Welcome to a look behind the scenes of the 2018 American Cured Meat Championships. Independent Processor editor-in-chief Sam Gazdziak spoke with many of the judges to get their insights on what it takes to make a best-in-class cured meat product. 

Mike Eickman of Eickman’s Processing, Seward, Ill., is an award-winning meat processor himself, so he knows all of the work that goes into making top-quality meat products.  He talks about his experiences in judging the braunschweiger category.