It seems these days I keep reading about a growth in popularity over beef jerky produced from the central coast of California, an area known for its cattle ranches and fine wines. The two are often paired together where "artisan jerky" is washed down with a sip of red wine.
The Cattaneo's beef jerky business follows their successful barbecue service, Cattaneo BBQ Service, which they've been doing since 1971 across the central coast of California. Ray's grandfather was William Cattaneo who started Cattaneo Bros. Beef Jerky, and since the age of 9 has been working in the meat smoking trade.
Ray's Own Brand is a husband & wife operation with Ray overseeing the individual batch processing, with Nina Marie directing all business operations. They make their own beef jerky at their own faciliy.
Ingredients
Beef, teriyaki sauce, black pepper, spices, garlic, celery powder.
Taste
I get a teriyaki flavor immediately upon putting a piece into my mouth, followed by a hint of salt, and then followed by the natural meat flavors. The chewing brings on a more defined teriyaki while the natural meat flavors increase. A light garlic come in, and a faint black pepper raises its head.
The teriyaki taste is light, but enough to let you know that it's teriyaki sauce. It has that authentic Japanese-style, with that fermented character and a pungent seasoning. But, it doesn't have that thick sweet. As I get further into the chew, the teriyaki taste wears off while the natural meat flavors take over.
Otherwise, the primary taste profile is the natural meat flavor, but with a noticeable teriyaki mixed in, with a subtle salt, garlic, and black pepper.
The meat consistence is excellent. Thick slices of beef cut with the grain, lightly moist, rest in your hands with a weighty feel, letting you know this is about as real and natural as beef jerky can get. The chewing is chewy, but not tough. Once chewed down soft, it feels like real steak. The teriyaki sauce adds a bit of a rubbery character initially, but wears off fast into pure beef. No fat to be seen, and no stringiness encountered.
Verdict
This teriyaki beef jerky from Ray's Own Brand does a great job of emphasizing the natural meat flavors, keeping the teriyaki to a light enough level that it lets the goodness of pure beef shine through while allowing for some flavor interest. The teriyaki flavor itself seems genuine in the Japanese steakhouse sense, but again, there's only light amount, enough to taste but not too much to get in the way. Otherwise, it's the meat consistency and chewing texture that amazes! It's thick cut, but not tough. It's like chewing on real steak, and tasting the rich flavor of real beef. It's also simple in flavor, but in a good way because there's so much beef luxury in these strips to enjoy. It's the kind of jerky die-hard meat addicts have been searching for nationwide.
Rating:
Best (5/5)Buy this online:
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I'm Steve Johnson, and I've been in the Internet marketing and publishing business since 1997. I've been a life-long fan of beef jerky and decided to merge my profession with my snack food of choice, and gave birth to Best Beef Jerky.
Ray's teriyaki beef jerky is so tasty! The teriyaki flavor is like no other beef jerky I have had before!
ReplyDeleteOverall, I find this to be a very addicting jerky from Ray's Own Brand. In fact, I've tried all the varieties from them, and love them all. Raymond Cattaneo you're the Best!
ReplyDeleteThe jerky is overpriced and not as good as what his father made at Cattaneo Bros.
ReplyDeleteSteve, I enjoy your reviews a lot. I think you ought to change your requirements for "best" rating. Often you take points off if the flavor is not as advertised. For me, it doesn't make much difference what the flavor is. If it's advertised as "hot" and it's kind of mildly spicy, it won't bother me because I'm not a person that is biased towards any flavor of jerky. I like the hot, the sweet, the peppered, etc. If the jerky is well made, it will taste good no matter the flavor.
ReplyDeleteI just bought some of Ray's but avoided the teriyaki because it didn't get a best rating. But now looking closer at your review, I find that it wasn't given a best rating over a technicality in the advertised flavor.
Chris, it's a good discussion, and I've tossed it around in mind also. For example, I love hot spicy jerky. So when I see a jerky brand advertised as "hot", more often than not I will feel compelled to part my money for it. But when I discover that it's actually mild, I feel ripped off, and that jerky suddenly loses some snackability.
ReplyDeleteI think that many people make purchasing decisions based on what the packaging says. So when Ray's Own Brand offers a "Teriyaki" beef jerky, people expect to get teriyaki flavor in return. And therefore, I have to evaluate it as a teriyaki jerky.
But you're right in that all jerky can still be excellent jerky on its own merits. I've recognized that in many of my reviews.