Dried and True Beef Jerky - Original

Dried and True is a brand that I covered a couple of years ago with their Sriracha Lima and Korean BBQ varieties. Recently, they sent me packages of their Original, Chile Limon, and Spicy Teriyaki.

Founded in Venice CA in 2012, by a local named Matt Lauster, Dried and True Beef Jerky sought to change to people's taste buds and perception of what beef jerky could taste like. After refining his product by selling at local farmer's markets and the LA food festival scene, Matt claims that so many customers have proclaimed, "This is the best jerky I've ever eaten!". He uses exclusively from California raised beef without chemical preservatives, nitrates/nitrites, MSG or high fructose corn syrup.

This Original variety is made with organic Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar, and is meant to be their interpretation of classic jerky. Matt claims it's made from classic top round cut of beef and gives off a smoky flavor.

Ingredients: Beef, soy sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, garlic powder, liquid smoke, organic worcestershire sauce, fine pepper

Review

The first flavor that hits my palate is a light sweet and salty. After several seconds, I can pick up a saucy component, more like a watered-down soy sauce. The chewing brings on more of that soy sauce flavor, while the saltiness increases a bit. There's also a light black pepper flavor in the background.

Considering the company claims this "Original" to be their interpretation of classic jerky, it definitely fits the billing. It has a flavor that sits very much in the ballpark with many other brands I've tried. There's that light initial sweet, a light, watered down soy sauce, and touches of seasonings, namely black pepper.

The smoky flavor that Matt described is there, but is faint. You wouldn't really notice it unless you looked for it and knew what to look for.

Overall, the dominant flavor in this jerky is that light, watered down soy sauce, and then touches of black pepper seasoning, and a light sweet.

The meat consistency seems to be right in the ballpark with many other brands as well. For the most part, it's very meaty with minimal fat. It's largely tender, though a smaller percentage of pieces seemed to vary from average to tough. It's largely dry, though some pieces felt semi-moist. It tends to chew with a pasty, mushy texture, though sometimes actually feeling meaty. It's far from the steak-like chewing that I found when I reviewed Dried and True a couple of years ago.

Verdict

This Original beef jerky from Dried and True definitely gives off a flavor much like other brands of Original beef jerky I've reviewed. It doesn't intrigue me or inspire me, and I understand it's meant to be their interpretation of classic jerky. It does generate some snackability, however. I think the meat consistency has changed a lot over the years since I first reviewed Dried and True. This doesn't really feel like meat, and is far from the steak-like texture I found before.

Rating: Average

Buy this online:

• http://www.driedandtruebeefjerky.com/