The American Cured Meat Championships were held in Des Moines, Iowa, last month. We were not able to attend but followed the action from afar.

A few highlights:

Bardine’s Country Smokehouse of Pennsylvania walked away with the Best In Show Clarence Knebel Memorial Award for their bacon entry in the ‘heavyweight’ category. Cort McCurdy was the man in charge of curing and smoking the meat.

Dewig Meats of Indiana won the Cured Meats Excellence Award. The 100 year old meat market registered three grand champions: Braunschweiger, Country Bacon ­– Dry Cured, and Ham – Bone-In (Heavyweight).

In a category near and dear to the Scrumptious crew: Large Diameter Luncheon Meat;
Hermann Wurst Haus of Missouri was declared Grand Champion for their German Old World Bologna. We’d give anything for a few fried-hard slabs of that particular meat tucked into some Bunny bread with plenty Blue Plate mayo and cold yellow onion slices.

Here’s the full list of winners. Next year’s shootout is in Charleston, South Carolina if you’re of a mind to attend. And quit reading now if you’re hungry.

Andouille Sausage
Grand Champion: St. Joseph Meat Market, St. Joseph, MN
Reserve Grand Champion: Tulare Meat Locker & Sausage Co., Tulare, CA
Champion: Merindorf Meats Inc., Mason, MI
Reserve Champion: Walke Brothers Meats, Catoosa, OK

Bacon (Heavyweight)
Grand Champion: Bardine’s Country Smokehouse Inc., Crabtree, PA
Reserve Grand Champion: McDonald’s Meats Inc., Clear Lake, MN
Champion: Hermann Wurst Haus, Hermann, MO
Reserve Champion: B & R Quality Meats, Ackley, IA

Bacon (Lightweight)
Grand Champion: Tulare Meat Locker & Sausage Co., Tulare, CA
Reserve Grand Champion: Dewig Meats, Haubstadt, IN
Champion: Schmidts’ Meat Market Inc., Nicollet, MN
Reserve Champion: Dayton Meat Products Inc., Malcom, IA

Braunschweiger
Grand Champion: Dewig Meats, Haubstadt, IN
Reserve Grand Champion: Den’s Country Meats Inc., Table Rock, NE
Champion: Paradise Locker Meats, Trimble, MO
Reserve Champion: McDonald’s Meats Inc., Clear Lake, MN

Country Bacon­ – Dry Cured
Grand Champion: Dewig Meats, Haubstadt, IN
Reserve Grand Champion: Den’s Country Meats Inc., Table Rock, NE
Champion: Gentert Packing Co., Holstein, NE
Reserve Champion: Karl’s Country Market, Menomonee Falls, WI

Cured Specialty Meat Products
Grand Champion: Cured by Visconti, Leavenworth, WA (Dry-Cured Capicola)
Reserve Grand Champion: Wilson Farm Meats Inc., Elkhorn, WI (Super Bacon)
Champion: Jerome Country Market, Jerome, MI (Cheddar Jalepeno Summer Sausage)
Reserve Champion: Strick’s Specialty Meats, Hattiesburg, MS (Venison Philly Link)

Dried Beef
Grand Champion: Dayton Meat Products Inc., Malcom, IA
Reserve Grand Champion: Schmidts’ Meat Market Inc., Nicollet, MN
Champion: Dewig Meats, Haubstadt, IN
Reserve Champion: The Durand Smokehouse, Woodville, WI

Frankfurters/Wieners – Coarse Ground:
Grand Champion: Country Meat Shop, Moberly, MO
Reserve Grand Champion: Fairview Food Market, Fairview, MI
Champion: Merindorf Meats Inc., Mason, MI
Reserve Champion: Jerome Country Market, Jerome, MI

Frankfurters/Wieners – Emulsified:
Grand Champion: Country Meat Shop, Moberly, MO
Reserve Grand Champion: Tulare Meat Locker & Sausage Co., Tulare, CA
Champion: Dewig Meats, Haubstadt, IN
Reserve Champion: Dayton Meat Products Inc., Malcom, IA

Ham – Bone-In (Heavyweight):
Grand Champion: Dewig Meats, Haubstadt, IN
Reserve Grand Champion: Edgewood Locker Inc., Edgewood, IA
Champion: Holland Bros. Meats, Duncansville, PA
Reserve Champion: Country Meat Shop, Moberly, MO

Ham – Bone-In (Lightweight):
Grand Champion: Tiefenthaler Quality Meats, Holstein, IA
Reserve Grand Champion: Holland Bros. Meats, Duncansville, PA
Champion: Dewig Meats, Haubstadt, IN
Reserve Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats Inc., Cumberland, WI

Ham – Boneless (Commercial):
Grand Champion: Tommy G’s Meat and Sausage, Fairbanks, AK
Reserve Grand Champion: Tulare Meat Locker & Sausage Co., Tulare, CA
Champion: Den’s Country Meats Inc., Table Rock, NE

Ham – Boneless (Traditional)
Grand Champion: Den’s Country Meats Inc., Table Rock, NE
Reserve Grand Champion: Dewig Meats, Haubstadt, IN

Ham – Semi-Boneless:
Grand Champion: Holland Bros. Meats, Duncansville, PA
Reserve Grand Champion: Dewig Meats, Haubstadt, IN
Champion: Sailer’s Food Market & Meat Processors Inc., Elmwood, WI
Reserve Champion: Edgewood Locker Inc., Edgewood, IA

Jerky ­– Restructured:
Grand Champion: 307 Meat Co., Laramie, WY
Reserve Grand Champion: Wahoo Locker, Wahoo, NE
Champion: Bardine’s Country Smoke House Inc., Crabtree, PA
Reserve Champion: Hermann Wurst Haus, Hermann, MO

Jerky ­– Whole Muscle:
Grand Champion: Tulare Meat Locker & Sausage Co., Tulare, CA
Reserve Grand Champion: Dewig Meats, Haubstadt, IN
Champion: Schmidts’ Meat Market Inc., Nicollet, MN
Reserve Champion: West Bend Sausage Plus, West Bend, WI

Luncheon Meat – Large Diameter:
Grand Champion: Hermann Wurst Haus, Hermann, MO (German Old World Bologna)
Reserve Grand Champion: Dewig Meats, Haubstadt, IN (Smoked Bologna)
Champion: Three Rivers Meat Co., Smithville, OK (Bologna)

Meat Snack Sticks:
Grand Champion: McDonald’s Meats Inc., Clear Lake, MN
Reserve Grand Champion: Den’s Country Meats Inc., Table Rock, NE
Champion: Fairview Farms Meat Co., Topeka, KS
Reserve Champion: Al’s Country Meat Locker, Calmar, IA

Meat Snack Sticks – Flavored:
Grand Champion: Edgewood Locker Inc., Edgewood, IA (Honey Pork Stick w/ Swiss Cheese)
Reserve Grand Champion: McDonald’s Meats Inc., Clear Lake, MN (Jalapeno Cheddar Snack Sticks)
Champion: Holland Bros. Meats, Duncansville, PA (Ham and Cheese Sticks)
Reserve Champion: Tulare Meat Locker & Sausage Co., Tulare, CA (Honey Ham Stick)

Old World Dried Fermented Sausage:
Grand Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats Inc., Cumberland, WI
Reserve Grand Champion: Northwood Foods Inc., Northwood, IA

Ring Bologna – Cooked:
Grand Champion: Tulare Meat Locker & Sausage Co., Tulare, CA
Reserve Grand Champion: Newhall Locker & Processing, Newhall, IA
Champion: Schmidts’ Meat Market Inc., Nicollet, MN
Reserve Champion: Karl’s Country Market, Menomonee Falls, WI

Semi-Dried Sausage (Cooked, Non-Fermented):
Grand Champion: Schmidts’ Meat Market Inc., Nicollet, MN
Reserve Grand Champion: Karl’s Country Market, Menomonee Falls, WI
Champion: Tulare Meat Locker & Sausage Co., Tulare, CA

Small Diameter Hot Link Sausage:
Grand Champion: Stroot’s Meat Co., Mulvane, KS
Reserve Grand Champion: Walke Brothers Meats, Catoosa, OK
Champion: Den’s Country Meats Inc., Table Rock, NE
Reserve Champion: Tulare Meat Locker & Sausage Co., Tulare, CA

Small Diameter Smoked & Cooked Sausage:
Grand Champion: McDonald’s Meats Inc., Clear Lake, MN
Reserve Grand Champion: Tulare Meat Locker & Sausage Co., Tulare, CA
Champion: Timber Creek Meats, Parsons, KS
Reserve Champion: Strick’s Specialty Meats, Hattiesburg, MS

Smoked Turkey:
Grand Champion: Schmidts’ Meat Market Inc., Nicollet, MN
Reserve Grand Champion: McDonald’s Meats Inc., Clear Lake, MN
Champion: Woods Smoked Meats, Bowling Green, MO

Specialty Flavor Small Diameter Smoked & Cooked Sausage:
Grand Champion: Paradise Locker Meats, Trimble, MO (Smoked Sausage w/ Ghost Pepper & Cheese)
Reserve Grand Champion: Den’s Country Meats Inc., Table Rock, NE (Mac & Cheese Brat)
Champion: Schmidts’ Meat Market Inc., Nicollet, MN (Smoked German Cheddar Brat)
Reserve Champion: Wilson Farm Meats Inc., Elkhorn, WI (Philly Cheesesteak Brat)

Specialty Game Meats:
Grand Champion: Hermann Wurst Haus, Hermann, MO (Sweet Venison Bologna w/ Jalapeno & Cheese)
Reserve Grand Champion: Northwood Foods Inc., Northwood, IA (Elk Hard Salami)
Champion: Woods Smoked Meats, Bowling Green, MO (Venison Summer Sausage)

Summer Sausage – Cooked:
Grand Champion: McDonald’s Meats Inc., Clear Lake, MN
Reserve Grand Champion: Schmidts’ Meat Market Inc., Nicollet, MN
Champion: Edgewood Locker Inc., Edgewood, IA
Reserve Champion: 307 Meat Co., Laramie, WY

(2022 Featured Class) Flavored Bacon:
Grand Champion: Den’s Country Meats Inc., Table Rock, NE (BBQ Bacon)
Reserve Grand Champion: Woods Smoked Meats, Bowling Green, MO (Cajun Bacon)
Champion: Tulare Meat Locker & Sausage Co., Tulare, CA (Italian Bacon)
Reserve Champion: Country Meat Shop, Moberly, MO (Raspberry Red Pepper Bacon)