Whet your appetite: Pig roast competition returns to campus

The aroma of charcoal-roasted lechon filled the air, promising a delectable treat to those who braved the weather to attend last year’s first annual Pig Roast at MMC.

Associate Director of Financial Aid Fabiola Ortega, one of the four champions comprising team We Mean Business, had just spent two hours chopping avocados, tomatoes, and onions for her side dish, a pico guacamole. Her efforts were rewarded when hungry fans returned for more.

“I had a lot of people ask me, ‘Where did you buy this?’ I had to explain that I made it,” she says. “I knew it was good, but they reinforced that I had something special here.”

Ortega’s popular dip (see recipe) served as the perfect complement to her team’s winning lechon, prepared with their unique mojo and presented atop an orange slice.

With some 80 participating teams from within the FIU community and beyond, We Mean Business competed against many seasoned professionals. Teammate Alberto Diaz, director of college recruitment and enrollment management, recalls feeling out of his depth initially. “I’m of Cuban descent,” he says. “I was raised making lechon with my father, but we never did a caja china, so this was a first for me.” In fact, the whole team needed instruction on how to operate the time-honored box method for cooking the pork.

Despite more-experienced competitors and having to overcome a sharp learning curve, the team brought their positive attitude. “It unified us even more,” Ortega explains. “It was a very fun experience that taught us to be more collaborative and understand better what each person brings to the table.”

Friendly rivalry added spice to the competition. Good-spirited banter with the College of Law team, for example, led to lasting bonds forged in the summer heat. “We made great friends! We still talk and meet up,” Diaz says.

Following their win, the team representing the College of Business has proudly displayed their individual trophies around campus. “There’s a lot of talk now,” Diaz discloses, among newcomers and returning competitors. Not one to rest on their laurels or relinquish bragging rights, the business team is busy cooking up fresh ideas for the upcoming competition. (Ortega singles out the pork and side dishes from the College of Hospitality’s team last year as standouts to watch.)

“I think we’ve come to the realization,” Diaz explains, “that everyone is going to bring a better game than last year. Everyone is better prepared, so there is pressure.” With a grin, he adds, “We’re the business school, so we’re competitive individuals. We want to win.”

With two teams this year, the College of Business is hoping to double its chances at success by topping their dishes from last year’s event. As they tell it, the team plans to deliver big ideas and big flavor.

Reflecting on their collective victory, Ortega describes it as “a special moment for our team. Winning showed our hard work, dedication, and teamwork.” Hoping to inspire a surge in attendance and participation, she adds, “Give it a try. We would love to see more of the FIU community. You’ll walk out with good food and good energy. And you’ll connect with FIU on a different level.”

Diaz echoes his teammate’s sentiment: “This is community. That’s the way I see it.” The pig roast is but one example “of what FIU is about. The way that this community comes out to support these events is what makes it so special.”