He should know. Brian grew up in Austin, Minn., surrounded by friends and family who worked the land or were involved in other aspects of agriculture. His father, for example, spent his 40-year career at nearby Hormel Foods, which has always been close to farms large and small. To this day, his son can conjure up the scent of bacon curing. “It would fill the air,” he said.
His was a closely knit community, Brian recalled. In many ways, Austin and other agricultural towns still are. “Folks … care about each other” and big extended families crowd around kitchen tables for meals. “The mealtime in a rural community is different from mealtime in an urban center,” he said, comparing it to a scene from Norman Rockwell. Immediately you get it.
Those kinds of memories and modern-day passions made Brian the ideal chef for the latest episode of “Cooking & Culture,” the Hormel Foods video series that celebrates diversity through food. He partnered with members of the company’s H-FARM employee resource group, which seeks to strengthen connections between the people who bring forth food from the land and the products that bear the name of the 128-year-old company.
Food
Cooking & Culture: Stuffed Pork Chops
Watch Chef Brian & Karol prepare a farm favorite
Try It At Home