IPPA student Taste competition highlights pork blade steak

Mar 20, 2023

Culinary students were challenged to create their tastiest pork blade steak entrée for the annual student Taste competition, hosted by the Iowa Pork Producers Association.

Eight teams from four Iowa colleges and universities had two hours in the kitchen to prepare their recipes that were required to utilize pork blade steak. That pork cut is sliced from the same shoulder section known as a Boston butt, which is commonly slow-cooked for pulled pork.

"These aspiring chefs help make the pork industry successful," said Kelsey Sutter, IPPA’s marketing and programs director. "This competition is a learning opportunity and hopefully encourages them to serve pork wherever their careers take them."

Teams consisted of two to four students, and their entrées were judged on taste, appearance, complementing side dishes, and design. The competition took place at the Iowa Culinary Institute on the Des Moines Area Community College campus in Ankeny.

The first-place team from Iowa State University was the Culinary CYentists, a play on ISU's Cy the Cardinal mascot. Members included sophomore Jaelyn Luong, Des Moines; sophomore Izabele Jaime, Mason City; junior Evelyn Greenbury, Arlington Heights, Illinois; and freshman Lucas Brown, Lakewood Ranch, Florida.

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Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

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Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.