DES MOINES, Iowa — As summer, grills, and smokers heat up across the U.S., the National Pork Board is launching “Sabor Season,” a virtual social media campaign to bring Hispanic families and communities together nationwide.
Throughout Sabor Season, four Hispanic chefs and a pitmaster will take over the National Pork Board’s “Pork Es Sabor” Hispanic-focused Instagram account to teach LIVE virtual grilling classes.
“Pork continues to be the centerpiece protein in our Latin culture and traditions, which are usually celebrated at the family dinner table or at gatherings with close friends,” said Jose de Jesus, senior director of multicultural marketing at the National Pork Board. “That’s especially true during grilling season when pork chops and ribs are the meat of choice for Hispanics.”
According to Nielsen Research, which conducted a study for the National Pork Board, ribs and pork chops over-index – 114 and 112, respectively – with Latinos during grilling season. “Pork is just a staple in the Latino community,” de Jesus said.
Sabor Season LIVE is a series of free, interactive, virtual classes between chefs and consumers, where Latino families and communities can come together to celebrate, recreate dishes, and learn tips and hacks for grilling or smoking the perfect pork cut. Participants will be able to access the list of recipe ingredients for each upcoming class in advance via the National Pork Board’s Pork Es Sabor social media platforms.
The chefs, who will bring their expertise and favorite grilling and smoking tips to the Sabor Season virtual classes, include:
- Jose Mendin, a five-time James Beard Award nominee and the chef and owner of Pubbelly Sushi and La Placita in Miami
- Roberto Mezanava, a pitmaster from Nashville, Tennessee
- Ana Quincoces, a celebrity chef, food entrepreneur, and cookbook author
- Wesley Avila, a celebrated chef and founder of Guerrilla Tacos in Los Angeles, and author of the cookbook “Guerrilla Tacos: Recipes from the streets of LA”
- Richard Sandoval, chef and global restaurateur, and owner of Maya Restaurant in New York City
Classes will be hosted on Thursdays during the summer, starting on June 4 at 6 p.m. ET, via the National Pork Board’s Pork Es Sabor Instagram Live. In celebration of National Grilling Day, the final class will go live on Wednesday, July 22, at 6 p.m. ET.
Sabor Season will culminate with the crowning of a chef’s recipe as “El Mejor Sabor del Verano,” (Summer’s Best Flavor), voted on by consumers. By voting, consumers will be entered to win a grand prize, a Kamado Big Joe III grill valued at $2,700.
Consumers will also be encouraged to put their grilling or smoking skills to the test by recreating the pork recipes from the class, or by sharing their own and posting photos or videos with the hashtag #SaborSeason for a chance to win one of five Kamado Joe Classic I grills valued at $805 each.
To stay connected on the latest Sabor Season updates, recipe ideas and more information, please visit PorkEsSabor.com/SaborSeason and follow along on social media at @PorkEsSabor on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Join the conversation using #SaborSeason.
About the National Pork Board
The National Pork Board has responsibility for Pork Checkoff-funded research, promotion and consumer information projects and for communicating with pork producers and the public. The Pork Checkoff funds national and state programs in consumer education and marketing, retail and foodservice marketing, export market promotion, production improvement, science and technology, swine health, pork safety, and environmental management and sustainability. For the past half-century, the U.S. pork industry has delivered on its commitment to sustainable production and has made significant strides in reducing the environmental impact of pig farming. Through a legislative national Pork Checkoff, pork producers invest $0.40 for each $100 value of hogs sold. Importers of pork products contribute a like amount, based on a formula. For information on Checkoff-funded programs, pork producers can call the Pork Checkoff Service Center at (800) 456-7675 or visit www.pork.org.
