PorkStar event brings home the bacon with a special night of incredible cooking, celebrating farming and food

WA’s most influential chefs gathered with farmers and food industry leaders at The Old Pickle Factory in West Perth this month for a night of collaboration and celebration, all in the name of Australian pork. The May 23 event was a return to in-person events for PorkStar in WA, after a two-year hiatus due to COVD-19 lockdowns and pandemic restrictions on hospitality and events. PorkStar is a chef-influencer marketing program that aims to connect industry innovators and pork knowledge, armed with the task of challenging people’s perceptions of pork and showcasing new possibilities. “We are just so thrilled to be back to showcase the incredible talent in the west,” PorkStar marketing manager Kylie Roberts said. “Chefs here have been honing their skills and innovating with Australian pork during these uncertain and tough times for the foodservice industry.” Television favourite and long-time pork ambassador Mitch Edwards hosted the proceedings, fresh from a win on The Block last year. Mr Edwards welcomed more than 90 guests to an electric evening that featured an incredible menu curated by WA’s best chefs Melissa Palinkas of Young George and Ethos Deli, Guy Jeffreys of Millbrook Winery and Evan Hayter of Arimia Estate. Menu highlights included Ethos bread and pork butter, cured pork loin carpaccio, and roasted pork collar with a BBQ bearnaise and carrot tartar. Sides included potatoes with unapologetic lashings of pork fat dressing and mustard and dill pickle with heritage carrots in a pigskin sauce. Dessert did not miss a beat, in the form of a whipped pork fat meringue with orange parfait. Ms Palinkas described her use of pork as taking a “whole animal butchery approach”, using every part of the beast. “The menu was based on the parts that people usually shy away from - pig ears, skin, fat, and blood pudding,” she said. “We also featured our rumpetto charcuterie made only at Ethos Deli, utilising an obscure cut of pork, finished in orange zest and local fennel.”