Paul Willis, founder of Niman Ranch Pork Company and Iowa hog farmer since the 1970s will be a special guest at Zingerman’s Roadhouse on June 3.  The dinner will feature the unsung and oft-overlooked foods of of Iowa.  You might be thinking, “Iowa? Who knew?”  But, there are plenty of traditionally made and full flavored foods coming out of Iowa, which are slowly changing the way we view our foods.  Here’s a sneak peak at what we’ll find at the Roadhouse dinner on June 3.  (By the way, if you can’t handle the suspense, check out the dinner menu right now.)

1. TRADITIONALLY MADE FOODS
The upcoming dinner, crafted by James Beard Award-nominated Chef Alex Young will feature some of Iowa’s most flavorful ingredients.  Maytag Blue cheese is one of those ingredients, produced by Fred Maytag II, great grandson of the famous appliance maker is made according to a recipe created by Iowa State University.  He’s been using the same recipe, which takes time and demands hands-on attention, but yeilds a flavorful product.   The pancetta of Herb Eckhouse at La Quercia is another.  La Quercia, which means “oak” in Italian, is a company making Italian-style dry-cured meats including prosciutto, pancetta, culaccia, speck, guanciale and lardo.  Herb and Kathy Eckhouse, the passionate owners of La Quercia opened in February 2005 after learning and experimenting at home for 5 years.  Their first prosciutto was available in September of that year.  The Eckhouse’s are committed to using only pork, which is raised using sustainable farming methods. Pasture-raised pigs have more fat, and hence more flavor.  Their technique for drying and curing the meats at La Quercia comes directly from Italy, specifically Parma, where prosciutto is traditionally made.  The significance of the oak comes into play here, because pigs raised for prosciutto are fed an acorn diet.  Coincidentally, the oak is the symbol of Parma as well as the state tree of Iowa.

2. AN EXCITING GUEST
Paul Willis began his hog farming operation with a passion for sustainable practices.  Working using traditional techniques, He raises his animals outdoors or in hoop houses on beds of straw.  The animals graze free within each pasture and are fed as naturally as possible.  The pigs’ pastures are rotated annually, and their grazing becomes a larger part of a traditional crop rotation.  Paul Willis’ farm is certified organic, which means that he does not give his hogs antibiotics, hormones or feed them animal by-products.  In 1994, when Paul met Bill Niman, their passions converged and became the Niman Ranch Pork Company, a network of farmers who raise their hogs in much the same way as Paul Willis.
Paul Willis will be the special guest at the Roadhouse June 3.  He’ll share stories of his passion to revive the tradition of small hog farmer, his committment to sustainable farming and animal husbandry and illuminate the conflicts between his approach and the industrialization of Iowa hog farming. 
An online video gives us a sneak peak at what Paul might share with us.  Also online is a photo collage and a blog his farm in Thornton, Iowa.

3. IOWA SPECIALTIES 
The last not-to-miss experience at this dinner is the opportunity to taste some of Iowa’s hidden traditional dishes.   We can expect to have German potato salad from the Amana community, a German-Lutheran community settled in 1855.  Dutch Letters, an almost unheard-of dessert made with pastry dough and an almond paste come from the Dutch immigrants who settled in Iowa.

If your mouth is watering now, go ahead and check out the menu.  Then call 734.663.FOOD (3663) to make a reservations.  There’s not a lot of time and seats will fill.