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- Review: The Greenhouse Tavern’s Artisanal Jerky Plate (A-)
- Review: Golden Island All-Natural Chili Lime Beef Jerky (A-)
- Review: Golden Island All-Natural Five Spice Beef Jerky (C+)
- Review: Golden Island All-Natural Kung Pao Beef Jerky (B+)
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Howdy there!
I picked up today’s treat on a recent trip to the UK at a “Simply Food” store at Heathrow airport – Marks & Spencer’s Peppered Beef Jerky. This is apparently a product only recently introduced by M&S and is still being rolled out to their various retail properties.
This jerky is made in the UK with “100% Farm Assured British Beef”. I can attest that British cows are tasty just like their American counterparts. In this instance, the jerky is cut into small snack-size pieces, typically less than 1” square, and is relatively thin. These fun-sized bites delivered a thoroughly satisfying snack. Let’s see what you get with this one:
Taste (B+): This is a mildly seasoned jerky with some subtle flavor complexity that almost doesn’t register at first. The jerky is sweet, apple wood smokey, and just slightly tangy. In fact, for a peppered jerky the actual impact of the pepper itself is comparatively subdued. The result is a smooth and enjoyable flavor that builds as you go. The only detractor is that, after the initial flavors begin to fade the lingering flavor is a bit distracting, for lack of a better word, with hints of the soy sauce and such hanging around a little longer than it should. Still, this is a *very* minor quibble and the jerky is quite nice, overall.
Texture (B+): They did well here. Tender and easy to chew, the jerky feels good in your mouth and is pleasant to eat. The moisture content was also very well done with a dry but still pliable feel.
Smell (A): This is a really great smelling jerky. The apple wood smoke and garlic smells really come through and it is simply fantastic. The aroma from this jerky is definitely the first joy of eating it.
Appearance (A-): This jerky looks pretty good sporting a dark, meaty texture, and clean cuts throughout.
Consistency (B): The flavor throughout the bag was pretty constant, but the thickness of the various pieces was not. While most of the jerky was cut to be very, very thin, a number of pieces were easily 2-3 times the thickness. This isn’t a bad thing, per se, but it was enough to be easily noticeable while chewing. Curiously, the thicker pieces were both some of the tastiest and least flavorful pieces in the bag. This isn’t uncommon by any stretch, but it does detract from an otherwise exceptional product.
Overall Impression (B+): Go for it. You’ll like it! M&S have commissioned a worthy and enjoyable addition to their product lines with this jerky. If you find yourself in the UK, pick up a bag and dig in.
Howdy again!
Today it’s all about Kountry Boys “Gourmet Smoked Pork and Venison with Garlic” Sausage, purchased at the State Fair of Texas.
- Kountry Boys Gourmet Smoked Pork and Venison with Garlic Sausage
Previously unacquainted with Kountry Boys, I’ve been looking forward to sampling this sausage to see what they have to offer. I’m often a bit apprehensive with “real” sausage since people’s tastes seem to very so wildly, but this is pretty good! Here’s what you get with this one:
Taste (B)
This sausage has a nice, mild flavor. They did a good job at blending the pork and venison with neither meat’s flavor particularly dominating the other. The smoke flavor is subtle and the garlic suits the meats nicely. There is some complexity to it, too, that builds as you eat it. I found that my first impression wasn’t all that enthusiastic, but the taste quickly grew on me and I found myself quickly enjoying the second and third sticks.
Texture (A)
They did this right. The sticks have a good initial snap to them but are otherwise slightly tender and feel substantial in your mouth. The meat isn’t grainy or uneven, as you sometime find in some sausage treats, and delivers a really enjoyable overall experience.
Smell (B)
While you get a very subtle preview of the sausage’s flavors, this sausage doesn’t have much of an aroma to it. It works and seems complementary, overall. A bit more of an aroma would have been preferred, but what’s there didn’t detract at all.
Appearance (A)
The sausages are very appetizing in appearance. Their color conveys their smoky flavor, the slightly mottled texture suggests a dry, but not too dry consistency, and they’re just the right size and thickness to suggest that something good is coming.
Consistency (A)
The Boys have done well in preparing a sausage that’s good from the first bite to the last. The casings for their sausages provided a good snap with each bite but quickly gave way to the meat itself. The blend of meats and seasonings was thorough and enjoyable to eat.
Overall Impression (B+)
These guys make a good sausage! The taste is pretty good, but the overall quality of this sausage really sustains the experience. You’ll like this one, and I’d wager their other varieties pack some tasty goodness, too.
Good stuff, Boys!
Greetings!
This time we’re taking a look at Whittington’s Shredded Beef Jerky, purchased at the State Fair of Texas.
This Texas beef jerky is good stuff. It has a thoroughly enjoyable taste and the small ‘shredded’ pieces are fun to eat. Here’s what you get with this one:
Taste (A)
This beef jerky has a mild, pleasing taste that is at first slightly sweet, becoming smoky with a bit of pepper and spice. Like other Whittington’s jerky, they’ve done a great job of seasoning their meat just enough to enhance the natural goodness of the beef without overpowering it. This works well for this snack and the jerky goes down well.
Texture (A)
This is how it is done. This jerky is tender, but not overly moist, and it doesn’t make you work *too* hard as you eat. I’d go so far as to say they nailed the moisture with this one. It was only slightly moist, not so dry as to desiccate your mouth, but still dry enough to come across as the quality jerky it is. There was no noticeable gristle to be found and the overall experience was a good one.
Smell (B+)
This jerky has a slightly tangy smell that prepares you for the tasty morsels to come. This adds to the overall experience while still being relatively subtle, too. I like it.
Appearance (A-)
A good looking treat, this jerky has an invitingly dark, rich appearance.
Consistency (A)
This is something Whittington’s has down pat – every piece of this jerky was good through and through. They’re skillful jerky makers and it shows.
Overall Impression (A)
It’s a keeper. This jerky delivers a tasty treat that will leave you ready for more.
Greetings!
Today’s treat isWhittington’s Pork Jerky, procured this year at theState Fair of Texas.
Pork jerky is often pretty tasty given its tender texture and innate deliciousness, but getting pork jerky right is a tricky business that too often yields sorrowful results. Fortunately, the folks over at Whittington’s know what they’re doing – this jerky is good eatin’! Here’s what you get with this one:
Taste (B+)
This is a solidly tasty jerky – a little bit sweet, a little bit smoky, and they’re expertly balanced. The seasoning is about perfect for pork, allowing you to taste the actual meat itself while adding and enhancing its taste without overwhelming it with the added flavors. This isn’t something most pork jerky makers do all that well so this is definitely a noteworthy specimen. The one thing that detracted from my enjoyment was a slight greasy coating left atop my tongue and the inside of my mouth. It wasn’t bad, per se, but it did lessen the overall appeal.
Texture (A-)
Fantastic! This is a firm but tender jerky that gives a great chew while not wearing you out in the process.
Smell (C+)
This jerky smells alright – not particularly striking – but that’s not unusual for pork. It gives you a reasonable preview of the jerky’s taste but doesn’t add much to the experience. Again, for pork it’ll do, but we’ve seen better.
Appearance (B+)
Looks tasty! The color is rich and inviting and the jerky is slightly glossy. Overall the appearance is quite appetizing.
Consistency (A)
Throughout the package’s contents the pieces were very consistently made. Bite to bite each bit of jerky was more of the same tasty goodness. Well done, Whittington’s!
Overall Impression (B+)
This is a tasty jerky and I will definitely purchase it again. Whittington’s Pork Jerky is a worthy choice for the discerning Jerkyologist.
Good job!
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We hope you will join us in our unending quest to find, sample, and review Jerky of all kinds from all places. It’s a labor of love, and a tasty one at that.
Enjoy!
Jared
Recent posts
- Monday ,23 May, 2016 Act fast – here’s an early access sale for some interesting Jerky!
- Wednesday ,20 May, 2015 Review: The Greenhouse Tavern’s Artisanal Jerky Plate (A-)
- Tuesday ,11 November, 2014 Review: Golden Island All-Natural Chili Lime Beef Jerky (A-)
- Tuesday ,4 November, 2014 Review: Golden Island All-Natural Five Spice Beef Jerky (C+)
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