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:

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