West Virginia Beef Jerky

West Virginia Beef Jerky is a brand started by Wayne and Patti Burdette of Alderson, WV back in 1996.

Recently, the couple teamed up with meat processor named Peerless Food Service to take their brand into the competitive business of gourmet jerky. Produced in small batches, hand packed and graded, West Virginia Beef Jerky is claimed to be nitrate-free.

The company describes their jerky as, "Cowboy jerky", and as, "only a Mountaineer can make beef jerky this good".


Ingredients

Solid strips of beef, water, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper sauce, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder.

Review

The first flavors that hit my palate is the saucy combination of worcestershire and soy sauce, along with the garlic and onion powder seasoning. The chewing brings on a light natural meat flavor, along with a faint bit of heat, and a light black pepper.

I'd agree that this has a "cowboy style" flavor and does seem to evoke style of something more rugged and manly with its drier meat consistency, peppery flavor, and bold marinade. It's not a soft and tender chew, but not tough either. It has a dry, woody texture instead of the moist, soft chew you now find in large chain shops.

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is a salty, saucy marinade of worcestershire and soy sauce, boosted with garlic, onion, and black pepper. It's not sweet at all, and almost has a fried steak flavor as opposed to grilled. It's not hot either, but is still lightly spicy from the black pepper and cayenne sauce. I'd rate the heat at "mild medium" (level 2 out of 5).

The meat consistency looks really good. It appears to be all meat with little to no fat visible. The chewing is dry, but very meaty and steak-like, similar to a well-done cooked New York Strip. It's not a soft chew, but not tough either.

Verdict

West Virginia Beef Jerky definitely lives up to its own description of "cowboy style" and its Appalachian ruggedness with its bold flavor, light spiciness, and meaty, steak-like chewing. It's definitely not the tender and moist styles popular in white-collar neighborhoods, nor the sweet and fruity flavors found in college-towns. It's much more masculine, perhaps best for guys who like to wake up in the morning by throwing a steak into the pan, and grabbing a cold-one from the fridge.

Rating: Good (4/5)