Matt Chatfield wins Taste of Elegance competition

A pork rack chop seared and roasted, then served with a savory mushroom bread and micro greens salad on a plate drizzled with fresh sage oil and a paint stripe of apricot brandy sauce on the plate.

That was the mouth-watering dish that carried Kansas City Culinary Center Executive Chef Matt Chatfield to victory in the Taste of Elegance Competition sponsored by the Missouri Pork Association on February 23. 

“You think long and hard about a plate and how it will come together. And this is the year that everything came together — I don’t think it could have come out any better,” says Chatfield.

Judges evaluate presentation, taste and creativity. The only requirement is that pork has to be the featured component. This year that meant that pork confit, homemade pork sausage, bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin and Korean style boneless baby back ribs, among other entries. 

“This is about pork being cooked and seasoned the right way. It’s a great challenge,” says Chatfield.

To prepare for the event, he modified a version of his popular apricot and dried cherry chutney and played around with a French theme for his dish, knowing that he would have chanterelle mushrooms and morels in stock the week of the competition. Chatfield was the victor in a field of 15 area chefs, which also included his wife and fellow chef, Sophia Chatfield. Along with the grand prize, he earned the right to compete alongside 19 other chefs in the national competition being held in Baltimore this June.

“This is a true chef-to-chef competition, it’s nice to get the recognition when you win, but also feel happy for someone else when they do well,” he says.