Here's a Niche, There's a Niche.

Whether you want to locate a niche pork producer in your area, keep up with trends in the niche protein market or find marketing materials and recipes to help you merchandise pork, don’t miss the Pork Checkoff’s redesigned NichePork.org.

“We’ve given the site a fresh, new look with new content and have organized the information so it’s easier to access,” said Larry Cizek, director of culinary/niche marketing development for the Pork Checkoff.  “Whether you’re a producer, processor, chef, retailer or consumer, you’ll find the answers you need.”

As the Pork Checkoff celebrates 20 years, the revamped niche pork site shows how the Checkoff adapts to changes in the pork industry, Cizek added.

“There wasn’t any such thing as niche pork 20 years ago, and it wasn’t even on the radar 10 years ago.  We started focusing on it about four years ago when some chefs said they wanted specialty pork items,” he said.

When Niman Ranch became a leader in antibiotic-free and free-range pork, interest in niche pork took off.  “It’s an area that’s growing all the time,” Cizek said.

The redesigned homepage for NichePork.org includes links for three main sections for producers/processors, chefs/retailers and consumers.

“The producer section, for example, can help you find answers to questions about niche pork, learn more about niche challenges and opportunities, locate sources for niche pork processing and make connections throughout the industry,” Cizek said.

The site features updated search capabilities, including a niche packer search, for example.  Visitors also can search the list of producers according to the products they offer, including organic, free-range, mail order and genetic specific.

Since the original Web site went live more than two years ago, the demand for niche pork has remained strong.  

“Chefs, retailers and consumers are looking for something unique and different,” Cizek said.

Here's What Chefs Say About Niche Pork

Find out what chefs are saying about your products on the new chef features in the chefs/retailers section of the revamped nichepork.org Web site.

Paul Lynch (right) of Firelake Restaurant at the Radisson Hotel in Minneapolis, Minn., who was recently featured, believes niche pork offers one of the best opportunities to create excitement in a menu, because a chef can take something familiar and add a new twist.

“We’re well-known for our honey-cured, rack of Berkshire pork ribs smoked with apple and maple wood,” Lynch said. “Our St. Louis-style ribs are popular on our spring/summer menu, and so is our barbecued pork.”

In addition to curing his own bacon and making his own sausage for special occasions, Lynch also enjoys preparing dishes with pork cheeks, trotters, pork belly, and pork shanks.

“I’m pleased that the National Pork Board is investing Checkoff dollars into finding new value-added, underutilized pork cuts that will allow chefs to create even more interesting menu items,” he added.