Ratio, Elgin In Elgin, South Carolina Chef Ambassador Javier Uriarte also folds his own life experiences into his cuisine at Ratio , where Peruvian-inspired comfort food dishes nod to his childhood growing up in Peru. “When I make food, I want people to remember something,” says Uriarte. “I want them to feel what I feel. Comfort food, for me, is about memories and relatability.” Many of his dishes combine South American and American Southern cuisine — such as chicken pot pie empanadas — but to give his cuisine a true sense of South Carolina flavor, he utilizes fresh, seasonal produce and locally raised meats. His Jamon Del Pais (think Peruvian-style country ham sandwich) uses flavorful, marbled pork shoulder from nearby Gypsy Wind Farms , where owners Brad and Dana Hoffman raise heritage breeds such as mangalitsa pigs, which forage the forested farmland. The resulting pork is more similar to what Uriarte had in Peru than the typical mass-produced pork commonly found in the United States.“I’ve had people Gypsy Wind Farms, Blair say it’s like the pork their grandparents used to have, with a totally different flavor from commercial pork,” says Brad. “This is how pork should taste.” DiscoverSouthCarolina.com 25
South Carolina Vacation Guide SC 2025: Page 25
