Butchers and smallgoods manufacturers from all around the country have perfected their recipes and sent their entries into this year’s Australian PorkMark Bacon Awards in the hopes of being announced as the nation’s best.
Judging has commenced and tempting as it may be for the panel to dive straight into tasting the entries, first, each individual bacon will be assessed based on its appearance. The judges then assess the aroma and lean to fat ratio in both the raw and cooked form.
The judging panel, featuring four passionate bacon connoisseurs, Fleischmeister Horst Schurger, chefs Simon Bestley, Adam Moore and Paul McDonald, will determine the winning bacon, set to be announced on August 26 in time to celebrate International Bacon Day on August 31.
Australian Pork Limited General Manager of Marketing, Peter Haydon, says the competition shines a light on smallgoods makers who are using 100 per cent Australian pork to produce their bacon, which is great news for both producers and bacon-lovers.
“People are becoming much more interested in where their food comes from – now more than ever – and this competition celebrates that by championing Australian grown,” Haydon said.
“Many people are surprised to learn that 80 per cent of bacon sold in Australia is made using imported pork.
If you want to support Australian pig farmers, look for the pink Australian Pork logo on pack.
“Otherwise look for the green and gold Country of Origin Label and make sure the bar chart is almost full.”
The winning bacon, and winners in each state, will be announced on August 26.
Who will bring home bacon best
JUDGEMENT time is drawing nearer for bacon makers as the hunt for Australia’s best tasting bacon begins and with International Bacon Day (August 31) looming, the search is perfectly timed.