The American Cured Meat Championships, held every year at the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) Convention, brings together some of the top cured meats experts in the country. Many of these companies are multi-generation family businesses, with know-how and recipes that have been passed down from one owner to the next.
Several years ago, a new company, located in Tulare, Calif., started picking up awards at the ACMC. Contestants may have wondered who this newcomer was. They soon discovered that Danny Mendes, owner of Tulare Meat Locker & Sausage Co. LLC, may be a relatively new name in the cured meats world, but he has a thorough meat background and a strong desire to succeed.