When it comes to makin’ bacon, Australian producers are among the best.

Yet more than two-thirds of the salty staple sold here is currently made from imported pork.

It’s a grave imbalance that Australian Bacon Week, which kicked off yesterday, is designed to address.

For the next week, at restaurants and retailers throughout the country, 100 per cent Australian pork will take centre stage, with chefs out to prove the cured meat’s versatility – with chefs like Peter Gilmore and Adriano Zumbo involved, it might prove even more versatile than the people who make it think – and provedores out to peddle as much Australian porcine goodness as possible.

Among the bacon worth seeking out will be the winners of the Australian Bacon Awards. Zammit Ham & Bacon took out the national awards for Best Artisan Bacon and Best Full Rasher, while TAFE NSW South Western Sydney Institute (SWSi) Gourmet Meats received the national prize for Best Short Cut.

Fleishmeister Horst Schurger and chefs Simon Bestley and Paul McDonald, who judged the awards, described the winners as having an excellent texture, good lean to fat ratio, minimal to no shrinkage, and a smooth, well-rounded flavour with just the right amount of smokiness.

“Year on year, bacon processors up their game and consumers win,” McDonald said.

State award winners included Little Creek Cattle Company (Short Cut) and Montrose Meats Smokehouse (Full Rasher) from Victoria, Bargara Meats (Short Cut) and Circle T Meats (Full Rasher) from Queensland, Leabrook Quality Meats (Short Cut and Full Rasher) from South Australia, Mondo Doro (Short Cut) and Princi Smallgoods (Full Rasher) from WA, Sharman’s Butchery (Short Cut and Full Rasher) from Tasmania, and the ACT’s Southland Quality Meats (Short Cut and Full Rasher).

The trick to recognising Australian pork products, rather than their imported counterparts, is to seek out the pink “PorkMark” logo or the words “Product of Australia,” Australian Pork Limited’s Peter Haydon said.

“Bacon Week is about shining a light on this home-grown product,” he said.

A full list of participating restaurants and retailers can be found at www.pork.com.au.