The 5th Place Recipe..2nd in People's Choice Votes

[firechef]

Here is the recipe for the dish that took fifth place at the Iowa Pork Producers Association Taste of Elegance Competition...

Greek Stuffed Pork Rib Roast

4 lb Center Cut Pork Rib Roast with bones Frenched
4 Cooking Apples, cored and finely chopped
2 Cups Dried Figs, finely chopped
1/2 Cup Kalamata Olives, pitted and chopped
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

Pre-heat oven to 350F
Carve out 3/4" Horizontal tunnel through center of pork
Pack chopped apple, figs and olives into tunnel of pork
Place on rack in roasting pan
Rub with olive oil
Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper
Roast pork approximately 1 3/4 hours or when thermometer reads 150F
Let rest 10 minutes
Cut between ribs to make chops
Garnish with fig stuffed apple slices and Kalamata olives along with Feta Cheese

I serve this at work with the Greek Pasta I posted elsewhere at C@H. I served it the same way at the competition but the sides were not judged...I do know that the side helped at the reception in the People's Choice Award voting.

This is what took 5th Place overall in the Judges Votes and 2nd Place in the People's Choice Votes. I walked away with a smile, a little paper weight that says I was there and a bunch of invites to leave the "sticks" for jobs in the city and an invite to come back next year. Oh yeah...had my picture taken with the Iowa Pork Queen or Princess

[cjs]

I bet it was a pretty presentation! looks very tasty also. thanks for sharing, LJ.

[firechef]

I thought I had a nice presentation until the rest of the Chefs went. I had the misfortune of going first...their random order turned out to be alphabetically by last name of the Chef...that's random? I also was the ONLY Chef without a Sous or support staff. Having traveled so far in snow (got 9 inches at home that day/night) I could not force a staff to travel that far only to drive home in it at 9:30 at night. I stayed in Des Moines as Kambree had several doctor's appointments the next day...now she will have tubes put in her ears during the operation to repair her cleft lip next week. Looks like an operation every 5 to 6 months for the next year or two until the lip and palate are fixed and she no longer needs the tubes in her ears...

The plating on Iron Chef America is LESS creative than the stuff these Chefs did. I have all 11 of the other recipes available if anyone is interested just pm me and I will try getting one or eleven of them to you within a day or so...

Still waiting for the photos to come in on the site of the photographers that covered the event.

[Harborwitch]

Geeze that sounds so good. We are so into those flavors right now - figs, apples, piggy and olives - died and gone to heaven!

Thank you for sharing the recipe - I think that will be on the menu soon. Slurp, drool, salivate!!! Very very soon!

[luvnit]

Oh my that does sound good. I'm gonna have to give that one a try! We love the Greek flavors in this house and this one sounds like it would be a huge hit.

[Corinne]

The Greek Stuffed Pork Rib Roast recipe sounds wonderful. I love Greek food. This must have been beautiful when it was sliced and served.

When you have some time could you list the titles of the other Chef's recipes, please? I'd love to read about them.

[Gourmet_Mom]

LJ, that sounds wonderful! I'll have to let the butcher french them for me, but this is on my list of olive dishes to try. We've been eating a lot a pork lately. YUM!

[pjcooks]

Quote:

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I thought I had a nice presentation until the rest of the Chefs went. I had the misfortune of going first

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We presented 5th out of 5, and the judges made it very clear to us that presenting first or last has its' problems, I wasn't aware of this. I can't wait to see your pics, I'm sure yours looked fabulous! Working without support staff is tough, makes your standing all the more impressive, LJ, in my eyes!

I wish you and Holly the best of luck with Kambree, she seems like a very special little girl

PJ