Smithfield Foodservice is raising the bar at breakfast time by conceptualizing reimagined dishes of classic applications. The 2017 Smithfield Foodservice Chef Advisory Board recently worked to create a collection of breakfast recipes that adopt perfectly into today’s trending breakfast culture. One of these recipes, “Pork Chops and Hoecakes” is the epitome of modern culinary adaptations in breakfast.

Consumers’ cravings are expanding beyond ordinary breakfast, making extraordinary the latest standard. Due to the demand for all-day breakfast fare and the glamorization of brunch, chefs need to fill menus with inspired, trendy fare. 

Taking inspiration from the classic Southern breakfast favorite, “Chicken and Waffles,” 2017 Smithfield Foodservice Chef Advisory Board member, Pete Balodimas, built the new “Pork Chops and Hoecakes” concept. This innovative menu idea replaces a traditional waffle with a hoecake and fried chicken with Farmland Chop Shop pork chops. 

“Our latest innovation session pushed us to rethink the breakfast framework. ‘Pork Chops and Hoecakes’ embody the sweet and savory nuances of ‘Chicken and Waffles,’ but takes traditional flavor further,” says Balodimas.

Balodimas said the concept aimed to explore the versatility of pork and how it can easily be paired with trending flavors associated with the breakfast daypart. In addition to the “Pork Chops and Hoecakes” concept, Balodimas created seven additional pairings of pork and hoecakes that expand across multiple meal periods.

“Pork is a versatile product that can easily adapt to any daypart an operator wants to use it in. It is one of, if not the only, proteins that can be found at every meal part,” says Chip Morgan, director of marketing, foodservice and industrial at Smithfield Foodservice. “At Smithfield Foodservice, we pride ourselves on our passion for innovation and bringing menu ideation to life. I believe we achieved that goal with this new concept.”