Shurky Jurky bills itself as a "new kind of artisan jerky company", bringing back classic home style, rip tear jerky from scratch using real fruit and without any refined sugars, additives, non-natural flavorings or preservatives. It claims to be 100% Paleo/Primal, Gluten-free, Certified Raw, and contains 4-8x less sodium.
They currently offer four varieties of jerky, this Beef, along with Turkey, Pork, and Bison. This Beef is described as being made from "butcher-grade beef" using their "traditional smoked flavoring".
Bragg Liquid Aminos (protein amino-acids from soybeans), fresh pineapple, anchovy paste, spices including black pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, ginger, smoked paprika; and natural pineapple extract for flavor enhancement.
Taste
The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a lightly smoky, light saltiness. There's a bit of sweet coming in next, along with a light soy sauce flavor.
The chewing brings in much of the same flavors in a little higher intensity, with perhaps a more savory/saucy flavor, which I presume comes from the anchovy paste. The onion and garlic are more noticeable in the chewing. I can also detect the pineapple in faint amounts.
The flavor that seems to define this jerky overall, perhaps comes from the anchovy paste, resembling a bit like worcestershire. It doesn't, however, taste fishy, or maybe just a touch. But it's mixed with the garlic and onion and the touches of pineapple, to create something a little tangy, slightly fruity, yet spicy and peppery. This seems to have its own unique flavor which I haven't encountered in any other brand.
As far as being made with the company's "traditional smoked flavoring", it does have smoky character to it, but not like smoke woods, or even liquid smoke. I think it's actually coming from the smoked paprika and cayenne pepper ingredients.
Overall, the ingredients combine to create a unique taste with a savory, saucy, smoky character, different than much of the brands that rely on soy sauce and/or worcestershire.
With respect to the paprika and cayenne pepper, it's not hot, though spicy to a small degree. I'd rate this as "mild-medium" on my personal heat scale (level 2 out of 5).
And also consider the company's claims that this jerky uses 4 to 8 times less sodium, it actually tastes salty, perhaps average to high compared to other brands, though I can't find a Nutrition Facts label anywhere.
Meat Consistency
These are slices of whole meat, sliced thin, and cut into medium sized strips and slabs.
This is a dry jerky with a dry surface feel, yet it has a good deal of flexibility, feeling pliable. Tearing pieces apart seems easy to do, while chewing seems easy as well.
The chewing texture starts out feeling dry though tender. The strips have some chewing resistance, while the slab have none. Both types still feel meaty as the chewing gets going, and by the time it's rendered into a soft mass, it still feels about the same, meaty, though somewhat mushy and not really steak-like.
I can see a fair amount of fat on the slabs, while the strips appear very lean. I can even spot light streaks of gristle on the slabs. Both types chew without any stringiness and I don't encounter any unchewable tissues.
In terms of clean eating, it's very clean, leaving no residue on my fingers.
Shurky Jurky sells this Beef jerky from its website at a price of $44.99 for a 16oz package. Shipping is $11.50 flat rate. That works out to a total of $56.49, which works out to a price of $3.53 per ounce.
For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $3.53 per ounce price, it's a weak value. Compared to other brands of jerky sold in stores, it's far more expensive, yet offers a comparable flavor, meat consistency, and chewing texture.
But as a part of your Paleo Diet, being Gluten-Free, all natural ingredients, at the same $3.53 per ounce price, it's fair value. Compared to other similarly marketed meat snack brands, it's still priced a little high, yet offers similar flavor and snackability.
Rating
I'm giving this an average rating.
This Beef jerky from Shurky Jurky offers a very unique flavor, unlike what I've found in most jerky brands. The use of anchovy paste mixed with the other seasonings creates a taste comparable to soy sauce and worcestershire, yet is still different and hard to put into words. It also has a light smoky character that I feel comes from the combination of smoked paprika and cayenne pepper.
But while it has a unique flavor, I found it's largely that uniqueness that kept me eating more and more, just to grab a good handle on it. Afterwards, there was little else to keep me wanting to snack. I found the saltiness becoming rather high as I continued to eat more pieces, despite the company claiming to use 4-8 times less sodium.
It's easy tearing and easy chewing, along with its unique flavor, are it's strengths, despite its chewing texture feeling somewhat mushy. Compared to the other brands of jerky I've reviewed, it still seemed to fall within the average lot of jerky brands.
Rating:
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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.
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