When walking into the judging room at the American Cured Meat Championships, the temperature drops significantly from any other space around it.

It may border on freezing in the room, but the competition gets hotter each year, and 2022 was no exception.

The cold doesn’t bother Darla Kiesel, co-owner of Dewig Meats in Haubstadt, Ind., and the current American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) president. It’s the smell that catches her attention right away.

“It is like the most glorious smell that God has ever created,” she said. “The minute you walk into that cured meat room, you take a big whiff, and instantly you’re in a better mood. You’re happy that you’re there, no matter what’s going on. You’re probably hungry because you’re smelling good food.”

Kiesel explained it’s pretty awesome to consider how much time and effort went into these products made by operators of plants across the United States.

Although nearly 30 categories are judged in the room at ACMC during the annual AAMP convention, bacon is one of the many prized positions in which companies compete feverishly to grab the crown.

Dewig Meats prepares diligently throughout the year, led by Kiesel and her husband Aaron, who ended up winning the category of country bacon dried cured and the Cured Meats Excellence Award for the fifth time overall and third consecutive ACMC, going back to 2019.

To make their bacon championship caliber, time, labor and love are the three primary ingredients for Kiesel and the rest of Dewig.

One crucial part of their success, especially with bacon, is their ability to slaughter at their own plant. Kiesel mentioned that she works with local pig farmers from around the area and identifies the best-suited animals for ham or bacon production and competition.

Plenty of research and trial and error renditions also occur throughout the year to get the products such as dry-cured country bacon precisely correct.

Kiesel stated her husband is the mastermind behind their bacon and cured meats strategy. She said he is constantly reading and investigating different methods of curing and smoking and playing with all the elements to make the product the judges’ favorite entry.

“I mean, we’re playing with dampers, we’re playing with humidity, we’re playing with time and temperature, nonstop,” Kiesel said. “And he has all of this information obviously written down, but it’s a continual learning process to make good cured meat.”

Another major factor in Dewig’s ability to contend yearly is talking with other competitors. Although it’s a competition, Kiesel and others collaborate and share knowledge with each other frequently throughout the weekend so they can process successful products for their stores.

In the past, when Dewig did not do as well in a category, Aaron would also talk to others about how he could improve for the next competition.

“Meat packers are incredibly generous with their knowledge,” Kiesel said of the AAMP members. “Now, I’m not going to say that everyone is happy to give you all of the tricks of the trade, but members in this association, this is a family. And this is how we’ve been for years, which is really a wonderful thing. But the meat packers are happy to help other meat packers.”

Nelson Gaydos, outreach specialist for AAMP, realizes how important this competition is to the convention. During the competition he can be spotted with fellow observers or judges managing the anxious crowd and trying to keep people at bay as they get their looks in the judging room.

“It’s something you can feel, even if you’re kind of behind the scenes like me and not coming from a competitive standpoint,” Gaydos said of the atmosphere at the ACMC.

That’s why AAMP and Kiesel encourage processors to show off their products even if they haven’t competed in the past. She knows people can be intimidated by many groups winning a lot, but people at AAMP want members to get feedback for a more viable competition in the future.

“First thing you got to do is try,” Kiesel said. “You have to enter your products to compete. You can’t just sit at home and say, ‘Gosh, my summer sausage is no good.’ Bring it and let us help you figure out what you can do better.”

In the last few years, AAMP and its board of directors reached out to plants to enter their products so experts in the industry can help improve them during the ACMC.

ACMC judgingExamples of traits the ACMC judges consider include belly thickness, excessive hanger damage and poor trimming. (Source: AAMP)

 

Passing judgment

With the convention being held in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2022, the bacon and ham categories proved to be more competitive this year because Iowa is one of the central production areas of the pork industry. 

The featured class for this year was also flavored bacon, allowing competitors to experiment with various combinations of sweet and savory.

Matt Wenger, a program specialist at the Iowa State Meat Lab and the ACMC coordinator at the 2022 convention, said 60 plants entered products for ACMC with plenty of representation from the Midwest.

The judging process begins on Thursday of the convention when the exterior appearance of the products are judged, before cutting. Wenger said it’s important to do it this day because it’s the best color possible after the products have been transported to the site. Some traits bacon judges look for include whether the belly is too thick or too thin, excessive bacon hanger damage and poor trimming, among a few other areas.

After that initial examination day, the judges take specific cuts of bacon and internal judging begins. Then they start looking at various factors on the products for bacon, including excessive fat or lean, texture and inside color. Finally, the bacon is heated up in a microwave and once again judged based on aroma and most importantly flavor. Officials determine whether the product is too salty, too bland or rancid and whether it is an acceptable or desirable flavor.

Everyone wants to see product improvement, so Wenger encourages participants to engage with the judges around the convention and gain more knowledge about making better cured meat.

“If you come to AAMP once, go in that room and talk to people,” Wenger said. “Ask them questions. Everyone is willing to share. No one is out there saying, ‘Mine, mine, mine.’ It is very open. I think the big thing throughout the years as we gain new membership is people reaching out and saying, ‘Hey, this is one of those fun things you can do.’ And truly, it is a fun thing you can do at the convention.”