Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Two Brothers Jerky - Famously Hot

two brothers jerky
Two Brothers Jerky is a brand of jerky originally launched by two brothers who had been separated at birth, and raised by two different families. When they finally reunited in 2010, they did what most reunited brothers do, celebrate with jerky.

Based out of Columbia, SC, brothers Paul Brock and Eddie Wales, started Two Brothers Jerky in 2013 using Paul's secret recipes. Both brothers, coincidentally, attended the same state colleges, and each ran successful restaurants. The jerky is made by the brothers at Eddie's restaurant, Motor Supply Company Bistro in Columbia.

This Famously Hot is said to give out the kick of a spicy summer in Columbia, SC. The company claims the first bite delivers a deep intensity of crushed red peppers, citrus and garlic with a slow building heat.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Klemke's Sausage Haus - Turkey Jerky

klemke's turkey jerky
Klemke's Sausage Haus is a local favorite among residents of Slaton, TX. Founded by Rod and Judy Klemke in 1993, much of their business lies in meat processing for hunters and farmers, but their jerky and sausage have grown in demand throughout West Texas.

Rod's grandfather came from Germany. As a child, he grew up in the meat business, learning how to skin and prepare meat. In 1987, he started Slaton Packing Company, and then in 1993 launched Klemke's Sausage Haus. In 2006, he bought a second packing plant in Wolfforth. The couple also run a Barbecue restaurant in Slaton.

Klemke's offers two varieties of turkey jerky, their Original, and a Honey. They also have four varieties of beef jerky, as well as a pork jerky.

Friday, July 25, 2014

Lawless Jerky Endorsed By The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)

Announcement welcomed as positive step for animal welfare


lawless jerky
Lawless Jerky announced it has partnered with Harris-Robinette Beef, a multi-generational Pinetops, N.C. family farm that raises all of its cattle exclusively on pasture. The Humane Society of the United States welcomed the announcement as a positive step for animal welfare.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Two Brothers Jerky - Bull City Original

two brothers jerky
Two Brothers Jerky is a brand of jerky originally launched by two brothers who had been separated at birth, and raised by two different families. When they finally reunited in 2010, they did what most reunited brothers do, celebrate with jerky.

Based out of Columbia, SC, brothers Paul Brock and Eddie Wales, started Two Brothers Jerky in 2013 using Paul's secret recipes. Both brothers, coincidentally, attended the same state colleges, and each ran successful restaurants. The jerky is made by the brothers at Eddie's restaurant, Motor Supply Company Bistro in Columbia.

This Bull City Original is said to capture the vibrancy and smoky flavors associated with Paul's hometown of Durham, NC. They go on to claim it to be a perfect balance of beef, soy, garlic, lime and a touch of red pepper.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Grassroots Jerky - Original

grassroots jerky
Grassroots Jerky is a new brand in the world of gourmet jerky, launched by brothers Ryan Turri and Eric Turri, based out of San Francisco, CA.

Both were working in the financial services industry, working for such big wigs as Credit Suisse, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, and Bank of America. Somewhere along the way, brother Ryan wanted a more "meaningful life" and decided that dehydrating slices of meat would show him the way. At first he tried buying out an existing jerky brand, but ended up launching his own brand instead.

Grassroots Jerky describes its journey as an "uncompromising evolution", from using ranchers practicing ethical, sustainable farming, to creating a jerky free of hormones, antibiotics, unnatural ingredients, soy and gluten. They also claim their beef is "vegetarian fed", as opposed to meat-fed beef.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Klemke's Sausage Haus - Beef Jerky

klemke's beef jerky
Klemke's Sausage Haus is a local favorite among residents of Slaton, TX. Founded by Rod and Judy Klemke in 1993, much of their business lies in meat processing for hunters and farmers, but their jerky and sausage have grown in demand throughout West Texas.

Rod's grandfather came from Germany. As a child, he grew up in the meat business, learning how to skin and prepare meat. In 1987, he started Slaton Packing Company, and then in 1993 launched Klemke's Sausage Haus. In 2006, he bought a second packing plant in Wolfforth. The couple also run a Barbecue restaurant in Slaton.

Klemke's offers four varieties of beef jerky, their Original, a Teriyaki, a Jalapeno, and a Blazin' Hot (which we don't have for review). They also offer two varieties of turkey jerky which we'll review later, as well as a Pork Jerky.

Friday, July 18, 2014

Krave Jerky - Turkey Jerky

krave turkey jerky
Krave Jerky offers two varieties of Turkey Jerky, a Lemon Garlic, and a Basil Citrus. See our previous reviews of Krave Jerky.

Krave Beef Jerky is a brand owned by Krave Pure Foods, Inc. based out of Sonoma, CA. It started in 2011 by Jon Sebastiani, who got started in the food business working on his family's winery in Sonoma.

The company describes its Basil Citrus Turkey Jerky as being infused with tangy citrus to create a soft, subtly seasoned jerky bursting with flavor. It's Lemon Garlic is said to be made with thinly sliced, juicy turkey breasts, marinated with a balanced combination of garlic, lemon and lemon pepper.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Don Beto' Beef Jerky

don beto beef jerky
Don Beto' Beef Jerky is a brand owned and operated by Bob Otwell, based out of Corona, CA. The brand launched in March 2013.

The brand is not currently shipping, according to a note from Bob, though he notes he's been selling it locally for $4.00 per 2oz pack, as well as on eBay, based on our research. He hopes to hear what we think first, and then go from there. The reviews expressed here are based on pre-production samples sent to us from him.

All of Don Beto' Beef Jerky is labeled as "Gluten Free", "No MSG", "No Cure", "No Preservative", and "No Sodium Nitrite".

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Uncle Andy's Jerky

uncle andy's jerky
Uncle Andy's Jerky was conceived about a year and a half ago, the vision of Andrew Hanenberg, based out of Cedar Grove, NJ.

It started when Andrew was crossfit training and got hooked on the paleo diet. He bought a meat slicer at a hardware store and started experimenting with jerky recipes. Inspired by the bold, eclectic flavors introduced by craft breweries like Dogfish Head and New Belgium, etc., he perfected four original recipes and is now crowdfunding to get his business rolling.

At this point, you can't buy Uncle Andy's Jerky. Below are reviews based on pre-production samples sent to us from Andrew.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Krave Pork Jerky

krave pork jerky
Krave offers two varieties of Pork Jerky, Black Cherry Barbecue and Grilled Sweet Teriyaki. See our previous reviews of Krave Jerky.

Krave Beef Jerky is a brand owned by Krave Pure Foods, Inc. based out of Sonoma, CA. It started in 2011 by Jon Sebastiani, who got started in the food business working on his family's winery in Sonoma.

The company claims the Black Cherry Barbecue infuses tender slices of pork with their sweet and peppery, Sonoma-style, black cherry barbecue sauce. Meanwhile, their Grilled Sweet Teriyaki is soaked in a smoky teriyaki soy marinade, with a touch of sweetness, creating a savory profile without excess salt.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Duke's Small Batch Smoked Meats - Shorty Smoked Sausages

dukes shorty sausages
Duke's Small Batch Smoked Meats is the newest line of jerky and meat sticks from Thanasi Foods, LLC. Based in Boulder, CO, Thanasi is known for other successful jerky brands such as Jim Beam Beef Jerky, Stubbs BBQ Beef Jerky, and Frank's Redhot Beef Jerky.

"Duke's" is the nickname of Justin Havlick, the President and CEO of Thanasi Foods. As the story goes, back in 2004 Justin would smoke small batches of jerky using real smoke wood, using fresh ingredients from his kitchen, and slathered with a variety of popular sauces.

As a result, the Duke's line of smoked meats comes in a variety flavors, including those marinated in Jim Beam, Stubbs BBQ, and Frank's Redhot, which Thanasi already has brand licenses with. Duke's Small Batch Smoked Meats has been distributing to convenience stores since December 2012.

Friday, July 4, 2014

Krave Beef Jerky - Pineapple Orange

krave beef jerky
Next in our series on Krave Jerky is this Pineapple Orange beef jerky. See our other reviews of Krave Jerky.

Krave Beef Jerky is a brand owned by Krave Pure Foods, Inc. based out of Sonoma, CA. It started in 2011 by Jon Sebastiani, who got started in the food business working on his family's winery in Sonoma.

This Pineapple Orange beef jerky is described by the company's as being, "a Hawaiian-inspired offering of tender top round sirloin domestic beef marinated in a blend of sweet orange, pineapple and tropical fruit. Slices are carefully baked to preserve their unique flavor of sweetness and acidity, making an exceptionally moist and addictive combination."

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Snatch Beef Jerky - Traditional Western

snatch beef jerky
Snatch Jerky is a new brand of jerky based out of Show Low, AZ. It was started in February 2013 by a guy named Ron Pro.

Snatch markets itself with the tagline "The Healthy Beef Jerky" because it uses only natural ingredients, no MSG, no nitrates, and no preservatives. They also claim their jerky to be low sodium with varieties ranging from 50mg per serving up to 270mg per serving.

This "Traditional Western" is described by the company's as, "the original beef jerky flavor", referring to what cowboys enjoyed while driving cattle across the range. Claiming to have, "the traditional flavor of beef jerky", it's low sodium listing 270 mg of sodium per serving.