The Jerky Hut - Cowboy Beef Jerky

The Jerky Hut is a brand of Whiskey Hill Smokehouse, LLC based out of Hubbard, OR. The brand which is often seen at boat shows, gun shows, car shows, and trade shows of every kind, was started over 30 years ago.

Much of its jerky is sold through independent "retail licensees", who are the folks running the booths at the shows. It's parent company, Whiskey Hill Smokehouse, runs its own USDA inspected facility.

The company makes a long line of jerky flavors, beef sticks and sausages. This Cowboy Beef Jerky seems to be the closest thing to Jerky Hut's regular variety.


Ingredients

Beef, water, corn syrup solids, seasonings (salt, sugar, brown sugar, maple sugar), teriyaki sauce, smoke flavoring, worcestershire sauce, black pepper, monosodium glutamate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite.

Review

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a moderate saltiness and a fair amount of smoky flavor.The chewing brings on a stronger smoke, but followed up with a salty sauce, along with the natural meat flavors.

For being named "Cowboy" this jerky does a great job of delivering a more old fashioned style chew with the kind of prominent salt, seasonings, and smokiness that a cow punch needs to register on a tongue that's been worn down from years of black coffee and chewing tobacco. It's definitely a more "old west" flavor oozes with 19th Century lore.

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is a salty, smokey, natural meat flavor, with a dosing of black pepper and garlic.

The meat consistency is excellent, particularly for an old fashioned style. These are thick sliced strips that start out quite chewy, and eventually chew down into something very much like pieces of steak. No stringiness was noted, nor anything unchewable. These are beautiful slices of pure meat.

Verdict

This Cowboy Beef Jerky from The Jerky Hut offers up a flavor that remind us of dusty trails, campfire cooking and howling coyotes. It's an old fashioned style jerky, with a bolder flavor that cattle drivers can dip into their whiskeys and remove the taste of flies from their mouths. It has a higher salt profile, a good deal of smokiness, and just enough black pepper to keep things manly without all the fruity sweetness of a San Francisco city slicker. Even the chewing is manly. It's a tougher chew, but far more meaty. You're practically chewing a real steak here. But overall, it's still a simple jerky, and the more refined meat snacker might likely be left wanting something more. But if you're just looking for something simple, yet done right, this Cowboy Beef Jerky from The Jerky Hut has got it.

Rating: Good (4/5)

Where to buy:

• Buy Whiskey Hill Smokehouse Jerky Hut Cowboy Beef Jerky