No whining about swine at NRA show
Ethnic, eco-friendly vibes in the air at annual food show
H1N-what?
Pork in all its glorious forms was on the menu last weekend at McCormick Place at the National Restaurant Association's annual industry meeting, which ended Tuesday.
(John J. Kim/Sun-Times)
The plethora of pork products -- served with a healthy dose of optimism from companies looking for new business -- made swine flu seem but a distant memory.
"We were asking ourselves if [swine flu] was going to affect us, but not so much," said Guillermo Trias of Solex Partners, the Chicago-based importer of jamon Iberico de bellota, the prized ham from Spain. Import restrictions on Iberico ham into the United States were lifted just last year.
Trias, a tall, effusive Spaniard, on Saturday was nearly beside himself with excitement as he pulled from a cooler the product making its U.S. debut at the show -- fresh Iberico meat.
"This is the new Kobe beef," Trias said. "We have booked orders from [the restaurants] Custom House, Carnivale, Avenues."
Iberico meat is from pigs that roam southwestern Spain gorging on acorns, grass and herbs. Farmers need more than two acres of land per animal, said Alberto Solis of Fermin, the Spanish producer of the silky, fatty treat.
The fresh Iberico now making its way onto restaurant menus is not cured but, like the ham, which retails for $150 a pound, is expensive.
"This is full-flavored pork," said Karrie Kimble of JDY Meat, distributor for Fermin and Solex. "There is nothing bred out of it to make it lean."
At Shoup's Country booth, Cindy Shoup Cacy pointed out that with pork prices so low because of the H1N1 outbreak, consumers "definitely should be buying pork right now."
Shoup's, a family-owned business in Frankfort, Ind., was hawking hogburgers and mini-hog roasts.
The boneless roasts fit on a standard grill, ideal for pork lovers who want to host their own pig roast -- minus the head, feet and a few other parts, Cacy said.
Though consumers can't contract the H1N1 flu virus by eating pork, the pork industry nonetheless has suffered. The National Pork Producers Council earlier this month estimated that American hog farmers were losing $7 million a day.
"It really hurt the export market. That's where we felt it. But things are starting to pick back up," said David Eaheart of Seaboard Foods, a Kansas pork manufacturer.
Seaboard was showcasing several new cuts, including pork medallions and cap steaks.
The cap steak, a flat, broad cut, is great for fajitas or breaded in chicken Parmesan fashion, Eaheart said. The medallions are dead ringers for beef filet mignon.
"We call it tender pork for tough times," Eaheart said.
Indeed, the trade-only show -- a massive mingling of chefs, restaurant operators, food and equipment purveyors and buyers -- had particular resonance this year, as the restaurant industry finds itself still struggling with sluggish sales.
Organizers didn't yet have final attendance numbers, but they had predicted a few hundred fewer exhibitors this year.
Still, attendees said traffic seemed as steady as in years past. And the star wattage of such chefs as Daniel Boulud, Rick Bayless and Ming Tsai helped infuse the show with a business-as-usual vibe.
Much of the show is devoted to products designed for restaurant professionals, be it burn cream, ergonomic shoes or industrial blenders. But it also serves as a sneak preview of foods, drinks and larger trends that consumers will start to see when eating out or shopping for groceries.
That includes eco-friendly products, which were in abundance. We saw biodegradable takeout containers and recycled shopping bags; ultra-energy-efficient hand dryers, and machines that convert used cooking oil into electricity.
At the Prima Bella booth, Mark Bacchetti showed off two new corn products (who knew there was anything new with corn on the cob?): corn coins and corn with a handle (the "handle" being part of the stalk).
The coins are inch-thick rounds cut from fresh whole cobs. The size is ideal for youngsters; naturally, the California company is marketing the product to schools, but it hopes to get the coins in stores soon.
Remember the 100-calorie pack craze of five years ago? It's back -- and healthier.
Steve Parnell of Texas-based Fresherized Foods, maker of Wholly Guacamole, displayed 100-calorie packets of fresh guacamole. The packets should be in Chicago stores soon.
In July, Fresherized rolls out a 60-calorie cup of salsa.
While the 100-calorie trend initially was driven by chips and cookies, "It's not anymore, and that's the cool part," said Parnell, who offered passersby hot dogs smeared with guacamole (heretical in these parts, but delicious.)
Over at the Korean Pavilion -- where, incidentally, one company presented snack cups of kimchi -- Roy Choi flipped kimchi quesadillas.
The bandanna-wearing chef of the Kogi Korean BBQ truck, the most talked about street food vendor in Los Angeles, came to the show at the invitation of the Korean Agriculture and Trade Commission.
Good timing on Choi's part. Thanks to the Kogi truck and New York chef David Chang's string of Momofuku restaurants in New York, Korean food is riding quite a high lately. In our backyard, foodies look to Urban Belly chef Bill Kim.
Said Wendy Chan, marketing liaison for the Korean commission: "They understand the Korean tradition but at the same time, they connect to people in ways that are ... inviting, sophisticated and sexy."
Not to mention tasty. Piquant kimchi is one thing cold; it's another thing entirely when eaten warm with oozing Cheddar and jack cheeses.
Though Choi says expansion is in the works, the Kogi truck isn't headed Chicago's way any time soon. But he, and the show, left us in good spirits.
"That's why we came here, to show that food doesn't have to be fancy to be delicious," Choi said.
Visit the Digging In blog (blogs.suntimes.com/food) for more NRA show highlights.