Hartman's Butcher Shop, New Tripoli, once again won national recognition at the American Cured Meat Championships.

In 2010, owner Dennis Hartman won reserve grand champion with his hillbilly jerky. The following year, the butcher shop took home the reserve champion award.

This year, the competition was held July 26-28, in St. Paul, Minn., during the 73rd convention of the American Association of Meat Processors.

There was a record 1,023 entries in 26 product categories and Hartman's was awarded fourth place, reserve champion, in the Restructured Jerky class for his hillbilly jerky.

"I lost by one point to the champion," Hartman said. "That is how tight the competition was."

Entries were judged on aroma, flavor, eye appeal, color and texture.

This year's advisors were Joseph Cordray Ph.D., Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa; Jeffrey Sindelar Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wis.; and Jay Wenther Ph.D., executive director, AAMP, Elizabethtown, Lancaster County.

Judges for this year's panel included: Roger Alewel, Alewel's Country Meats, Sedalia, Mo.; William N.G. Barron Til, Kraft Foods/Oscar Mayer, Madison; Lany Borchert, Ph.D., adjunct professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Jonathan Campbell MS, Iowa State University; Ryan Cox Ph.D., University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn.; Dean Henderson Ph.D., professor emeritus, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, Hudson, Wis.; Wieland J. Kayser, retired, former owner of Lena Maid Meats, Lena, Ill.; and Tim Lorang, Tyson Prepared Foods, Cambridge, Wis., among others.

Hartman said he learned quite a bit about adding flavoring to products at classes sponsored by the association at the University of Minnesota. He even tasted sweet corn flavored ice cream.

"It tasted like roasted corn meal," Hartman said.

Hartman tried experimenting with the flavorings once he returned home with his wife, Carol, to New Tripoli. He made some ham sticks with pineapple and others with cheddar cheese.

"We're playing around with it," Hartman said.

Next year, competition will take place in Germany. Maybe, Hartman's hillbilly jerky will go international?