Photo is courtesy of the PA Pork Producers Council

Facing some stiff culinary competition, House and Barn Restaurant Executive Chef Nate Weida wowed the judges with his delicious bacon wrapped pork tenderloin confit, capturing first-place in the 21^st Annual PA Taste of Elegance competition at SteelStacks Oct. 24. As the winner, Weida took home the grand prize of $1,000 and an invitation to attend the National Pork Board’s national Pork Summit in 2017.

Eight chefs from the region participated in the Taste of Elegance event presented by the PA Pork Producers Council, with all dishes judged by the judging panel of Sara Crawford, Director of Retail Marketing and Innovation for the National Pork Board; 2015 Taste of Elegance winner Chef Cristian Gonzalez of The Hamilton Kitchen; and 69-WFMZ-TV Reporter Rosa Duarte.

The complete list of winners is:
First Place
Executive Chef Nate Weida of The House and Barn Restaurant, Emmaus
Bacon wrapped pork tenderloin confit with applewood smoked potato puree, rosemary and fig ketchup, marinated kale, guanciale vinaigrette, sweet and sour apples with a caramelized onion and bacon crumble.

Second Place
Executive Chef Cale Beck of Kingfish American Bistro and Wine Bar, Bethlehem
Vietnamese Pork and Curried Noodles with lemongrass pork meatballs, Vietnamese jerk smoked pork tenderloin, coconut braised pork belly, a tea smoked egg, crushed peanut, banh mi croutons, Thai basil aioli, pickled carrot and jalapeño.

Third Place
Executive Chef Michael Hoffman of the ArtsQuest Center, Bethlehem
Smoked pork steak over dirty grits, sauced with a Minus 8 St. Louis style barbecue sauce and paired with a corn bread crusted spiced pork belly crostini and cucumber tomato salad in a pork fat vinaigrette.

Following the private blind judging, the public enjoyed a tasting session featuring all eight of the chefs’ creations. Proceeds from the event benefited ArtsQuest, the Bethlehem-based nonprofit providing access to art, culture and educational programs for residents of the Lehigh Valley.