Blue Ox Jerky Co - Peppercorn Smoked Beef

Blue Ox Jerky Co is based out of Troy, MI, having launched in January of 2011. Legend has it that the company was started by Saul Bunyan, lesser known brother of the famous Paul Bunyan. Saul had accidentally set fire to Paul's bovine companion, Babe the Blue Ox, and opted to douse the fire with teriyaki sauce. And hence, a business was born selling jerky.

Blue Ox Jerky Co has since branched out to buffalo, turkey, elk, and venison jerky, as well as sausages, and broadened its customer base beyond lumberjacks, punching gas station jerky brands in the face.

This Peppercorn Smoked Beef is described by the company as being comparable to their "Straight Up Beef Jerky", but with the tonsil-smacking effects of peppercorns.

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Mama Mia's Beef Jerky - Turkey Jerky

Mama Mia's is a brand of jerky based out of Corona, CA. The business was launched by Mia Styles who's father, an avid meat smoker, showed her how to make jerky.

I had reviewed Mama Mia's a year ago, which at that time, the company offered only one flavor of jerky. Since then, they've introduced this Turkey Jerky, along with a Sweet & Spicy.

When a family friend tasted some of her father's jerky, he wanted to know how he could get more. From there, it spurned Mia into turning her dad's jerky into a business, and thus was born Mama Mia's Beef Jerky.

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Appalachian Jerky - Dopey Doug's Hickory Smoked

Appalachian Jerky Company is a relatively new player in the meat snacks industry based out of Brighton, MA.

The creation of two college buddies, Ron Myrick and Doug Labb, the boys had been making their own jerky for camping trips and parties. When they decided to take their seasoned meat delicacies to market, they tweaked their original recipe and developed a few more.

In addition to this Dopey Doug's Hickory Smoked, they also have Raging Ron's Hot, Daisy's Sweet & Hot, and Dopey Doug's Garlic Teriyaki.

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Big Vic's Smokies

Big Vic's Smokies is the creation of Jodie and Brad Main of Freeburg, IL. It's a new business that's just barely off the ground.

Brad was raised on his grandparent's farm, which had been in the family for over 150 years. The smoke house located on that farm has been there ever since, where sausage and smokies have been prepared.

Long a treat for family and friends, they produce about 600 pounds of these slow-cooked meat sticks each year, and have many others begging them to make more.

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Dole Plantation Brand Ham Jerky - Pineapple

In my recent trip to Hawaii I found these bags of Dole Plantation Brand Ham Jerky selling inside the ABC Stores. Dole is the famous producer of tropical fruits like pineapple, banana, and mango.

This Ham Jerky is actually the product of Bric-A-Brac, Inc., based out of Las Vegas, NV. You might be familiar with their Winchester brand of jerky that I reviewed in 2008. The jerky itself, however, was manufactured by Monogram Meat Snacks, who makes jerky for hundreds of other companies.

In addition to this Pineapple flavored Ham Jerky, Bric-A-Brac also offers a Hickory Smoked Jerky made from beef & chicken, which I'll review later.

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Nomad Grass-Fed Beef Jerky - Black Pepper

Nomad Grass-Fed Beef Jerky is a relatively new jerky brand based out of West Des Moines, IA. The company was founded by Bill Van Werden, who had been making jerky for 15 years for friends and family.

The recent "Paleolithic Diet" caused Van Werden to focus on using grass-fed beef, sourced from cattle in Dorchester, IA. Even the name "Nomad" suggests the concept of early man traveling with herds of caribou and woolly mammoths.

Thus far the company produces only two flavors, this Black Pepper, and a Chipotle Curry.

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