PORK OFF!!

I AM SO. PORKED. OFF. Click on the photo above for a flickr feed explanation!

The Pork Off was a triumph of hoggy goodness! Oh my lord, what a wondrous spread! Over 150 folks came through the door to sample a full menu of crazy awesome dishes! Check out the 16-course menu! And OH HEY, here are the winners of the food fight!:

FIRST PLACE: JESSE FORSTER, for his “Divine Swine,” a succulent mountain of barbequed pork belly! Not only can the man do a hog up right, he donated his $100 prize to Kamay at Puso’s operational fund. Meaty blessings be upon him!

SECOND PLACE: A TIE! The jovial rivalry between culinary giants NICK SUAREZ and THEO PECK was INTENSE, but in the end they were unified by the mastery of their dishes. Peck’s expertly stacked “Pat É Kiernan” and Suarez’s blissfully fatty “Eat Your Porkified Greens” were porcine triumphs that had eaters clamoring for more!

THIRD PLACE: “Pulled Pork Goodness!” SONY SARKER’s garlic pulled pork sandwiches classically piled a billion miles of meat onto soft white rolls with a nice sharp touch of yellow bell pepper slices. Our bodies and our mouths said yes yes yes!

God I feel full! Thank you to everyone who devoured the dishes, thank you to Loki Lounge for their incredible generosity and enthusiasm for the event, and thank you to the chefs and volunteers! We made bank for some needy kids, and the spirit of the afternoon was decidedly fantastic. Stay tuned for future food events!

Egad! Swine flu! An ominously themed new disease is birthed just a few days from the Pork Off! What the heck!! Does this mean the Pork Off is Off? No. NEVAH. THE PORK OFF FOOD FIGHT IS STILL ON!

According to the CDC, properly cooked pork will definitely NOT expose anyone to swine flu. Read this handy link for assurance! And believe me, the sausage-stuffed donuts, smoked baby back ribs, candied bacon ice cream, pressed pork belly sandwiches, pinakbet, and the rest of the pork pack will be properly handled, and royally, excellently cooked. So let the chefs pull out their pork packs, come out to Loki Lounge, and fill your belly safely for the children.

WHO WILL BE THE CHEF CHAMPION UPON WHICH WE SHALL BESTOW THESE MIGHTY, SACRED TROPHIES? You, eaters, will decide. (Handmade by Rebekah Potter, click on the pic!)

Holy Chorizo! We have 21 chefs cooking for the Pork Off, and the competition is now closed! If you’d like to get on the waiting list, do write me at laurel.af at gmail dot com. Make sure you have as much porcine passion as the gentleman competitor who sent me this self-portrait. The grand prize has been raised to $100 for the top dish. And remember: May 3, Loki Lounge, Park Slope, 1pm to 4pm. EAT PORK FOR THE CHILDREN.

Hello everyone! This is a food competition fundraiser for Kamay at Puso (Hand and Heart), a nonprofit that assists survivors of toxic waste in Madapdap, Philippines. Click on the flyer to get to their awesome website.

The only rule: make a recipe with pork in it. Bacon, snout, tail, hoof, ham, hock, whatever! Extra points from me if you make a dessert. (And if you use fakin’ bacon, you best fool us but good.)

We will have prizes for the top three pork cooks based on the people’s vote, so stay tuned and prepare your belly!