Friday, August 1, 2014

Red Truck Beef Jerky

red truck beef jerky
Red Truck Beef Jerky is a brand of Red Truck Beef Jerky, LLC, based out of St. Petersburg, FL. According to the company, they've been doing business for over 15 years.

Red Truck says their jerky is made from 100% Grade A sliced shoulder beef from USA cattle, naturally seasoned with, "a touch of nature's honey and dried slowly". The company currently ships their jerky to Cracker Barrel, MAPCO Express, Lowes Foods, Schnucks Markets, Western Convenience Stores, and Green Top Sporting Goods. They also claim their jerky to be gluten-free.

The company offers three flavors, Original, Teriyaki, and Peppered. We only have the first two for review.


Ingredients

100% American raised grade A shoulder whole muscle beef, brown sugar, water, salt, apple juice, honey, lemon juice, spices, soy sauce, black pepper, liquid smoke, sodium nitrite

Review

The first flavors to come through is a heavy sweet with a saltiness mixed in. I also pick up a light black pepper and garlic too. The chewing brings in a light bit of the natural meat flavor, with a touch of honey flavor.

There's actually a light tanginess in the chewing from the apple and lemon juice. There's even a faint onion flavor, though it's not specifically included in the ingredients.

Overall, the flavors that define this jerky starts with the heavy sweetness and a moderate saltiness. But it's colored with a variety of seasonings, namely black pepper, garlic, onion, and honey. But it adds in a light tangy chewing from the apple and lemon juice. It's a very flavorful jerky, that makes me think of a multitude of colors. It's also mild, and perfect for folks with tender tongues.

The meat consistency looks to be mostly all meat. I see only small streaks of fat, but otherwise felt no gristle, stringiness, or unchewable tissues. It's quite tender and soft, and easy to chew. The chewing texture has a meaty resemblance, though not exactly like steak. It tends have a light rubber/plastic character from the heavy sweet. Overall, it's still a meatier chew than a Jack Links, but not quite like steak as with many finer gourmet varieties.

Verdict: This Original variety from Red Truck Beef Jerky has a well-balanced taste that packs in a wide assortment of flavors. It's quite flavorful, but not too intense. I'm actually very impressed with the flavor, and find it quite addicting. It has enough flavor complexity to entertain the jerky afficionado, while satisfying the general bulk of meat snackers out there. I found the chewing texture lacking, though still better than most major brands. But I like the flavor enough to overlook that one area.

Rating: Best (5/5)


red truck beef jerky

red truck beef jerky

2 comments:

  1. This is the ingredient list, which proves in fact the product is NOT gluten-free:
    Ingredients:
    Beef, Brown Sugar, Water, Salt, Apple Juice, Honey, Lemon Juice, Spices, Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt), Black Pepper, Liquid Smoke, Sodium Nitrite.

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    Replies
    1. This is Richard, president of red truck beef jerky. Thanks for reading our label. That's what we want America to do.


      In reference to the use of wheat in any product the FDA which sets all the guidelines and recognizes gluten in a product once it reaches 20 ppm.


      The wheat you see on the label comes from the KIKKOMANS GLUTEN FREE soy sauce. I would love to send you the letter from KIKKOMANS explaining the cooking process where the wheat is the first element added into the soy brewing process and then COOKED OFF.


      Gluten in the form you are thinking of is the elasticity, or rubber band in bread. Its what makes bread stretch and not snap or break. Bread which is 100% plus or minus wheat has a tremendous amount of gluten in it because it is loaded with wheat, actually the main ingredient, unlike Beef Jerky.


      Let's put this into perspective, 20 ppm is equivalent to 2 specs of sugar compared to the size of a loaf of bread. I have .008 ppm of wheat then its cooked off in the soy brewing process so the gluten is virtually undetectable and falls way way under the FDA guidelines for classifying a product with gluten. That is why the words gluten-free is on the front. Because it conforms to all FDA guidelines. pertaining to gluten.


      Another thing to keep in mind when you are reading labels of any kind which is a good thing to do. If you see the word wheat or soy or any compound in thick dark bold letters, not in parentheses or quotes but thick bold letters it means that it has an abundance of that compound in it.


      If you noticed mine the products are in parentheses or quotes. Which means a microscopic amount. So please be aware of any product that has compounds in bold type.


      Just because a product says it has wheat in it does not mean it contains gluten from an FDA guidelines standpoint.


      Last USDA and FDA along with auditors are in our facility on a regular basis. Everything from labels, bags, meat, cleanliness is inspected and gone over with a fine tooth comb. Our facility has one of the highest third-party audit ratings in the United States.


      Thanks again for your inquiry please let me know if you have any further questions.


      Richard

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