ELIZABETHTOWN, PA. — The American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) announced the winners of the 2023 American Cured Meat Championships (ACMC), which took place during the association’s annual convention, July 13-15 in Charleston, SC.

“This year’s ACMC event was particularly competitive, and our judges were faced with many tough decisions,” said Chris Young, executive director of AAMP. “ACMC winners produce some of the best meat products in the nation, and we are proud to call them AAMP members.”

Contestants from across 29 states and 56 different meat processing plants entered for the chance to be named the Grand Champion. Judges evaluated a total of 583 products at this year’s competition.

Meat scientists and specialists in the industry judged the entries based on aroma, flavor, eye appeal, color and texture. With this year’s specialty class — which rotates every year — being Specialty Loaf, the ACMC ranged across 29 total categories in bacon, sausage, meat sticks, hams, jerky and specialty products. There are four tiers of ranking in each category, with Grand Champion being the highest. The following processors earned a Grand Champion title:

  • Andouille Sausage: Dayton Meat Products Inc., Malcolm, Iowa
  • Bacon (Heavyweight): Stroots Meat Co., Goddard, Kan.
  • Bacon (Lightweight): Country Meat Shop, Moberly, Mo.
  • Braunschweiger: Bob’s Processing Inc., Grand Haven, Miss.
  • Country Bacon - Dry Cured: Gentert Packing Co., Holstein, Neb.
  • Cured Specialty Meat Products: Dewig Meats, Haubstadt, Ind. (smoked turkey breast)
  • Dried Beef: Dewig Meats, Haubstadt, Ind.
  • Frankfurters/Wieners - Coarse Ground: Merindorf Meats Inc., Mason, Miss.
  • Frankfurters/Wieners - Emulsified: Country Meat Shop, Moberly, Mo.
  • Ham - Bone-in (Heavyweight): Dayton Meat Products Inc., Malcolm, Iowa
  • Ham - Bone-in (Lightweight): Eickman’s Processing Co., Seward, Ill.
  • Ham - Boneless (Commercial): Bardine’s Country Smokehouse Inc., Crabtree, Pa.
  • Ham - Boneless (Traditional): Country Meat Shop, Moberly, Mo.
  • Ham - Semi-Boneless: Country Meat Shop, Moberly, Mo.
  • Jerky - Restructured: Schmidts’ Meat Market, Nicollet, Minn.
  • Jerky - Whole Muscle: Merindorf Meats Inc., Merindorf, Miss.
  • Luncheon Meat - Large Diameter: Louie’s Finer Meats Inc., Cumberland, Wis. (Lebanon Bologna)
  • Meat Snack Sticks: Jerome Country Market, Jerome, Miss.
  • Meat Snack Sticks - Flavored: Bardine’s Country Smokehouse Inc., Crabtree, Pa. (Beef Stick with Cheese)
  • Old World Dried Fermented Sausage: Louie’s Finer Meats Inc., Cumberland, Wis. (Sopressatta)
  • Ring Bologna - Cooked: Dewig Meats, Haubstadt, Ind.
  • Semi-Dried Sausage (Cooked, Non-Fermented): Newhall Locker & Processing, Newhall, Iowa
  • Small Diameter Hot Link Sausage: Walke Brothers Meats, Claremore, Okla.
  • Small Diameter Smoked & Cooked Sausage: Country Meat Shop, Moberly, Mo.
  • Smoked Turkey: Dewig Meats, Haubstadt, Ind.
  • Specialty Flavor Small Diameter Smoked/Cooked Sausage:  Tulare Meat Locker & Sausage Co., Tulare, Calif.
  • Specialty Game Meats: Tommy G’s Meat & Sausage, Fairbanks, Ark. (Reindeer Cotto Salami)
  • Summer Sausage - Cooked: Tulare Meat Locker & Sausage Co., Tulare, Calif.
  • Specialty Loaf Product: Newhall Locker & Processing, Newhall, Iowa

Additionally, AAMP announced that the recipient of this year’s Cured Meat Excellence Award was Dewig Meats, Haubstadt, Ind. The award goes to the processor with the best overall performance at ACMC.

Dewig Meats earned the honor for the fourth consecutive year at AAMP’s convention and for the sixth time overall. Former AAMP President Darla Kiesel and her husband Aaron co-own Dewig Meats, which works with local pig farmers to identify the best-suited animals for pork production and the ACMC.

The processor won four Grand Champion Awards, nine Reserve Grand Champions (2nd place), one Champion (3rd place) and three Reserve Champions (4th place).

For the Clarence Kneel Best of Show Memorial Award, Bardine’s Country Smokehouse, Crabtree, Pa., took the honor with its boneless commercial ham entry. The company has won the Best of Show Award four times, each time with a different product — Boneless Commercial Ham (2023), Heavyweight Bacon (2022), Country Bacon (2015) and Lightweight Bone-In Ham (2012).

In ACMC’s newest competition known as University Class, meat science students developed products under the University’s Jerky Class and Cured Specialty Product categories. Will Boyd of West Texas A&M University won the top product of the Jerky Class, and Elizabeth Ross of Oklahoma Panhandle State University won the Cured Specialty top product. Heather Hunt earned the Traveling Trophy, which is given to the student with the best overall performance.

A full list of winners is available here.

AAMP said the 2023 ACMC will be held Aug. 1-3 during its convention in Omaha, Neb.