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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Whether it’s a quick service breakfast sandwich or a fine dining brunch, millions of morning meals are served daily across the country. The fastest growing foodservice daypart across all segments, Mintel projected that breakfast would increase more than 4% in 2011 according to Breakfast Beat, an industry newsletter (August, 2011). Food & Wine Magazine reports that breakfast will remain one of the industry’s top trends.

Quick service restaurants, which serve more than 80% of all breakfasts away from home according to Datassential, drive innovation with breakfast sandwiches, bowls and wraps. McDonald’s consistently cites breakfast growth as a key driver of their positive quarterly and annual performance. Sandwich chain Subway saw success in 2010 and 2011 with a national breakfast launch. And Starbucks perked up business by pairing breakfast sandwiches with coffee. Midscale restaurants with all-day breakfast service depend on the demand for breakfast foods to drive sales and traffic. Hotels and fine dining restaurants are leading the surge in upscale weekend brunches and more independents are opening just for breakfast and lunch as a strategy to focus on core competencies and maximize sales.

The three big breakfast proteins – sausage, bacon and ham – dominate breakfast menus across segments. Sausage is the most popular breakfast meat because of its versatility and variety of flavors. It has a place on upscale menus, as well as on morning value menus. McDonald’s features three sandwiches and wraps on their breakfast Dollar Menu, two of which feature sausage. Ham and Canadian bacon are also menu mainstays – often as part of healthy options. For years, the only QSR breakfast option endorsed by Weight Watchers was McDonald’s Egg McMuffin. Like sausage, the variety of flavor options let chains distinguish their offerings from competitors.

Operators are also exploring innovative bacon flavors, including a variety of smoke options, like Cherrywood smoked bacon at Dunkin’ Donuts and Wendy’s Applewood smoked bacon. To leverage bacon’s popularity, Denny’s created Baconalia in 2011, a month-long festival of bacon served at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Time Magazine wrote “…we are living in the golden age of bacon. Bacon is a whole world unto itself, the first food of the American frontier and the most irreplaceable of all familiar flavors for Americans in exile” (March, 2011).

Today, pork cuts beyond sausage, ham and bacon are making a strong showing before noon. With the popularity of international cuisine and the rise of morning wraps and burritos, chorizo is featured on more menus than ever before. Green chile pork is popular throughout the Southwest. Pork tenderloin and pulled pork are also growing in breakfast popularity. Hash House A Go Go, with locations in San Diego and Las Vegas, serves traditional breakfasts with bacon, sausage and ham – and they also offer more adventurous morning meals, like Pork Tenderloin Hash with charred tomato, corn, baby green beans and mozzarella, as well as Pork Tenderloin Benedict with crispy hand-hammered tenderloin, yellow tomato, spinach, barbecue cream and scrambled eggs. Sausage gravy is also prominent on their menu, with Old School Fried Mush smothered in sausage gravy, eggs and mashed potatoes, and Sausage Gravy Pot Pie served with scrambled eggs and mashed potatoes.

Pork is definitely the breakfast of champions. With breakfast service growing dramatically, here are five morning trends to watch:

Ethnic flavors in the AM: Americans are craving international flavors at every daypart, including breakfast. “Ethnic Flavors on Breakfast Menus” was one of NRA’s Top 2011 trends based on a survey of ACF chefs. Chorizo is showing up on chain and independent menus in wraps, burritos, scrambles and omelets. Jack in the Box recently featured chorizo as an LTO special. The Eggery in San Diego menus the Ultimate Ole Omelette with chorizo sausage, jalapenos, cheese, onions and green chiles. At BLD in Los Angeles, you can order a Spanish Frittata with chorizo, smoked paprika, fingerling potatoes, roasted piquillo peppers and manchego cheese. The Egg I Am, a regional chain serving breakfast and lunch, has an entire section of egg dishes served with pork green chili including Sunrise Chile Rellenos, Santa Fe Huevos, Green Chili Pork Chicken Hash, Huevos Rancheros, a Breakfast Burrito and Yi-Yi™ Enchiladas. Their Mexican Omelette features both pork green chili and chorizo.
Wake Up with a Burger: This European trend is taking America by storm. Red Robin was among the first to feature a burger with bacon and a fried egg, but now almost every upscale burger restaurant menus a bacon and egg burger for breakfast. Steak n’ Shake recently added a Royale Burger featuring bacon and eggs on a burger with American cheese, lettuce and tomato, and Carl’s Jr. makes its Bacon and Egg Burger available all day.
Classics for Breakfast: Operators are recreating favorite lunch and dinner dishes as breakfast items. Clubs, BLTs and Philly sandwiches are appearing at breakfast alongside bacon and eggs. Bob Evans adds an egg to create a BELT. For brunch, Hash House a Go Go serves a BBBLT – a bacon, bacon, bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. Domino’s features breakfast pizzas on college campuses, and Donatella in New York City has been featured on The Food Network for their Hangover Pizza, made with breakfast sausage, eggs and thin slices of cured lardo. Breakfast pizzas will be one of the hot items in 2012, according to Technomic. Chilaquiles, a traditional Mexican dish made with fried corn tortillas, red or green salsa, queso, sour cream and refried beans, is getting a breakfast twist with eggs. The Herb Box in Scottsdale, Arizona offers Chilaquiles with pulled pork, eggs, Cotija cheese and tomatillo verde. At Trident Booksellers & Café in Boston, you can order a Morning Monte Cristo with two fried eggs, Canadian bacon, raspberry preserves and Cheddar cheese sandwiched between challah bread French toast. And at Green Eggs Café in Philadelphia, they offer a Philly Benedict with grilled pork loin on a pretzel roll with Philadelphia cream cheese, two poached eggs and fried caper hollandaise.
Breakfast Change-up: Breakfast can become a habit – consumers visit the same restaurant every day and order the same item. To break the cycle, operators are offering new and interesting items that appeal to breakfast consumers. Dunkin’ Donuts, the second largest breakfast chain in the nation, recently featured a Smoked Sausage sandwich with Hillshire Farms sausage. Wildflower, an Arizona chain, menus a Ham and Brie Frittata and a Taylor Ham and Egg Sandwich on Ciabatta. The Herb Box sets itself apart with brunch by menuing a Brussel Sprout Pancetta Flatbread with white Cheddar, lemon zest and a soft egg as well as Smoked Salmon Hash with pancetta. Thornton’s in Boston turns to prosciutto for their Italian Benedict with poached eggs and pesto on a grilled focaccia as well as their Prosciutto Scrambler.
Breakfast All Day: Consumers love the flavors of breakfast all day long. More than ever, restaurants are accommodating consumers with breakfast served throughout the day, breakfast flavors added to all day menus or even breakfast served late night. Major breakfast players like Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, Sonic and Jack in the Box feature a clockless menu. Midscale chains like Denny’s, IHOP and Cracker Barrel depend on the demand for breakfast all day. Regional chains like Le Peep, The Egg and I, First Watch and Wild Eggs serve an extensive menu of breakfast items in the morning and the afternoon. Most of the well-known independent restaurants in Boston like Thornton’s, Hi-Rise Café, Sound Bites, Zoe’s in Harvard Square and The Paramount are menuing their morning items throughout the day.

Today, more consumers are taking time to enjoy breakfast. Whether eaten at a desk or at a leisurely weekend brunch spot, breakfast – and pork – is the perfect way to start the day.

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Founded in 1950, Dunkin' Donuts is America's favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and breakfast items like baked goods and donuts. They have earned the No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys, a research consulting firm specializing in customer loyalty, for five years running.

The subsidiary of Dunkin Brands Group, which also owns Baskin Robbins, has more than 9,700 restaurants in 31 countries worldwide. In 2010, the Canton, Mass. based company reached global system-wide sales of $6 billion.

Although the core competency for Dunkin’ Donuts has always been bagels, donuts and coffee, they have been one of the most aggressive players in the hot breakfast sandwich category over the last three years. This focus on hot breakfast has propelled Dunkin’ Donuts to the second largest breakfast chain in the United States, even with far less units than other top chains. Unquestionably, Pork has been a major part of Dunkin’s success.

Dunkin’ ramped up their introduction and promotion of breakfast sandwiches with Pork in 2010. That year, they introduced several new products that resonated well with consumers. Their Sausage Pancake Bites combined sweet and savory to offer bite-sized sausage links in a maple-flavored pancake.

According to Stan Frankenthaler, Dunkin’ Brands Executive Chef and Vice President of Product Innovation, they offered this classic breakfast combination to deliver flavor and convenience all in one. “Everyone loves a traditional pancake and sausage breakfast, but in our typical busy day it’s almost impossible to find the time it takes to sit down and enjoy it. With our new Pancake Bites, we’ve put the traditional taste of pancakes and sausage into a portable, poppable snack that you can take with you on the go, in the car, at work or any time day or night.” The pancake bites are currently back on Dunkin’ Donuts menus for a limited time.

In 2010, Dunkin’ Donuts also re-launched its successful Oven Toasted Maple Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich, which originally debuted in 2006. With premium ingredients like maple sausage, a hearty scrambled egg and aged white Cheddar cheese all on a flaky croissant, it was a real customer favorite and help drove sales during the breakfast daypass.

Given that Dunkin’ Donuts began realizing

growth of 10% or more in their hot breakfast sandwiches, they began focusing on new and even more innovative sandwiches featuring Pork. In 2011, they started strong by introducing their biggest sandwich ever, the Big & Toasty, with two peppered fried eggs, four slices of Cherry wood smoked bacon and American cheese on thick Texas Toast. That sandwich was introduced as an LTO, but proved to be so popular with customers that it still remains on the menu. They followed that with a twist to a popular favorite…the Blueberry Waffle Breakfast Sandwich, which featured maple sausage, eggs, and American cheese nestled between two golden, toasty waffles with a sweet hint of blueberry.

The focus at the end of 2011 was again on Pork as Dunkin’ took another step in the evolution of the breakfast sandwich.

In November, with heavy radio and TV support, Dunkin’ Donuts launched their new Smokehouse Sausage Breakfast Sandwich teaming up with Hillshire Farm^®. This hearty breakfast sandwich features a warm toasted English muffin stacked with eggs, melted American cheese and a juicy, smoked-to-perfection split pork sausage from Hillshire Farm^®. Talking about the sandwich, Frankenthaler said, “We’re always looking for ways to innovate around our breakfast menu and introduce new and unique flavor choices. By partnering with Hillshire Farm, we have created a breakfast sandwich that features the delicious ingredients and natural spices of Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage that people have enjoyed for generations.”

Dunkin’ Donuts is one of the fastest expanding chains in America, and much of its success can be traced to their popular breakfast sandwiches that feature interesting takes on bacon and sausage. Dunkin’ continues to explore new opportunities and will continue to succeed because it delivers what guests want, “the great taste and comfort of a delicious homemade breakfast”, even when they are on the go. And that great taste starts with Pork.

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For Louisiana born and bred chef David Guas, cooking is all about roots. Inspired by generations of home-style family cooking and his deep connection to the city of New Orleans, Guas is now an award-winning pastry chef and chef/owner of Bayou Bakery in Arlington, Virginia. Opened in late 2010, Bayou Bakery is Guas’ first official adventure in mixing sweet and savory cooking, having spent most of his culinary career in pastry kitchens. The extensive breakfast menu includes New Orleans classic beignets and breakfast sandwiches on Southern-style biscuits. Guas shares his love for real Louisiana cooking at Bayou Bakery seven days a week.

We caught up with David to talk about mastering both sweet and savory cooking, his deep love for New Orleans, and when we can buy a candied bacon muffin.

NPB: Tell us about your restaurant.

Chef: I opened Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery in the Courthouse neighborhood of Arlington, VA a little over a year ago (back in November 2010). I wanted to open up a rustic, ‘funkified,’ southern-style hangout that featured all of the cultures and flavors that I grew up with, especially Louisiana. My Cuban heritage (from my Havana-born father) is showcased in our barista-quality coffee service and tasty pressed sandwiches, like our specialty Pressed Cubano. Louisiana country

cooking shines in house-made boudin and andouille sausages, savory breakfast biscuits, and pimento cheese. I also feature signature beignets, pies, puddings, and other sweet treats folks have come to know from my cookbook, DamGoodSweet: Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth New Orleans Style (Taunton Press, 2009.) I wanted somewhere that felt a lot like my home and featured my memories, but could also feel like home or a neighborhood spot to someone who has never stepped foot in the South.

NPB: You got your culinary start from your grandparents – what is your first food memory? How has being a New Orleans native affected your cooking?
Chef: I actually got my culinary start not just from my grandma, but from all of the women in my family—my mom, my Great Aunt Patty (the ‘GAP’), and probably most of all, my Aunt Boo. One of my truly first food memories has got to be visiting Hubig’s Pies, a franchise that started in Texas but the only one left now is in New Orleans. They create about 30,000 hand pies a day, all filled with seasonal items, whether that's sweet potatoes, cherries, or whatever. They’re iconic in New Orleans. I have a very vivid memory of loving their Apple Hand Pie the best. I loved them so much I combined their fried pies with my GAP’s traditional Apple Pie recipe to create a new personal favorite I featured in my cookbook.

When I look back now at the city I was born and raised in, I realize how integral a part it has become of who I am today. When you’re entrenched somewhere you sometimes don’t realize what’s unique about it…that is, ‘til it’s gone. After I left Louisiana for college, and then left several years later for DC, I appreciated so much more the life and culture that I grew up with. In Louisiana, the food culture is just as important as anything else and is celebrated every single day. It literally seeps through your pores and is a part of your everyday dialogue. Every adult I knew celebrated food and life to the fullest, it didn’t have to be a special occasion, and that’s just something you don’t see anywhere else. It’s love.

NPB: What do you love about Louisiana cuisine that you can’t find anywhere else?
Chef: It’s a different mindset in Louisiana—there’s this connection that flows from the source of the food all the way to the person eating it. A great example of this is our seafood, from Gulf shrimp, to crawfish, to oysters. There’s a freshness and an appreciation for the food because you know the fisherman, the guy picking it up from the docks, the restaurant manager purchasing it, and the fry cook that’s putting it on your plate. We’re absolutely spoiled rotten to have this type of connection to our food in Louisiana. I still try to keep this same relationship to my food today, by knowing the farmers I’m ordering my products from.

Also, because Louisiana is such a mixing bowl of cultures, we’ve got flavors, smells, techniques, etc. that no one else can lay claim to. You take a bite, and you know it’s from ‘Nawlins’—it’s undeniable.

NPB: You’re a renowned pastry chef, and now you cook both sweet and savory at Bayou. Is it challenging to straddle the sweet/savory divide? What special skills does a chef need to master both kinds of cooking?
Chef: You walk into most savory kitchens and ask the chef what their biggest weakness is, they’ll tell you it’s pastries and desserts. You do the same in a pastry kitchen, and savory will be pretty close to the bottom of their list for that answer. It’s just not the same. Nine times out of ten a pastry chef will already be dabbling in savory cooking, whether it’s for their desserts, for their kitchen, or just for their pleasure. For example, when I first came to DC to be an Executive Pastry Chef, my main focus was of course our desserts, but I also acted as Sous Chef whenever I could, breaking down protein orders, prepping sauces, anything I could do to help since we were just opening. Bayou Bakery is now the first time I’m officially recognized for preparing sweet and savory foods, but it’s nothing new to me.

And it’s at no fault to savory chefs—transitioning from pastry to regular cooking is just much simpler, because you’re dropping the precision and science-like skills needed for desserts. It’s also simple to cook the foods you grew up learning in your own kitchen. I doubt very many people learn how to make a soufflé with their mom at a young age.

NPB: Your cookbook, DamGoodSweet, was nominated for a James Beard Award in the Baking and Dessert Cookbook category, and Food & Wine named it one of the best new dessert cookbooks of 2009. What was the inspiration for the book?
Chef: I spoke earlier about not knowing how important New Orleans was a part of who I am until I left, and that impact became even more apparent after Hurricane Katrina. After the storm, I went through a personal void. No I am not a survivor, but the neighborhood I grew up in—New Orleans East—was destroyed by the storm, my parents left, and I felt this crisis as I saw everything I knew being taken from me. My wife is from New Orleans as well, and knowing our sons were not born in the city we love so much and may not get the chance to know it as we do was a tough thought to swallow. I became inundated with memories of New Orleans, and I knew I had to record and preserve my memories, recipes, and the institutions of Louisiana. DamGoodSweet is a culmination of all of these efforts, and became my way of documenting an almost travelogue or dining guide of the city.

NPB: Have you experimented with using pork in your pastries? What are some pastries that lend themselves well to using pork?

Chef: Absolutely. One of our most popular items at the eatery is my signature porKorn—a down-home approach to caramel corn filled with Allan Benton’s bacon, salty caramel, a dash of cayenne, and Virginia peanuts. It’s the perfect balance of salty and sweet that touches all the taste buds’ pleasures. I also make a Savory Scone with chives, cheddar cheese, and Benton’s bacon; a crunchy brittle topping for my Chocolate Puddin’ with bacon and peanuts; and just in the time for the holidays we have been featuring a special Pecan Pie made with (what else), but Benton’s bacon and cayenne. In terms of flavors, I don’t think there’s a better pairing than bacon and peanuts. They’re seriously made for each other, so adding that into a pastry is simple. When you start adding other elements like chocolate, cayenne, caramel, or cheddar, you really bring out the smokiness and saltiness of the pork even more and get a marriage of sweet, heat, crunchy, salty, smoky that’s awesome. And believe it or not, but Cane Syrup is incredible on bacon. It’s got me thinking about making Candied Bacon Muffins, but that’s all still a part of my secret baking file.

NPB: You use pork across your menu, from bacon and ham in your biscuits to pork sausage boudin and your muff-a-lotta sandwich. Is pork a profitable protein for you?
Chef: In one word: yes. Anyone who steps into the eatery learns pretty quickly I have a particular affinity for pork. In terms of pricing, it’s a great value for the product you are receiving and is less expensive than other proteins. Pork also has great range and versatility. A slab of bacon is completely different from country ham in every way—where it comes from in the pig, how it is smoked, how it is cured, how it is served, everything. This means that hypothetically, one pig can practically provide an entire range of menu items. I’ll even use the bones themselves to achieve a certain flavor profile I am looking for in certain dishes. Each item lends itself to a unique application and flavor, and is a priceless component to my menu.

NPB: Pork is a popular breakfast protein – how do you take it to the next level? What are some breakfast items you are excited to experiment with?
Chef: Right now I have a few guests that order boudin for breakfast, and I would really like to try to introduce to that to all of my guests. I remember eating boudin any time of the day when visiting my Aunt Boo, but it’s not something that’s known to guests not familiar with Louisiana cuisine. I might try forming the boudin more into patties, dredging them in bread crumbs, and flash frying or baking them and putting it all on a biscuit.

We also just started offering a Country Ham Biscuit on the breakfast menu that people love, and offer on weekends a killer Country Ham Gravy to serve over biscuits. We take Benton’s Country Ham, dice it up, cook it up in a bit of rendered bacon fat, add flour and some black pepper, and it’s damgood.

NPB: What are some recent trends you are seeing in breakfast?
Chef: I’m a huge supporter of teaching our kids how to eat healthy. For too long we’ve let bad breakfasts slide, or maybe even no breakfast. I try to teach my boys the importance of balanced, nutritious meals, and that’s especially important when that meal starts your day, and I think a lot of parents share that same thought. It’s really wonderful to see a family come in and eat a hearty breakfast, like a Bacon & Egg Biscuit. It’s even better when you know exactly where your products are coming from and what you’re putting into the food, which at Bayou Bakery are just simple, good, and downright delicious ingredients.

NPB: You recently were a part of the Zac Brown Band's Southern Ground Music & Food Festival. What was it like creating a meal with four other award-winning chefs for the festival? How does music influence your cooking?
Chef: Participating in the Southern Ground Music & Food Festival with chefs Rusty Hamlin, Sean Brock, Mike Lata, and RJ Cooper was an awesomely special weekend for me. We had a lot of fun making the food for the festival and it was incredible to be surrounded by so many phenomenal palettes. All of the chefs who participated are all really great Southern chefs and the food we prepared was simple and clean, but really well executed, just like the music. It took a lot of effort to prepare food for that large of a crowd, but we had a lot of fun doing it, listening to the music…and enjoying a cocktail or two during the prep. As soon as they asked me if I wanted to participate I knew it was a once in a lifetime shot. I drove 16 hours in a car for a 48 hour trip—you do the math. That’s how bad I wanted to be there.

Music has always been linked to food for me. When I was kid (younger than I like to admit) I had a fake ID and would sneak into the local bars to listen to the bands playin’, and you know if I am breaking the law to listen to music it’s a serious love. Like food, music is a passion for me so there’s no way for the two not to go hand in hand. They both represent emotions and are ways to celebrate. Every kitchen I have ever worked has always had a radio goin’ while we cook, and the rhythm in the music helps you find a rhythm in your cooking. It made perfect sense to me that Zac created a festival to blend the two, and I hope we see a lot more festivals like that in the future.

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Muff-a-Lotta

ingredients

Muff-a-Lotta:

1 each 10-inch round sesame seed Italian loaf, sliced in half horizontally
As needed extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups Olive Salad, drained
8 OZ WT SALAMI, HARD, SLICED
8 OZ WT HAM, SLICED
12 slices Provolone cheese, thin slices

Olive Salad:

3 quarts green olives, large, pitted, rinsed once in cold water
3 cups black olives, or Kalamata olives, pitted, rinsed once in cold water
3 cups red onions, or shallots, small dice
1 cup garlic cloves, minced
1 quart carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 cup parsley , dried
2 quarts extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup oregano, dried

Preparation

Cooking Directions

Olive Salad Procedure:

In food processor, place green olives & pulse until chopped into small chunks, set aside
Repeat with the black or Kalamata olives
In large mixing bowl, combine green & black olive, set aside
In food processor, add onion & garlic, pulse to blend. Then add carrots & parsley, pulse together until blended.
Add remaining ingredients, olive oil, red wine vinegar & oregano, pulse to combine
Add ingredients from food processor into mixing bowl with olive mixture
Mix well to combine

Muff-a-Lotta Procedure:

Scoop out soft bread from both halves, leaving a 1-inch thick shell (The scooped out bread can be used to make panzanella bread salad or discard.)
Brush top & bottom bread shells with olive oil
On cutting board, place drained olive salad & roughly chop until all vegetables are the size of peas
Evenly spread 1 cup of olive salad onto bottom of bread
Top with salami, ham, cheese & remaining olive salad
Cover with top of bread

Serving Suggestions

It is suggested that these be made on Leidenheimer cocktail Muffaletta rolls.

Cut crosswise in wedges or quarters
You can also toast or press the whole sandwich in the oven or under a sandwich press

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Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya

ingredients

2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, rough chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, fresh ground
2 TBL vegetable oil
2 POUNDS ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE, 1/4" SLICES
2 each onions, medium, 1/4” dice
1 each green bell pepper, or red bell pepper, large, 1/4” dice
1 cup green onions, fine chop, divided
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, fresh, minced, divided
2 cloves garlic , minced
3 cups long grain rice
8 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground red pepper
8-12 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Preparation

Cooking Directions

In Dutch oven, over medium high heat add oil
Evenly, season all sides of chicken with salt and pepper
In Dutch oven, cook 1 pound of chicken at a time until browned on all sides, approximately 5 minutes
Remove chicken from pan and repeat with the remaining 1 pound of chicken
Add sausage and cooked chicken to Dutch oven
Cook and stir frequently until browned, approximately 5 minutes
Remove chicken and Andouille sausage from pan with slotted spoon, set aside
If needed add oil blend, then add onions, bell pepper, 3/4 cup green onions and 1/2 cup chopped parsley
Cook and stir frequently for 5 minutes
Add garlic and rice to mixture and stir constantly for 2 minutes on medium high
Add chicken stock, chicken, Andouille sausage, salt, and ground red pepper, bring to a boil
Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 18 minutes or until rice is tender and all liquid has been absorbed
Remove from heat, let stand covered for 5 minutes
Stir in remaining 1/4 cup green onions and 1/2 cup chopped parsley

Serves 6 to 8

Serving Suggestions

Garnish with sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, serve hot

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The Omelet Stuffed Pork Chop

ingredients

Omelet Mixture

12 each eggs, fresh
1/2 cup lemon grass, chiffonade
1/4 cup cilantro, stems, minced
2 TBL ginger, fresh, minced
1/2 cup red onion, minced
2 TBL red chiles, fresh, seeded, minced
1 TBL garlic , minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 TBL fish sauce

10 EACH BONE-IN RIB-EYE PORK CHOPS, POUNDED APPROXIMATELY 1/4" THICK
8 OZ WT PROSCIUTTO, THIN SLICED
as needed butter, melted

Preparation

Cooking Directions

Omelet Mixture:

In mixing bowl, combine egg mixture & mix well to combine

Preparation:

In 6" non-stick egg pan, ladle in omelet mixture approximately 1/4" thick warm
Cook mixture until just heated through & keep warm & set aside
On top of pounded pork chop, place omelet 4. On top of omelet, layer approximately 3/4 oz wt of prosciutto
Roll pork tight making a roulade & tie with butcher string
In heated sauté pan, add butter
Sear pork chop on all sides, place in 350 degree oven & cook until an internal temperature of 138 degrees
Rest 10 minutes before slicing

Serving Suggestions

1. On bottom of plate, ladle Slice Pork chop & serve with bacon gravy & fried smashed potatoes

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Pork Rib Confit Frittata with Goat Cheese Butter Cream Sauce

ingredients

Pork Rib Confit

2 POUNDS PORK SPARERIBS, SKINNED
as needed oil blend, to cover

Goat Cheese Sauce

1 cup goat cheese
16 fl oz heavy cream
1 pound butter, cubed
to taste Salt and white pepper

Omelet Mix

8 each eggs
pinch shallots , minced
4 fl oz cream
1 each ramps, pickled
1 each artichoke, cooked & cut
8 OZ WT PORK RIB CONFIT, FROM ABOVE

1 POUND PANCETTA, SLICED
8 each poached eggs
as needed chives, fresh chopped

Preparation

Cooking Directions

Pork Rib Confit:

In sauce pot place ribs & cover with oil blend.
Cook in 250 degree oven for 3-4 hours until tender, cool in oil then shred prior to use

Goat Cheese Sauce:

In sauce pot, combine cheese & cream reduce until thick.
Remove from heat & mount with butter to incorporate

Omelet Mix:

In mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together & mix well to combine.
Place mixture into omelet pan & cook until cooked through.
Cut frittata into wedges.

For Pancetta:

In muffin pan layer pancetta, place in 350 degree oven & cook until crispy

Serving Suggestions

1. On plate, place wedge of frittata standing up right
2. In pancetta cup, place poached egg & garnish with chives

3. Serve with hashbrowns

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Pork is the breakfast of champions. From comforting classics like bacon and sausage to adventurous options like pulled pork and chorizo, pork has a home on breakfast menus across the country. Now, chefs are getting creative with the morning meal, offering new twists on old favorites and inventive flavor combinations. Check out our menuing report to see who’s starting the day with morning’s favorite protein.

Bacon Means Breakfast

Roy Rogers Restaurants added a new LTO breakfast wrap, featuring eggs, shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses and pico de gallo. Guests can add Applewood smoked bacon, ham or sausage to the wrap for an additional $.50. (47 units, HQ in Frederick, Maryland)
Coco’s Bakery Restaurant debuted new seasonal El Paso Benedict: a toasted English muffin topped with Applewood smoked bacon, tomatoes, two poached eggs, spicy chipotle hollandaise sauce and avocado. (124 units, HQ in Carlsbad, California)
IHOP is offering a new LTO Hash Brown stacks, with a ham & Swiss hash brown stack and a bacon & Cheddar hash brown stack. Both types of stacks include hash browns, an egg and a rich hollandaise sauce. (1,476 units, HQ in Glendale, California)

Bacon rotates a different traditional smoke bacon and seasonal rub bacon everyday on their breakfast menu. Seasonal rubs include coconut curry, vanilla pepper, chipotle and many more. (1 location in Austin, Texas)

Gourmet Food Trucks Are Menuing Pork-Friendly Breakfast Items

Nick’s Breakfast Truck in Oakland, California menus many unique pork breakfast items:

Bacon Buttermilk Pancakes: Pancakes with hot and crispy bacon cooked into them, topped with honey butter and served with real maple syrup
Pork Belly Sandwich: Maple glazed crispy pork belly with pickled onions, mustard sauce and a fried egg on crusty hot French roll
Cuban Breakfast Sandwich: Slow roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, thinly sliced ham, and a fried egg pressed in a French roll

The Buttermilk Truck in Los Angeles, California features several tasty pork items:

Buttermilk Brick: Hash browns, two eggs over easy, buttermilk biscuit and homemade chorizo gravy
Hawaiian Bread Breakfast Sliders: Sausage, sautéed onions and shoyu scrambled eggs on Hawaiian bread

Chorizo Breakfast Items Abound

Egg Harbor Café features an El Paso Frittata, made with chorizo sausage, cilantro and jalapeno baked into three eggs topped with melted pepper jack cheese. (18 units, HQ in Lincolnshire, Illinois)
The Egg & I: Breakfast & Lunch menus a Mexican omelet, made with chorizo sausage, green chilies and onions. Topped with Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese, salsa or pork green chili, sour cream and green onions. (42 units, HQ in Lone Tree, Colorado)
First Watch offers the Acapulco Express, made with homemade chorizo sausage, avocado, green chilies and onions, smothered with melted cheeses and topped with sour cream. Served with a side of homemade salsa. (83 units, HQ in Bradenton, Florida)
Denny’s added a Santa Fe Skillet, made with crumbled chorizo sausage, fire-roasted peppers and onions, mushrooms and seasoned red-skinned potatoes served on a sizzlin’ hot skillet, topped with a smoky cheese blend and two eggs. (1,571 units, HQ in Spartanburg, South Carolina)

Prosciutto Found On Breakfast Menus At Small Chains And Independents

Come On In! Café features a Popeye Omelette with spinach, fresh Parmesan, prosciutto and diced tomato. (6 units in California)
Besaw’s features a prosciutto scramble, with three eggs, prosciutto, Asiago cheese and roasted garlic. (1 location in Portland, Oregon)
Café NOLA features an Italian Benedict, made with poached egg, prosciutto, hollandaise and pesto on an English muffin. (1 location in Frederick, Maryland)

Flavored Sausage Adds Extra Panache To Breakfast Menus

Mother’s Bistro features a Pork Apple Sausage & Cheddar Cheese Scramble. (1 location in Portland, Oregon)
Besaw’s Features a two-egg breakfast served with pork apple sausage. (1 location in Portland, Oregon)
The Flying Leap Café Offers Pork Apple Sausage with their breakfast platters. (1 location in San Francisco, California)
SushiSamba Rio’s brunch plates are inspired by Brazilian and Peruvian specialties, , and include dishes like South American frittata paired with linguiça sausage. (7 units, HQ in New York, New York)

Pork Shoulder Appears On Innovative Breakfast Menus

PLOW features an item called Chinese Breakfast: Caramelized pork shoulder, ginger, chili oil, two fried eggs and Jasmine rice. (1 location in San Francisco, California)
Half & Half features Pork ‘N Grits on their winter brunch menu, made with braised pork shoulder, a poached egg, pepper sauce and cilantro. (1 location in St. Louis, Missouri)
Venue features a Breakfast Cubano on their brunch menu, made with pork shoulder, ham, Swiss cheese, house pickles, fried egg and mustard aioli. (1 location in Denver, Colorado)

Pork-Stuffed Pancakes Make For The Ultimate Feast

Sammy’s New South Kitchen features the “Ultimate Piggy’s In the Blanket,” made with one big pancake stuffed with crumbled bacon, sausage, diced ham and wild blueberries with a fried egg baked inside. (1 location in Woodstock, Georgia)
Childer’s Eatery features Texas-style pancakes, which are “fluffy pancakes” filled and topped with either ground sausage or bacon. (1 location in Peoria, Illinois)
Bacon Pancakes are featured at the Lake George Pancake House. (1 location in Lake George, New York)
Dunkin’ Donuts also brought back Sausage Pancake Bites for a limited time offer. Made with sausage and a hint of maple flavor, these pop-able pieces of pancake are full of flavor. (6,900 units, HQ in Canton, Massachusetts)
7-Eleven has an exclusive new breakfast item, a Maple Pancake Sausage Roller. It’s a maple-flavored pancake wrapped around a pork sausage link served hot off the roller grill. (39,000+ units, HQ in Dallas, Texas)

Pork Belly Breakfast!

Slappy Cake’s offers a Pork Belly Benedict: Pork Belly confit with cider marinated coleslaw, topped with two poached eggs and a bacon-fat hollandaise on an English muffin. (1 location in Portland, Oregon)
Half & Half menus a Pork Belly Hash on their winter brunch menu, made with braised pork belly, spinach, potato, onion, and apple-cider vinegar. (1 location in St. Louis, Missouri)
Local 360 has a popular break fast item featuring pork belly and baked beans, accompanied by eggs of your choice and a biscuit with butter. (1 location in Seattle, Washington)

Pork, Not Just For Breakfast

Domino’s Pizza unveiled three new Stuffed Cheesy Bread varieties, including bacon and jalapeno stuffed cheesy bread. (4,929 units, HQ in Ann Arbor, Michigan)
Subway is featuring a new Turkey BLT, with crispy bacon and turkey, all for just 7 grams of fat. (23,850 units, HQ in Milford, Connecticut)
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse added a new Brewhouse Double Deluxe Burger, with two burger patties, crispy Applewood smoked bacon, fried onion strings, Cheddar and Swiss cheese. (102 units, HQ in Huntington Beach, California)
O’Charley’s added a new Calypso salad made with fresh baby spinach, bacon, green apples, chicken, dried cranberries, candied pecans, blue cheese and red onions, all topped with honey-apple cider vinaigrette. (230 units, HQ in Nashville, Tennessee)

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Sealed Air/Cryovac Company with support from the National Pork Board and Mississippi State University hosted their 2012 Annual Barbeque Tour of Memphis and Northern Mississippi. It was an amazing opportunity for attendees to strengthen their knowledge and be immersed in the barbeque culture. The tour consisted of ten stops, ranging from chain to independent restaurants, each carefully selected for their lore, menu variety and cooking techniques.

The stops highlighted the area’s unique flavor profile based on a dry rub and hardwood smoking. Even though Memphis has its own style of tomato based barbecue sauce that’s slightly sweet with a slight vinegar finish, the barbeque in Memphis has always been about the flavor you get when you combine pork and smoke.

The restaurants visited showcased kitchens and smoke pits with a serious passion and talent for barbeque. The chef/owners welcomed the tour with family-style plates and all the classic sides. A few of them were gracious enough to share their secrets, including their recipes for rub and their smoking process. Although each place has its own signature flavor, all of the stops had one thing in common, tender pork shoulder, perfectly cooked spare and St. Louis ribs, hot links, rib tips and a groups favorite “smoked bologna.” Another highlight was a special behind-the-scenes tour of “Tripp Country Hams” located in Brownsville, TN.

In the end, it became clear to tour attendees that the reason for the popularity of Memphis-style barbecue is its classic, straightforward approach to seasoning, smoking and sauce. And of all the traditions carried on by generations of Memphis barbeque masters, the most important is the quality and flavor of the pork. There is no doubt that in Memphis, “Pork is King.”

If you’d like to recreate our Memphis barbeque tour, here are our stops:

Tom's Barbecue & Deli
4087 New Getwell Road
Memphis, TN 38118

(901) 365-6690

Burn’s BBQ
103 Woodland Road
Batesville, MS 38606
(662) 563-0080

Coleman’s BBQ
554 E. Commerce
Hernando, MS 38632
(662) 429-9851

Interstate (Neely’s) BBQ
150 W. Stateline Road
Southaven, MS 38671
(662) 393-5699

Corky’s Barbecue

5259 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, TN 38119

(901) 685-9744

Blues City Café
138 Beale Street
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 526-3637

Tripps’ Country Hams
207 South Washington Avenue
Brownsville, TN 38012

(731) 772-2130

Helen’s Barbecue
1016 N Washington Avenue
Brownsville, TN 38012
(731) 779-3255

Cozy Corner Barbecue

745 N. Parkway

Memphis, TN

(901) 527-9158

Leonard’s Barbecue
5465 Fox Plaza Drive
Memphis, TN 38115
(901) 360-1963

Germantown Commissary
2290 Germantown Road South
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 754-5540

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