Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Crunchy Cow Beef Jerky - Fajita Margarita

crunchy cow beef jerky
Crunchy Cow Beef Jerky is a brand owned by Elemental Edibles, LC based out of St. Louis, MO. It was started by Brian Gilbert in 2015, who describes himself as a life-long cook and aspiring entrepreneur.

Brian had worked for several talented chefs and business owners, honing his skills in culinary arts and business. It was during his stint as a B2B salesman, that he started making jerky as a hobby, and finally, the idea for this new company clicked. Crunchy Cow Beef Jerky focuses on using high quality ingredients, natural grass-fed, pasture-raised beef, with no artificial ingredients, preservatives, nitrates, additives, steroids, antibiotics, or added hormones. Brian makes all the jerky himself from a USDA inspected kitchen at Saint Louis University's Fresh Gatherings Cafe.

This "Fajita Margarita" is made with tequila, which according to Brian, "really shines in this jerky", and incorporates lime, salt, and cumin, for a, "well rounded, long lasting flavor".


Ingredients

Grass-fed beef, tequila, lime juice, garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, onion, bell pepper

Review

The first flavor that hits the palate is a salty, citrus tang, very comparable to the salted rim of a margarita. The chewing brings on more of the salty-tanginess, with a light natural meat flavor. The chunks of bell pepper and onion create touches of flavor, and there's a black pepper overtone building in the back of my mouth.

For being labeled as "Fajita Margarita", it holds up pretty well. It mostly tastes like the citrus-lime of a margarita, but with a vinegar resemblance, and a big shot of salt. Think of vinegar and sea salt potato chips, and that's the seasoning I taste in this, but with the tanginess of lime. The natural meat flavors come through towards the latter part of chewing. The "margarita" part of the name is more noticeable than the "fajita".

The additional ingredients of cumin, garlic, and cayenne pepper are not well noticeable.

The meat consistency is excellent. The strips are thick and feel substantial. I found only light streaks of fat, and very little stringiness. The chewing is dry, somewhat tough at first, but not too tough. Unlike the company's other flavors I reviewed, "Sweet Southern BBQ" and "Peppered Teriyaki", this doesn't quite have a steak-like texture. The drier chew tends to become crumbly, much like a steak that was cooked far too well-done.

Verdict

This Fajita Margarita from Crunchy Cow Beef Jerky creates a salty, citrus taste profile that seems to resemble a sip of margarita across a salted-rim. It tends to take on a vinegar flavor, with a black pepper aftertaste. The natural meat flavors come through noticeably, tasting much like a well-done cooked steak. It's perhaps too salty for my preference, beckoning me to take swigs of water in between chews, even though the Nutrition Facts label shows a low sodium content. The chewing texture also felt dry and crumbly, not quite as enjoyable as the company's "Sweet Southern BBQ" and "Peppered Teriyaki".

Still, on its own merits, I was impressed by the thick strips of meat, with no stringiness, and the chunks of bell pepper and onion. I even like the citrus tang in the flavor. But, the heavy saltiness tends to wear me out.

Rating: Good (4/5)



fajita beef jerky

fajita margarita beef jerky

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