American Association of Meat Processors, American Cured Meat Championships

Over a long weekend in late July, the premiere cured meat shootout in the US took place in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, at the 50 year old Kansas City Convention Center.

A total of 76 meat companies submitted 873 products across 30 different classes at the American Cured Meat Championships [est. 1949]

I’ve been in the cured and smoked meat game since the late ’80s. I am a charcutier but in no way on these gentlemen’s level. Give me another 20 years of practice.

This shootout is the Superbowl if you’re in the meat scene or meat adjacent.

Strick’s Specialty Meats in nearby Hattiesburg took home two Grand Championships. Otherwise the old south that we love was blanked out.

Here are the winners:

Clarence Knebel Memorial Best of Show Award
Winner: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI

Cured Meats Excellence Award
Winner: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI

Luncheon Meat – Large Diameter
Grand Champion: Country Meat Shop, New London, WI

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

Summer Sausage – Cooked
Grand Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI

Smoked and Cooked Poultry Sausage
Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI

Experimental Fresh – Fresh Gourmet/Flavored Patty
Grand Champion: The Country Butcher, East Haddam, CT

Ham – Bone-In (Heavyweight)
Reserve Grand Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI

Ham – Semi-Boneless
Reserve Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI

Frankfurters/Wieners – Emulsified
Reserve Grand Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI

Cured Specialty Meat Products
Reserve Grand Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI

Andouille Sausage
Grand Champion: Paradise Locker Meats, Trimble, MO
Reserve Grand Champion: Dehmer’s Meats, Saint Michael, MN

Bacon (Heavyweight)
Grand Champion: McDonald’s Meats Inc., Clear Lake, MN
Reserve Grand Champion: Dehmer’s Meats, Saint Michael, MN

Braunschweiger
Grand Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI
Reserve Grand Champion: Northwoods Locker LLC, Clayton, WI

Dried Beef
Grand Champion: Eickman’s Processing Company, Seward, IL
Reserve Grand Champion: McDonald’s Meats Inc., Clear Lake, MN

Frankfurters/Wieners – Coarse Ground
Grand Champion: Lake Geneva Country Meats, Inc., Lake Geneva, WI
Reserve Grand Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI

Frankfurters/Wieners – Fine Ground
Grand Champion: Wilson Farm Meats Inc., Elkhorn, WI
Reserve Grand Champion: Woods Smoked Meats Inc., Bowling Green, MO

Italian Sausage – Mild
Grand Champion: Dehmer’s Meats, Saint Michael, MN
Reserve Grand Champion: Woods Smoked Meats Inc., Bowling Green, MO

Italian Sausage – Hot
Grand Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI
Reserve Grand Champion: Dehmer’s Meats, Saint Michael, MN

Jerky – Beef
Grand Champion: Eickman’s Processing Company, Seward, IL
Reserve Grand Champion: Woods Smoked Meats Inc., Bowling Green, MO

Jerky – Exotic
Grand Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI
Reserve Grand Champion: Woods Smoked Meats Inc., Bowling Green, MO

Jerky – Whole Muscle
Grand Champion: Strick’s Specialty Meats, Hattiesburg, MS
Reserve Grand Champion: [Not specified in excerpt]

Liver Sausage
Grand Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI
Reserve Grand Champion: Wilson Farm Meats Inc., Elkhorn, WI

Small Diameter Dried Fermented Sausage
Grand Champion: Strick’s Specialty Meats, Hattiesburg, MS
Reserve Grand Champion: [Not specified]

Summer Sausage – Beef
Grand Champion: Wilson Farm Meats Inc., Elkhorn, WI
Reserve Grand Champion: Dehmer’s Meats, Saint Michael, MN

Summer Sausage – Mixed
Grand Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI
Reserve Grand Champion: Woods Smoked Meats Inc., Bowling Green, MO

Summer Sausage – Snack Stick
Grand Champion: Woods Smoked Meats Inc., Bowling Green, MO
Reserve Grand Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI

Snack Sticks – Beef
Grand Champion: Dehmer’s Meats, Saint Michael, MN
Reserve Grand Champion: Woods Smoked Meats Inc., Bowling Green, MO

Snack Sticks – Pork
Grand Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI
Reserve Grand Champion: Dehmer’s Meats, Saint Michael, MN

Snack Sticks – Exotic
Grand Champion: Woods Smoked Meats Inc., Bowling Green, MO
Reserve Grand Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI

Smoked Pork Loin
Grand Champion: Dehmer’s Meats, Saint Michael, MN
Reserve Grand Champion: Wilson Farm Meats Inc., Elkhorn, WI

Smoked Pork Loin – Peppered
Grand Champion: Wilson Farm Meats Inc., Elkhorn, WI
Reserve Grand Champion: Woods Smoked Meats Inc., Bowling Green, MO

Peppered Sausage
Grand Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI
Reserve Grand Champion: Dehmer’s Meats, Saint Michael, MN

Country Ham – Sliced
Grand Champion: Wilson Farm Meats Inc., Elkhorn, WI
Reserve Grand Champion: Dehmer’s Meats, Saint Michael, MN

Country Ham – Whole
Grand Champion: Louie’s Finer Meats, Inc., Cumberland, WI
Reserve Grand Champion: Woods Smoked Meats Inc., Bowling Green, MO

Specialty Flavor Small Diameter
Grand Champion: Alex Froelich Packing Co., Johnstown, PA
Reserve Grand Champion: Winner’s Meats, Osgood, OH – Winner’s Chili Cheese Hot Dog

Combined, Wisconsin-based companies took home 12 Grand Championships and 7 Reserve Championships out of the 30 product classes—40% of all Grand Championships at the 2025 American Cured Meat Championships.

Looks like I’m moving to Wisconsin.

2025 American Cured Meat Championships (ACMC) Final Standing Report
Kansas City, Missouri
July 24–26, 2025