We hold the firm belief that pork wields a special kind of magic, one that conjures up joy like nothing else. That's why we put in the extra elbow grease in crafting our Tender Belly® pork – because settling for anything less than the absolute best just wouldn't make sense, right? Adding water to bacon might be a tempting shortcut, but that's just not how we roll. We lavish our pork bellies with freshly ground spices, giving them a rub that soaks in all that mouthwatering goodness for days. And then, to top it all off, we take it slow and let them bask in the embrace of real cherry wood smoke.
"We're definitely not perfect, but we strive to get better every single day. It's a commitment we owe to our animals, our planet, and our incredible team." - Shannon Duffy.
Founding Story
Meet Shannon and Erik Duffy. Two crazy brothers who grew up in Iowa with a fanatical love for tasty pork. Once they began wearing big boy pants, they started asking themselves: Why is it so freakin’ hard to find really good bacon? Not good bacon, but really good bacon. And so they started meeting with local heritage breed pork farmers, trying out tons of unique dry rub recipes, and experimenting with different hardwood smoke techniques. Eventually, Tender Belly was born in 2010 with a singular mission: Bring happiness to hearts and bellies by crafting the most #CrazyTasty pork on planet earth. The team has grown some since those days, but our unwavering commitment to bringing you #CrazyTasty pork has only become stronger.
Today, Tender Belly proudly champions the notion that food prepared with real, top-notch ingredients is the true taste champion. Armed with freshly ground spices, they stand resolute in keeping their pork far from the clutches of cheap additives. Their technique involves lavishing pork bellies with freshly ground spices, allowing the mouthwatering dry rub to marinate for days, and finally slow-smoking them over genuine cherry wood.
