The Official Bacon Thread.
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New Zealand Pork CREDIT: New Zealand Pork
100% New Zealand Bacon competition winners announced
By New Zealand Pork
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Today New Zealand’s best bacons were uncovered at the 100% New Zealand Bacon Competition. The 100% New Zealand Bacon Competition, sponsored by Bunzl and Kerry Ingredients celebrates New Zealand’s best bacon, all of it made from 100% New Zealand pork.
The Bacon of the Year winner is Brian Jennings of Redcliffs Butchery in Christchurch, who takes home both the supreme award, and gold, for his highly commended Dry Cured Middle bacon.
“I’m speechless and blown away, it’s just unbelievable” says Brian, “We’re just a two man butcher shop.”
Judges described the winning bacon as, “well balanced, good looking and good tasting. It can be difficult to pick the best of the best, but this one stands out,” they said.
Twenty four judges tasted 184 different bacons. The judging panel was headed up by the President of the National Chef’s Association and renowned chef Anita Sarginson, Food Editor of award-winning Dish Magazine Claire Aldous, TV3’s Political Editor Duncan Garner, well known chef and food writer Simon Holst, and bacon expert Jason Cunningham.
“It’s always a delicious day,” says Head Judge Anita Sarginson, “NZ Bacon is a mark of true quality.”
This year the 100% New Zealand Bacon Competition featured five categories: Middle, Shoulder, Streaky, Middle Eye, and Dry Cured Middle. Dry Cured Middle bacon is a new category introduced this year due to high demand from butchers and consumers.
The gold medalists from each category are compared to each other in a grand final ‘cook off’ to identify New Zealand’s best bacon for 2010.
The competition is in its third year and is open to all New Zealand butchers who only make bacon from 100% New Zealand pork. This year 73 different bacon makers entered.
With more than 700,000kgs of imported pork entering New Zealand each week, it is important to keep an eye out for the 100% New Zealand Bacon label to avoid getting stuck with bacon made from imported pork.
Other gold medal winners include: Chris Brown of Ellesmere Butchery, Leeston, Canterbury for Middle and Streaky bacon; Andrew Preston of Preston's Master Butchers, Harbourside, Wellington for Shoulder bacon and Murray Sattler of Buzz the Butcher, Westown, New Plymouth for Middle Eye bacon.
The bacon is judged uncooked and cooked, with criteria based on taste, aroma, texture, and appearance. Taste is the key element in the competition, with saltiness, sweetness, aftertaste and overall good taste evaluated by the 24 judges before the winners are found.
“The standard of bacon has risen enormously in the three years of this competition” says Head Judge Anita Sarginson, “not only is the consistency in cutting, texture and color really lifting, but most importantly the flavor is gaining more intensity every year. With tea-tree smoked, garlic smoked alongside the favorite Manuka smoked and honey cured there truly is a bacon for every taste bud.”
So keep an eye out at your local butcher, supermarket or farmer’s market for the award winning bacons, and be sure to support New Zealand farmers and buy only 100% New Zealand bacon, ham and pork.
Winners by category:
Supreme Bacon of the Year winner
Brian Jennings of Redcliffs Butchery, Redcliffs, Christchurch
Middle bacon
Gold – Chris Brown of Ellesmere Butchery, Leeston, Canterbury
Silver – Andrew Preston of Preston's Master Butchers, Harbourside, Wellington
Bronze – Bruce Richards of New World Brookfield, Otumoetai, Tauranga
Shoulder bacon
Gold – Andrew Preston of Preston's Master Butchers, Harbourside, Wellington
Silver – Steffan McKinley of New World Albany, Albany, Auckland
Bronze – Jarred Luty of Harringtons Small Goods, Miramar, Wellington
Streaky bacon
Gold – Chris Brown of Ellesmere Butchery, Leeston, Canterbury
Silver – Chris and David Timbs of Peter Timbs Meats, St Albans, Christchurch
Bronze – David Woodley of The Village Butcher, Blenheim
Middle Eye bacon
Gold – Murray Sattler of Buzz the Butcher, Westown, New Plymouth
Silver – David Crosbie of Franklin Country Meats, Pukekohe, Auckland
Joint Bronze – Peter Stevenson of Tauranga Meat Packers Ltd, Mt Maunganui
Joint Bronze – Sam Hutchinson of Agora - The Good Food Shop, Mosgiel, Dunedin
Dry Cured Middle bacon
Gold – Brian Jennings of Redcliffs Butchery, Redcliffs, Christchurch
Silver – Jarred Luty of Harringtons Small Goods, Miramar, Wellington
Bronze – Kurt Robinson of Cashmere Cuisine, Cashmere, Christchurch
