"SABOR" is a food & wine and lifestyle series that savors Latinos' zest for life and passion for home and family. 

When it comes to cooking with pork, bringing out its essence, and making the flavors come alive with a Latin, Asian, Spanish or French spin, Chef José Mendín is your man.

The Puerto Rican-born chef, who was voted Best Chef in Miami 2014, knows how to get to the "Pubbelly" of the beast and will share his skills at Goya Foods' 'Swine and Wine' event, held at the 2015 Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival, presented by FOOD & WINE. 

Known for his innovative and international spin on healthy and delicious pork-inspired recipes -- from pork-centric tapas, dumplings, pork belly to sushi rolls that have adorned the menus of Pubbelly, Pubbelly Sushi, Barceloneta, Macchialina, PB Steak, and recently the newly-opened L'echon Brasserie -- Mendín takes his pork seriously.

Goya Foods' "Swine & Wine" event, which is presented by the National Pork Board, will introduce its first-ever "National Pork Board Critics' Choice Award."

As a "pork ambassador," along with fellow celebrity Chef Doreen Colondres, Mendín will serve as one of the judges for the award. Acclaimed Latin chefs will compete and show off their porcine cooking skills.

"I am very excited to represent the National Pork Board. People are coming from everywhere, from all parts of the country and the world," he told Latin Post in an exclusive interview.

In addition, other distinguished chefs and celebrities will serve as judges, including acclaimed Chef Juan Mari Arzak, Goya Foods' Executive Chef Fernando Desa, Chef James Tahhan of Telemundo "Un Nuevo Dia," Marc Forgione, restaurateur and Food Network Iron Chef, and Raul De Molina, host of Univision's "El Gordo y La Flaca."

"The Festival brings together a diverse multicultural audience - from food experts and chefs to those who just enjoy trying new things - and provides the perfect setting to showcase the wide variety of delicious and healthy pork-inspired recipes," said Jose de Jesus, director of multicultural marketing at the National Pork Board. "It also introduces consumers to the versatility and joy of cooking with pork."

What does Chef Mendín, who is also the Pubbelly Restaurant Group's Founding Partner and Culinary Director, look for in a pork-centric tapa?

He says it's the way you prepare the pork -- from a Barbecue smoker to a slow-roast pork. "It's the mix that you present."

Mendín will be adding a new pork-inspired recipe, "Braised Pork Pastelón," to his Pubbelly Restaurant menu during the week of the SOBEWFF as part of his collaboration with the National Pork Board's 'Pork Te Inspira' Spanish language platform.

"I am Puerto Rican and one of the things that I love to eat is my mother's pastelón. She cooks it with brown beef... We [at Pubbelly] do it with a roasted lechon," he said. "We are going to use all of the Latin spices and Latin flavors. Instead of using mashed potatoes you use sweet mashed plantains. You get the savory and sweet." 

Mendín also spearheads PorkTeInspira.com, a resource of pork information and inspiration, including mouthwatering recipes, nutritional content of pork, choice cuts, health and safety information and cooking tips.

"I love sharing my ideas and my recipes of things that you can cook at home. It's great for home cooks to get inspiration.  I love the website," which especially serves the Latin community, for it's in Spanish. He also wants to debunk the misconception that pork is not healthy.

Born to heavy food culture/foodie parents and a great-grandmother who was a cooking instructor, Mendín exposed to two extremes in the kitchen where his mother was territorial of her the kitchen but his great grandmother welcomed people with open arms.

"It's kind of half and half. My mother wouldn't let us come into the kitchen, even to help clean," he laughed. "My parents are foodies. They loved taking me out and traveling."

It was during college days that he had the chance to cook on his own and discover his passion.

"Back in college I did very simple things like rice and beans," he said. Mendín's eye-opening moment may have been the reaction from his hungry college roommates who benefitted from his new-found culinary exploration.

"The reaction I received from people enjoying my food was so gratifying that I was immediately hooked," he explained. "I love entertaining people. I love what I do."

Losing a collegiate volleyball scholarship was life-changing for Mendín, for it gave him the chance to discover his passion for food, and afforded him the opportunity leave his native Puerto Rico and pursue his newfound love for cooking at Johnson & Wales University in Miami.

Mendín went on to become a part of the opening team of Nobu Miami, and later went on to Nobu London in Hyde Park. While there, he was exposed to the inventive Asian influences that were "melded with a European technique," which laid the groundwork for him to transition to position as Chef de Cuisine of SUSHISAMBA Miami Beach in 2004 -- "a hybrid concept that artfully fused the flavors of Japan, Brazil and Peru."

Under his direction, the SUSHISAMBA brand flourished and within two years he would be appointed to the position of Assistant Corporate Chef. He was responsible for overseeing all of their stateside locations, including opening their largest project, SUSHISAMBA Las Vegas (2008) at the Palazzo, to award-winning notoriety.  

Moving to Segovia, Spain furthered expanded Mendín's international culinary exploration with pork.

"It's a way of life over there. It's a very important ingredient. It's about the best cut and the best flavor possible," he added.

While in Spain, he worked under chefs like Jesus Ramiro and Juan Pablo Felipe as well as Michelin-starred restaurants. He even cooked for the prince of Spain, and "learned how to revitalize ancient recipes maintaining the integrity of a dish's roots, while infusing it with the slightest modern touches."

Upon returning to the States, Mendín became a part of the opening team of Mosaico (2003) alongside celebrated La Broche chef, Gonzalo Juardo, and later at Mercadito, when he opened their Chicago and Miami outposts. 

He tapped into his training in Spain to help construct the menu of Barceloneta (2011), a Spanish tapas restaurant that marked the third restaurant concept under The Pubbelly Restaurant Group.

A culinary master both in Miami and his native San Juan, Puerto Rico, Mendín and his business partners Andreas Schreiner and Sergio Navarro have taken more than six culinary concepts to critical acclaim.

Mendín has been a recognized semi-finalist of the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef South awards in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and has received recognition from publications like Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, Departures and The Cooking Channel.

Despite his numerous accolades and top-notch experience, Mendín never forgets his roots, whether it be from his own family's kitchen to his college apartment, working at top restaurants, to honing in on his international expertise, he recognizes that if you want to become a respected, professional chef, you have to pay your dues and respect the past.

"There is a lot of history with cooking. To be a good chef, you have to be working for a while. You want to be humble and keep your head down and listen to the chef that you want to work for. And then you can find your own style."

Goya Foods' 'Swine and Wine' event kicked off on Feb. 19 and will run until Feb. 22.

Check out the recipe for the Braised Pork Pastelón by Chef José Mendín for PorkTeInspira.com:

5 ripe plantains

2 lb. pork shoulder - chopped into 2-inch cubes

1⁄2 cup GOYA Sofrito

1⁄2 cup GOYA Recaíto

4 bay leaves

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup onions, chopped

2 tablespoons sliced garlic

1⁄2 cup green pepper, chopped

1⁄2 cup red pepper, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped, no pulp or seeds

1 cup chicken broth

1 pack GOYA Sazón

1⁄2 cup tomato sauce

2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon sliced olives

1 tablespoon capers

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Canola oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preparing the pork:

Season pork well with salt and pepper. In a saucepan over high heat, add the canola oil. When oil is

hot, brown the pork on all sides, then remove it from the pot and set aside. In the same pan add the

garlic and cook until golden brown, then add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the bay leaves

and peppers and cook for 3 minutes over medium high heat. Add the recaíto, sofrito, seasoning and

tomato sauce, cooking for another 3 minutes and stir well. Add the browned pork and the chicken

broth, olives, capers, cilantro and tomatoes, reducing heat to medium low. Cook for 1 hour or until

pork is tender and shreds in the sauce. Set aside to build the pastelón.

Frying the plantains:

Peel the plantains and cut in one-inch slices. Add enough canola oil to cover plantains in a deep

pan fryer. Temperate should reach 350° F. Fry the sliced plantains until they are golden brown on

the outside. Using a mortar, pound the plantains and add a little salt. This will be the dough for the

pastelón.

Putting it all together:

In a 2-quart casserole dish, spread butter to the entire inside surface. Add half of the plantains to

make an inch-thick base. Using your hand, flatten the ripe plantains to create a flat surface. Add the

pork stew, sprinkle cheese and cover with remaining plantains. Top with the remaining cheese; plate

on top rack in the oven, and bake for 10 minutes at 340° F. Remove from oven and serve.

Enjoy!

Preparation: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 1.5 hours

Serves: 4

For more healthy and delicious recipes, visit PorkTeInspira.com.