It was a delicious clash of local meets global at Herringbone this evening with over 100 chefs there to bear witness to a menu that delighted and impressed.

Adelaide is renowned for its regional fare and tonight Head Chef, Quentin Whittle, designed a full pork menu which was cleverly intended to acknowledge South Australia’s best. It was no coincidence that being the Chinese Year of the Pig, the festivities truly respected and celebrated the whole animal.

The event hosted by PorkStar, a programme developed by Australian Pork to shine a light on the best chefs in the country, was all about highlighting the versatility of pork and encouraging chefs to try new things to inspire one another.

PorkStar’s Kylie Roberts said the dinner tonight was creative, one of a kind and showcased just how chefs can be innovative yet remain true to their roots.

“As it’s the year of the pig, all of our PorkStar events this year are designed to celebrate this theme and what can be done with the whole pig. However, what was special tonight was that Quentin was able to achieve that while also adding his own flair which he is renowned for,” says Ms Roberts.

The evening started off with an impressive selection of canapés that, continuing with the theme of contrast, paired pork with another regional speciality ingredient such as the raw local kingfish, iceberg, brown butter, honey and pork crackle.

Guests were then treated to a Pork and Pistachio Terrine and a Cotechino (Italian pork sausage) and Fregula Soup with white miso, Adelaide Hills pine mushrooms and confit chilli.

The main event of Slow Roasted Spiced Pork Belly, charred tomato and chipotle, polenta and braise brassicas was simply executed yet intentional in flavour.

PorkStar’s Kylie Roberts said the menu this evening was received extremely well by the chefs and triggered each guest to go back and trial something new in their own kitchens.

“PorkStar started at a time when pork was often overlooked in menu creation and while that’s changed, we are celebrating and continuing to challenge chefs to think about how they can push the boundaries with this versatile protein,” says Ms Roberts.

The PorkStar programme is now in its 14th year and is a highly sought-after accolade within the foodservice industry.

The event was supported by Endeavour Beers and Gourmet Traveller Wines, who have joined forces with PorkStar across all national events this year.