| HOME | MARKET MENU | CATERING MENU | REFERENCES | RESOURCES | CONTACT |
|
Visit Grand Grilling to Go at Your Local Farmer's Market: Minnetrista Winter Market Sat. Mar 19 & Sat. Apr 16 9:00-12:00, Main Building |
Recent Press:Chamber honors Farmers Market organizerBy MICHAEL McBRIDE February 26, 2009YORKTOWN -- Yorktown Chamber of Commerce members generally represent a big slice of who's who in Yorktown. Chamber's 2008 Outstanding Service Award. Ron Orebaugh won for selling the town on the idea of a summer-long Farmers Market, conducted Friday evenings at the Yorktown-Mount Pleasant Public Library beginning in June. Owners of Grand Grilling to Go, Ron and wife Susan Orebaugh are also regulars at the nine-year-old farmers market at Minnetrista cultural center in Muncie. The Orebaughs and other winners of the COC's 2008 monthly service awards and a few more were nominated and listed on the chamber's Web site (www.yorktowninchamber.org As owners of Orebaugh Farms, the couple set up their pork burger booth at the farmers markets. A dozen or so vendors typically joined them at both Yorktown and Minnetrista, Susan said -- and based on inquiries, she expected those numbers to grow. She guessed more than 20 vendors participated at the 4-7 p.m. Friday night markets at Yorktown at various times during the summer and fall seasons. The Yorktown chamber plans to continue the annual award. "Buffy (Carolyn Grieves) and I discussed whether this was the first," said Stan Schad, nominated himself for work on the chamber's Web site. "We did not do it last year, but we might have done it before that. "But I am sure we will do it again." Ron and Susan Orebaugh Are Promoting Pork, One Burger at a TimeThe PorkCheckoff MagazineLike a lot of businesses, Ron and Susan Orebaugh's catering operation started out small. The owners of a family farm in Muncie, the Orebaugh's had a long history of pork production - Ron is a third-generation producer - but became interested in doing a little bit more in the industry. That "little bit more" has led to a now-busy catering enterprise, Grand Grilling to Go, that keeps the couple cooking throughout the year. Ron got his start in the catering business by simply helping others out. He would assist the Delaware/Blackford County Pork Producers when they grilled pork chops and pork burgers at events, and found that cooking local products for others was something he truly enjoyed. The couple was happy to oblige neighbors and friends who wanted help with a hog roast or the preparation of other pork products, and they soon bought a more serious grill to help with their catering "hobby." At the same time, the Orebaugh's had also expanded their business to local farmers' markets. A long-time fixture selling frozen pork burgers and sausage patties at the Saturday morning Farmers Market in Muncie, Ron would grill a few burgers and offer samples to visitors. Before long, hungry vendors and shoppers began to ask for full-size servings. Soon, one small Char-Broil© grill turned into two small grills, the small grills gave way to two larger Char-Broil© grills, and a booming Saturday morning business was born. During this time, the couple also developed a pulled pork recipe that quickly became a local favorite. As word spread about the Orebaugh's talent for delivering the best pulled pork in town, demand and orders increased. This small enterprise led to what is now a successful catering business specializing in pork products and homemade, hometown-favorite side dishes, such as baked beans, seven-layer salad and au gratin potatoes. These days, Ron and Susan continue their involvement in four farmers' markets and serving approximately 250 + pork burgers and pork sausage burgers every Saturday morning and approximately 300 - 400 pounds of pre-packaged pulled pork a week through catering. The catering business has turned into a full-time operation, as well. The couple converted a mobile home on their farm into a commercial kitchen that serves as the place where all of the catering magic happens. As Susan puts it, "I have my kitchen, and Ron has his." Grand Grilling to Go provides catering for festivities throughout the year ranging from graduation parties and family reunions to corporate events and city festivals, working in conjunction with Indiana Pork at the Hoosier Horse Fair and Indy Jazz Fest, and Farm Bureau's "Taste of Indiana Farms" at the Indiana State Fair. Though the business is still famous for its pulled pork, the Orebaugh's have expanded their menu to include new ways to prepare their favorite meat. One of their most recent additions to the menu is roasted pork loin, which is quickly becoming a customer favorite. While still operating their hog farm, the Orebaugh's find real joy in their catering business. "You're always going to a party," says Susan. "and we enjoy making people happy." Ron agrees. "We've met people we wouldn't normally come close to and made some real friendships - that's the fun part." And, as pork producers, they are able to serve their own home-grown products to a large audience and are proud to have the ability to share the fruits of their labor with others. "We get to use and display our own products that we grow," said Ron. "We know what the quality is and how it was raised and we can let other people appreciate it." Ron, who has been active with the Indiana Pork Board of Directors in the past and is still involved in Operation Main Street, is proud he and Susan are active supporters of the pork industry and active promoters of the pork brand. "We're still a part of the pork industry, but just a different part," says Ron. "We expose a lot of other people to pork who might not be normally exposed to it. We promote pork every day." Taste of EleganceIndiana Pork, for the 13th year, hosted the Taste of Elegance on January 27, 2009 in the Indiana Roof Ballroom. The Taste of Elegance has evolved into a premiere chef's competion showcasing the talents of Indiana's finest chefs preparing unique pork dishes. Eleven Indiana chefs competed for the title of "Chef Par Excellence" and the opportunity to compete in the 2009 National Pork Board's Taste of elegance. Each Chef displayed their culinary talents and knowledge on the use of pork in fine dining. Judging the event was Chef Brandon Hamilton, 2008 Taste of Elegance Chef Par Excellence Winner, of Trader's Point Creamery Cafe of Zionsville, Chef Tony Hanslits, Director of Culinary Education of Indiana Business College in Indianapolis, Casey Kenley, Editor of Indianapolis Dine Magazine, Indianapolis, Renee Wilmeth, Writer & Editor of FeedMe/Drink Me Blog of Indianapolis, and Ron Orebaugh, owner of Grand Grilling to Go, Muncie. Entrees were judged on the following critera: Taste Appearance Originality Wine Pairing Various Indiana Winery's contributed Wines for pairing with pork entrees and the Indiana Wine Grape Council sponsored the wine tasting. Chef Ryan Nelson of the Oceanaire Seafood Room of Indiana won the Chef Par Excellence Award sponsored by the Indiana Soybean Alliance and received $1,000 for first place. His winning entree was Pork Sweet Breads Grand Grilling to Go makes a name for itself with secret pulled-pork recipeBy JOHN CARLSON August 31, 2006Cooking really delicious pulled-pork barbecue for a living can do wonders for a guy's popularity. "You get to go to a party every day," said a jovial Ron Orebaugh, who with his wife of 30 years, Susan, owns the catering service Grand Grilling to Go. "And they all want you to come," he added. The Orebaughs live on rolling farm country a few miles southeast of the city, raising hogs and other critters in a manner familiar to their ancestors. "The Orebaughs have been farming ever since they got here," he said. Serving their barbecue to hungry diners, on the other hand, only started about three or four years go after a legend in this region's catering circles -- Pork Chop Charlie -- recommended it. "He said 'You need to do this,'" recalled Orebaugh, a stocky, personable fellow who was wearing a green golf shirt billing pork as "The Other White Meat." Taking Pork Chop Charlie's advice, the Orebaughs began working on a pulled-pork recipe that, after a year of trial and error, resulted in the barbecue they serve now. "We did a lot of taste testing," he said. What's in it? Predictably, Orebaugh warned, "I could tell ya, but I'd have to kill ya." Nevertheless, he soon slid a steaming, fragrant half-pound portion in front of a visitor, who gratefully ditched his pen for a fork, the better to devour the very savory stuff. It was, in a word, superb. "We cook 130 to 170 pounds of that every week," said Orebaugh, adding that he can also load up a 12-foot portable grill with more pork products. "We can cook 160 pork burgers at a time if we need to." The pulled pork is the biggest seller, though. It is cooked for eight hours, then shredded by hand so that no fat makes it into the serving trays. In their travels, Susan added, they make a point of comparing other pulled-pork barbecue to theirs. So far, theirs wins. "We tried one recently that was close to ours," she said, "but it was not quite there." When the time comes to serve theirs, Orebaugh said he can tell the casual barbecue fans from the barbecue-eating pros by how they want it plated. Putting the meat on the bottom half of the bun and covering it with the top half marks you as an amateur. The pros, he said, follow the Memphis style of dressing a bun -- open it up and pile the barbecue on both halves. Down there, they might also pile baked beans or sauerkraut on top of the meat. Since entering the business, the Orebaughs have catered graduation parties, birthday parties, a high-school field day and company appreciation dinners, among others. "And just supper," said Orebaugh, who is on the board of directors of the Indiana Pork Producers Association and the perfect public-relations guy for the catering business. Sometimes, he added, neighbors show up at their door to do a bit of shopping. "They'll say, 'Ron, I need 20 pounds of pork burgers," Orebaugh recalled. "The neighborhood all knows we have 'em." One neighbor, Alan Wright, has two daughters who work for the Orebaughs, helping them prepare food and sell it at Minnetrista's Farmers Market. "He knows how to make barbecue," he said. "It's good." Wright recalled being at a graduation party where a Cowan teenager was itchy to leave. Then somebody served him a half-pound of Orebaugh's barbecue on a plate. "He tried it and said, 'We now have time to sit and eat,'" Wright recalled, chuckling. Folks who hire the catering service also can simply buy an order of pulled pork or go for complete dinners served with plenty of sides. These can include baked beans, potato salad, apple sauce and a slushy fruit cocktail that has proven to be popular. That half-pound of pulled pork, by the way, is the standard serving size. "Our goal is you don't have to go to McDonald's after you eat with us," Orebaugh said. While it's doubtful Grand Grilling to Go will ever become as well known as those Golden Arches, business has definitely been on the upswing. The Orebaughs are moving their kitchen facilities to a new building on their property that will make producing large quantities of pulled pork barbecue easier. Jobs are filling up the date book that Orebaugh keeps to schedule events. And while they don't advertise, their reputation is spreading. "When we deliver it," the grill master said, "there's usually a crowd behind us because they follow the smell." The true mark of success, however, comes when the barbecue is gone. "I've seen people licking the pan when all is said and done," Orebaugh said, laughing. "There's not a greater compliment than that." | ||||||
| |||||||