dip:
Makes: about 1/2 cup
1/4 cup (2 ounces) soft goat cheese
1/4 cup (2 ounces) cream cheese
3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves or 3/4 teaspoon dry thyme leaves

Cooking Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Place 4 layers of paper towels on microwave-safe plate. Top with bacon slices. Cover with two more layers of paper towels. Microwave on high 1 to 2 minutes to render fat from bacon but not crisp. While bacon cools, slice each fig twice, starting at stem end, and cutting three-quarters of way to bottom. Stuff each fig with a pecan piece. Wrap a half strip of bacon around each fig and secure with toothpick. Place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Turn. Return to oven for 5 minutes or until bacon is sizzling and begins to crisp. In small bowl, combine syrup and cayenne pepper. Brush mixture over appetizers.
For dip, combine all dip ingredients in small bowl. Cover and chill until serving time. Serve appetizers warm with dip.

Serves 12

Serving Suggestions
Give your tastebuds a tasty kick with these savory bites.  Serve as part of your party buffet.

Recipe and photo courtesy of the National Pork Board. For more information about pork, visit TheOtherWhiteMeat.com.

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