Minerva’s chef named 3rd annual Rapid City Taste of Elegance winner

Rapid City — The South Dakota Pork Producers Council held their 3rd Annual Rapid City Taste of Elegance competition on Sunday, September 21, 2014 at the Rushmore Plaza Holiday Inn. The Taste of Elegance Competition is one of the pork industry’s premier events in the food service industry. This year’s first place winning entrée, P.A.T. (Pancetta, Au Poix, Temple), featured pork temple, Pork Shoulder and Pancetta prepared by Chef Patrick Yaneff Sous Chef at Minerva’s, Rapid City.

“The chefs really did an outstanding job in showcasing pork’s incredible versatility. The variety of pork cuts, the cooking techniques used along with the flavor profiles were impressive. The talent and skill of the chefs is amazing. There are really no limits to the way you can create with pork. It was like going on a culinary world tour right in Rapid City,” said Judge Ryan Hembree of Trail Ridge Retirement Community.

“We hold this event to help give exposure of the great talent these amazing chefs have. It is also an excellent way to promote our industry and product on the other end of the state.” stated Stacey Sorlien, Program and Communications Director for the South Dakota Pork Producers Council.

Yaneff received a crystal engraved award, $1,000, and will attend the Pork Summit that will be held in St. Helena, California in the Napa Valley at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone Campus. He will have the opportunity to spend the weekend with Celebrated Chefs; experience butchering and cooking demonstrations and work alongside the Celebrated Chefs in Greystone’s world famous teaching kitchens. The Pork Summit will be held on April 2015.

Chef Joe White of Tally’s Silver Spoon, Rapid City received this year’s 2nd place in the 2014 Rapid City competition with Appalachian Barnyard, and Chef Aleah Ghere of Delmonico Grill, Rapid City received 3rd place with Head to Hoof.

The Taste of Elegance is a culinary competition that encourages chefs to create innovative and exciting recipes using pork. A panel of three esteemed chefs, Celebrated Chef Tim McCarty, Mayo Foundation House; Rochester, MN, Chef Ryan Hembree, Trail Ridge Retirement Community Executive Chef; Sioux Falls and Celebrated Chef Michael Foley, Chicago, will judge the entrées of 8 chefs based on originality, appearance and taste.