Jerky Tasting

Remember the TV commercial where the young boy ran through the streets with his mama calling him home for spaghetti? Anthony it's Prince Spaghetti Day. No, we don't eat pasta on Wednesdays, that's on Sunday. However, Wednesday is our designated GGM Tasting and Testing Day. What better way to get over hump day, then by trying out new products that are sent to us!

On this particular Wednesday, the door bell rang and Louis came bounding into the office, carrying a 5 lb. box of assorted jerky, and yelling, "Elaine, it's beef jerky day." It seems the FedEx delivery man had determined what our product tasting would be. Jerky is a product people either love or hate. Louis and I happen to love it. I started eating jerky in my early 20s when I needed protein on the run. That was before there were energy bars and power drinks. What I like about jerky, besides its portability, are the assortment of flavors, such as mesquite and pepper. The unappealing aspect about the jerky I grew up eating, is that most brands tended to be very dry and hard to chew. That would have been fine if I was throwing it into my saddle bags and riding off into the sunset.

Today, exotic meats like alligator and elk are commonplace. They reflect the influence of cultures from around the world using seasonings like teriyaki and sweet & sour. The box we received was from House of Jerky, who sent us a sampling of their products. The first thing I have to say is wow! I hadn't realized just how much jerky has evolved from those 1oz. packages that I used to grab to get me through a long night of Disco dancing. Okay, stop grinning!

As with all our product tastings, we label each item clearly to avoid any chance of confusion. This tasting included: Natural Beef, Black Pepper Beef, Teriyaki Beef, Hot Beef, Sweet & Spicy Beef, Black Pepper Turkey, Teriyaki Turkey, Black Pepper Buffalo, Black Pepper Venison and Western Ostrich.


Here's our opinions.....

Western Ostrich is also known as the other red meat. This particular ostrich is raised in a natural environment, given no growth hormones or antibiotics and is 100% natural. For those of you who have never tried ostrich, it is very similar to beef while being leaner and a bit more mild in flavor. Also noteworthy is the absence of that tough, chewy texture I was used to. It is low in calories with only 84 per serving and 0 grams of fat!.
Black Pepper Buffalo provides more protein and iron than beef. According to the accompanying literature, the buffalo is 100% natural grass fed. It actually tastes purer than beef (think Argentinean). The black pepper and other spices gives it just the right kick. Higher in calories than the ostrich, 97, it also has .5 grams of fat.
Black Pepper Venison does not have the gamey taste most would associate with deer meat. This New Zealand venison is farm raised, grain fed and that is quite evident in its mild flavor. Seasoned perfectly, not hard, dry or chewy, with only 89 calories and 1.5 grams of fat.
Black Pepper Turkey and Teriyaki Turkey are winners if you are a turkey fan. Only free range turkey meat is used. The black pepper variety has 69 calories with .5 grams and the teriyaki, a bit higher due to the seasonings, has 89 calories and .5 grams of fat. We were once again impressed with the moist texture.
Beef Jerky - are all made from naturally raised grass fed cattle.
Natural is the jerky in its original form we've all become accustomed to. Smokey and lightly seasoned it only has 73 calories and 1 gram of fat.
Hot Beef is just that! If you love a tongue numbing spice experience this is for you. There is no doubt the heat is coming from the Habanero peppers. 73 calories and 1 gram of fat.
Black Pepper Beef is spicy, but does not mask the taste of the beef. The cracked black pepper reminded us of steak au poivre. Only 73 calories and 1 gram of fat.
Teriyaki Beef is like its turkey counterpart, a perfect blend of that Asian flavor we've all come to love; sweet, smokey, spicy with nuances of soy. Similarly, it also has a higher calorie count of 89 and 1 gram of fat.
Sweet & Spicy Beef's honey, brown sugar and pineapple flavors are always a winning combination for me. I loved this juicy sweet jerky with its hints of heat from the Tabasco and peppers. It has only 89 calories and 2 grams of fat.

We have tasted jerky from many retailers over the years. In our opinion, House of Jerky's products are quite near the top of the list. They don't compromise on taste and use natural ingredients. The seasonings enhance the natural flavor of the meats rather than overpower them. They are full of flavor to the last bite, with moist, nice size pieces (no crumbles here), which make these products a real winner.

UPDATE: 8/09 - We received a sample of their newest addition to their product line, Pineapple Jerky. These beautiful golden slices of pineapple are a perfect snack. The full bodied natural flavor of the pineapple is not masked with their 'seasoning' or the process of making jerky. Kudos House of Jerky, another stellar product.

Product images provided by HouseofJerky.com
Plated product photos property of GGM.