The Gallery at Snyder Phillips executive chef Eric Batten earned top honors at the 25th annual Taste of Elegance held by the Michigan Pork Producers Association at the Lansing Center.
The cooking competition was held in conjunction with the 2015 Pork and Poultry Symposium.
Batten competed against chefs from all over the state of Michigan to create an original pork entrée. Dishes were judged by executive chef Jim Morse from the Boathouse Restaurant in Traverse City; Amanda Smith, executive director of the Michigan Restaurant Association; and Gordon Wenk, deputy director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Batten prepared the winning dish: adobo smoked pork belly, featuring a smoked pork belly with adobo sauce and avocado rillettes. The judges described Batten’s dish as tender with a well-executed balance of classic Latin flavors, acidity and heat.
Batten was named Chef Par Excellence, received $1,000 and earned a trip to the National Taste of Elegance Educational Summit at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone Campus in St. Helena, Calif.
“For the last nine years it has been my mission and my pleasure to share the story and success of MSU Culinary Services,” Batten said. “It was a great honor to represent Culinary Services and MSU and to lead with excellence.”