It was a saucy, smoky, month-long showdown, but after all the barbecue was devoured, and the last rib was licked clean, Sioux Falls crowned another top hog!
The 2025 Pork Showdown has officially come to a close, and this year’s champ is… drumroll, please… the same as last year! Crawford’s has done it again, claiming back-to-back bacon glory.
Dakota News Now reports that their winning dish, the “Bavarian Echoe,” snagged the crown for the second straight year, and with good reason.
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How do you even describe the “Bavarian Echoe”?
Imagine this: crisp-edged pork belly glazed in hot honey cozies up next to charred pork tenderloin, lounging on a bed of truffled potato purée. Autumn herbs, spiced vinaigrette, tomato jam, mustard caviar, and pickled onion relish all pile in for the flavor party, topped off with pretzel crumb and almond brittle for that perfect Bavarian wink.
And plenty of people once again pigged out, as more than 6,000 pork dishes were sold during this year’s showdown, raking in over $140,000 in sales, a sizzling 20% increase from last year. Nearly 500 local foodies were apparently hypnotized by the tantalizing taste of the “Bavarian Echoe.”
This year’s judges weighed each dish using the following categories:
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Best use of pork
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Flavor
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Tenderness
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Presentation
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Overall experience
The highest average score took home the crown, and likely a long nap afterward…