Gnawjaw Beef Jerky - Angry Dill

Last in the series on Gnawjaw Premium Beef Jerky, LLC is this Angry Dill variety.

Gnawjaw is a new beef jerky brand that launched last year, based out of York, PA. It's the concept of Eric Farrington, who had been making deer jerky most of his life. When he settled on a recipe that he really liked, he transferred it to beef. When he decided to make a business out of jerky, Farrington built a 1,000 square foot dehydration building dubbed, "the beef morgue".

This Angry Dill variety is said to have a subtle dill flavor, followed by a slow Cajun heat that peaks out as it works it way across the tongue.

Ingredients

None provided.

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a salty, dill flavor. The Cajun seasonings come in with a light bit of spiciness.

The chewing flavor brings in a tangy vinegar and more definition from the dill. There's a light natural meat flavor.

For being marketed as "Angry Dill", it seems to fit the billing. I do get a clearly identifiable dill flavor. Combined with the moderate saltiness and vinegar, it's very reminiscent of a dill pickle. I'm guessing this is called "Angry Dill" due to the cajun seasonings, but it's not really that hot or spicy. There's only a light bit of heat.

Otherwise, the flavor that seems to define this jerky overall is the dill flavor. Again, combined with the saltiness and vinegar, it makes this jerky taste like a dill pickle. But the cajun seasonings show up enough to add another flavor dimension and give it a little bit of heat.

The level of heat in this is low. On my personal heat scale, I'd rate it as "mild medium" (level 2 out of 5).

The saltiness, however, seems higher than the company's Sweet and Cajun varieties.

And unlike the Sweet and Cajun varieties, I don't pick up much of worcestershire sauce in this Angry Dill variety. I don't have the ingredients list for this, so I'm not sure, but I don't think there's any in here.

Meat Consistency

These are slices of whole meat, cut into bite-sized squares at medium thickness.

This is a dry jerky with a dry surface feel. But it still manages to retain a chewiness that tends to labor my jaws after a few pieces. In other words, it's between easy and tough.

The chewing texture starts out with a fair amount of initial resistance, almost rubbery. It does take on a meaty resemblance after several chews, and by the time it chews down to a soft mass, it feels just like steak.

I can see small flecks and bits of fat on several pieces, enough to add a light touch of beefy flavor. I didn't encounter any stringiness or gristle, and found no unchewable tissues. It's very meaty.

It's also very clean handling, leaving no residue on my fingers or bits of meat on my desk.

Snack Value

Gnawjaw Premium Beef Jerky sells this Angry Dill variety from its website at a price of $12.50 per 5oz bag. I didn't see a price for shipping. So assuming shipping is free, that works out to $2.50 per ounce.

For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $2.50 per ounce price, it's a good value. I get an overall good flavor, a good meat consistency and good chewing texture (though somewhat tough). Compared to major brands of jerky, it's more flavorful, more unique with its dill flavor, a better in meat consistency and chewing texture.

As a dill flavored jerky, at the same $2.50 per ounce price, it's a good value. I'm getting a lot of dill flavor, that even mimics the flavor of a dill pickle.

Rating

I'm giving this a good rating.

This Angry Dill variety from Gnawjaw Premium Beef Jerky delivers a lot of dill flavor that's unmistakably dill. Combined with the saltiness and the vinegar, it makes this jerky taste just like a dill pickle. But the addition of cajun seasonings gives this some extra pep, adding a spicy dimension with a little bit of heat.

But as with the company's other two flavors, Sweet and Cajun, it's still somewhat tough to chew, wearing out my jaw muscles after a handful of pieces. Otherwise, it still feels like real steak once it's chewed down.

Perhaps the idea of beef jerky tasting like a dill pickle may sound bizarre, it's actually pretty good, if you already like dill pickles. The addition of cajun seasonings, however, give it enough boost to get this above average, and turns it into something you ought to try at least once.

Rating: Good

Buy this online:

• http://gnawjaw.com/