Dundalk Dan's Awesome Beef Jerky - Chesapeake

Dundalk Dan's Awesome Beef Jerky is a brand of Hard Working Foods, LLC based out of Baltimore, MD. It was started by Dan Dawes in 2013, the CEO of an Internet marketing firm with a passion for meat snacks.

Dundalk Dan's claims their jerky is made in small batches and hand trimmed, and then marinated for 3 days.

This "Chesapeake" variety is seasoned with J.O. Spice #1 Food Seasoning, a Maryland favorite on steamed crab. According to Dundalk Dan's, "This rates 3 out of 5 on the hot scale."


Ingredients

Beef, Worcestershire Sauce, Water, Gluten Free Tamari Soy Sauce, Brown Sugar, Honey, Natural Smoke Flavor, Garlic Powder, Tabasco, Onion Powder, Cayenne Powder, Spices

Review

The first flavor I pick up on the palate is a salty seasoning, with the soy sauce coming in soon after. The chewing brings on more of the seasoning, tasting much like steamed crab spices of garlic, onion, paprika, among others.

For being named "Chesapeake", it certainly does have that flavor reminiscent of seafood buckets of crab, clams, and lobster. As far the company's claims of rating "3 out of 5 on the hot scale", it's much more mild. On my heat scale, it still rates as mild, but could be seen as mild-medium on others (level 2 out of 5).

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is a steamed crab seasoning blend with a noticeable soy sauce. It's on the salty side too, though offering a light natural meat flavor.

The meat consistency is mixed, seeing some slabs as quite lean, and others quite marbled. It's dry, but still tender enough for a good balance between easy eating and jerky chewiness. Once chewed down soft, it tends to have a steak-like chewing.

Verdict

This Chesapeake beef jerky from Dundalk Dan's offers a great seafood seasoning that evokes the flavor of a crab bucket on a Baltimore Waterfront. The J.O. Spice does a better job of creating that east coast flavor than the usual Old Bay standby. The soy sauce and worcestershire marinade adds that familiar savory character you're used to in beef jerky, while the meat chewing remains tender and beefy. Overall, I love the use of J.O. Spice, and find this jerky quite unique. It tends to get salty after several bites, so keep a Samuel Adams Boston Lager close by.

Rating: Good (4/5)


Buy this online:

• https://www.dundalkdan.com