Winning pork and egg recipes from the N.C. Mountain State Fair contests
Susie Zuerner of Arden placed first in the N.C. Mountain State Fair’s pork and egg cooking contests.
Zuerner’s Cheesy Pork Burgers won over the judges in the N.C. Pork Council sponsored cooking contest. The first-place finish earned her a blue ribbon and $200. She also impressed the judges in the N.C. Egg Association’s Incredible Eggs! Go International contest. Zuerner earned another blue ribbon and $200 for her Thai-inspired recipe, Khai Yat Sai.
In the pork contest, Sharon Gates of Leicester earned $150 for her second-place Bacon Chocolate Chip Blondies. Justin Pegg of Asheville ftook third-place honors and earned $100 for his Southwestern Spicy Pork Soup.
In the egg contest, Sharon Gates had another second-place finish with her Presto Pesto Italian Quiche. The dish earned her $150. In third place, Nate Worley of Leicester earned $100 for his Middle Eastern recipe, Succulent Israeli Shakshuka.
Following are the first-place pork and egg recipes:
Cheesy Pork Burgers
- 1 1/2 pounds ground pork
- 3 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 tablespoons minced sweet onion
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 5 large cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons apricot preserves, divided
- 6 slices mozzarella cheese
- 6 burger buns
- 4-6 lettuce leaves
- 5 tablespoons butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Combine pork with shredded mozzarella, onion, ricotta, garlic and half of the apricot preserves. Form mixture into six patties, and salt and pepper to taste. On very hot grill, cook burgers for about 4 minutes per side. With 1 minute left to cook, top each patty with 1 teaspoon of the preserves and a slice of mozzarella. Finish cooking until internal temperature is 160 degrees. Spread butter on buns and toast. Top burger with lettuce and serve.
Khai Yat Sai
- 6 eggs, beaten with salt and white pepper
- 1 box of prepared rice
- 8 ounces, minced pork
- 3 strips bacon
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 small pepper, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1/2 cup spinach
- 1/2 cup peas
- 1/2 cup green beans
- Soy sauce
- Salt
- White Pepper
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
In wok or other large cooking dish, cook eggs until done. Remove eggs and place in a medium bowl. Prepare rice as directed on packaging. Set rice aside. In skillet, add next 11 ingredients and cook until pork is done. Add dash of soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Once all ingredients are cooked, stir in cheese. Pour mixture into egg bowl. Next, invert bowl and contents onto plate. Add rice to plate and serve.
