Don Beto' - Pork Jerky, Soy Free

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

We ran a review of their other beef jerky varieties last year, and since then Otwell has continued to tweak his recipes. The Don Beto' Jerky currently retails from eBay, and I believe Otwell still does some sales mano a mano.

This soy free "pork jerky" is claimed to be made from pork loin and smoked using Applewood chips, and just recently started selling Otwell's eBay store. He goes on to claim it's free of preservatives, MSG, gluten, sugar, soy, and other stuff the health food world seems to be distancing itself from.

Ingredients

Pork, pepper, water, fresh lime juice, paprika, cayenne, garlic, cumin, applewood smoke, sea salt, vinegar, canola oil.

Review

The first flavor I pick up on my tongue is a light smokiness, followed by touches of salt and oil. The chewing brings on the natural meat flavor of pork, along with a faint tangy lime, and traces of spice.

This jerky is marketed as sugar-free, and it definitely has that clean, light flavor that other sugar-free jerky brands have. The flavor profile is mostly a clean, pork meat flavor with a bit of spicy heat, a light smokiness, and touches of salt and lime. The level of heat in this is light, rating on my heat scale as "mild medium" (level 2 out of 5).

The meat consistency is predominantly dry, and very lean. It appears to be all meat, and it chews like it's all meat, with no noticeable stringiness or unchewable tissues. It's chewy and perhaps a little tough at first, but the pieces break down quickly into something soft, yet still dry.

Verdict: This soy-free pork jerky from Don Beto' Jerky comes off as clean tasting, and having a freshly cooked pork loin flavor. I like the light smokiness and the light spicy heat. I also like the touches of lime and the lower salt profile. The dryness of this jerky seems to subtract from the overall snackability, and each piece can be tough at first chew, but if you can eat this with a beverage, it's tolerable. I think it makes for an excellent sport snack for its all-natural ingredients, zero-carb, and low sodium. It's even gluten-free.

Rating: Good