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FERMIN USA Fermin Ibérico Smoked Panceta Slices
FERMIN USA, THE SPANISH IMPORTER OF IBÉRICO AND RAW PORK, celebrates its second win in two years in this very category. In 2011, the company received a sofi Gold for Fermin Ibérico Dry Cured Ham, and this year the honor goes to Fermin Ibérico Smoked Panceta Slices, introduced in March 2012.
"We've put it in the hands of a lot of chefs who have come up with interesting recipes," says Ann Sayre, director of sales for Wagshal's Imports, the exclusive importer of the raw product line. Whether in corn pudding or shrimp dishes, this panceta proves to be versatile. "The fat that gets rendered can even work on its own as a velvety mayo or dressing," Sayre adds. Founded in 1956 and located in one of the oldest rural villages in Spain, Fermin is a family-run business and the first Ibérico producer in Spain to receive USDA approval. "The Spanish are known for their Ibérico, but they don't smoke their meat," Sayre notes. "We saw the potential to import it raw and create a superlative bacon product." Cured and smoked over hickory embers at a family-owned smokehouse in Pennsylvania, the product challenges traditional American bacon by offering an elevated flavor profile. Ibérico pigs enjoy an all-natural diet from Spain's Mediterranean forests that consists almost exclusively of acorns, giving the meat an earthy sweetness. The animals' ability to store fat contributes to the product's incomparable texture and finish. Fermin Ibérico Smoked Panceta comes in sliced form, skin-on-slab pieces, chunks and smoked skin for cooking and flavoring. Suggested retail price: $12.99/8 ounces. Contact: Aaron Fuchs, Fermin USA; 202.595.3505, ext. 803; aaron@bellotaimporters.com; bellotaimporters.com.—A.M.
FINALISTS
➊ ROGUE ALES & SPIRITS Rogue Albacore Tuna Contact: Steven Garrett sgarrett@rogue.com 503.241.3800 rogue.com
➋ S. WALLACE EDWARDS & SONS, INC. S. Wallace Edwards & Sons "Surry Farms" Jowciale
Contact: Keith Roberts kroberts@edwardsvaham.com 800.200.4267; 757.294.3121 edwardsvaham.com
SEPTEMBER 2012 S35
MEAT, PÂTÉ OR SEAFOOD