Clean-N-Jerky - Pepper

Clean-N-Jerky is a new brand of beef jerky that launched just a year ago. It was started by Mischelle Marro, a Crossfit enthusiast, based out of Colorado Springs, CO.

When one day she was diagnosed with cancer, she changed to a paleo diet of natural ingredients. A friend of hers who marketed grass-fed beef gave her the inspiration to create her own beef jerky. Today, Clean-N-Jerky uses beef from free-range cattle that feeds on Maytag grass on the foothills of the Sangre De Cristo range in Colorado. It remains gluten-free and contains no preservatives.

Clean-N-Jerky is available in two flavors as of this writing, Original and Pepper. It can purchased from a variety of fitness and healthfood stores around Colorado, and through its website.

Ingredients

Grass fed and finished beef, coconut aminos, himalya salt, black pepper, red pepper, cayenne pepper, roasted garlic, curing salt.

Review

The first flavor I taste from this jerky is a light oil and liquid smoke, along with a touch of cayenne. The chewing brings on a light natural meat flavor with a touch more cayenne, and some saltiness.

For being labeled, "Pepper", it seems to fit the bill. I get a clear taste of cayenne pepper along with a fair amount of heat. I don't taste the black pepper noted in the ingredients perhaps because of the more dominant cayenne. The level of heat in this feels at a medium level on my personal heat scale, (level 3 out of 5).

Otherwise, the ingredients that seem to dominate this jerky starts with the cayenne pepper, then followed by the oily taste, liquid smoke, and saltiness. Lastly, the natural meat flavors are noticeable in the chewing.

The meat consistency is a chopped & formed variety, and pressed into thin strips. I find it easy to chew, and easy on the jaws. Once chewed down to a soft mass, it still feels meaty, like ground beef, comparable to eating a grilled hamburger patty. Being chopped & formed, I still feel small hard bits of tissues in the chewing, perhaps like bone or cartilage or who knows what. But they don't hurt my teeth, and don't take much away from the chewing experience. I also pick up a fair amount of fattiness, and can feel some fatty coating on the roof of my mouth after swallowing. There's also a light residue of oil left on my fingers.

Verdict: This Pepper beef jerky from Clean-N-Jerky is comparable to the Company's "Original" variety we reviewed last week, except with a cayenne pepper flavor and heat, but has none of sweetness nor honey flavors. As a result, the fattiness in the meat becomes more noticeable, making this jerky both taste and feel more oily. What you end up with is an oily jerky with a spicy, cayenne flavor. Otherwise, it's still easy to chew, and chews down quickly, making it great for snacking. Overall, I don't find this as enjoyable as the company's, "Original" variety, mostly from the lack of honey, and due to the more noticeable oiliness.

Rating: Average