Gentlemen's Beef Jerky - Lemon & Herb

Gentlemen's Beef Jerky is a new brand launched by Chef Shehu Fitzgerald, based out of Staten Island, NY. Chef Shehu gained famed after winning it all on Season Seven of Food Network, "Chopped". He went on to compete on "Chopped Champs" and on ABC's, "The Taste".

The celebrated culinary master spent over 20 years at high profile restaurants including the Ritz Carlton, the Marriott Marquis and Essex House. He is currently banquet chef at the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua in Hawaii. He earned a culinary degree at Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island, and received certifications from The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, Calif. and Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies, United Kingdom.

This new line of jerky is an extension of his line of spice blends he started in 2014.

Ingredients

None provided

Review

The first flavors I pick up is a light sweet, followed by a light meat flavor. The chewing brings on a touch of lemon along with a more defined natural meat flavor. As the chewing continues, there's a faint "herb" flavor in the background, while the lemon picks up strength just a bit.

For being labeled as, "Lemon & Herb", there definitely is a lemon flavor to this, citrusy, but not sour. The herb part is more subtle, it's there if you look for it, but otherwise it remains in the background adding some color to the overall flavor.

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is a dried natural meat flavor, almost like a steak cooked well-done, but with a fair amount of lemony flavor, perhaps even some lemon zest to add a little tanginess. There's some spices and seasonings in the background to help add more savory interest.

The meat consistency seems excellent. It's quite dry, and crispy, creating a crunch in each bite. But, as the chewing continues, the meat softens up and takes on a steak-like texture, but more like well-done. I spot light amounts of fat, but no stringiness.

Verdict

This Lemon & Herb variety from Gentlemen's Beef Jerky serves up a lemony flavor with a little bit of zesty tang, along with a light level of herb that mimics the famed Lemon & Herb Chicken, but served via beef. The dry, crunchy slices of meat creates a nice snackability, yet softens up into a steak-like chewing texture, more along the lines of well-done. This jerky can be addicting, more for its crunchy chewing satisfaction, but also for hitting its advertised flavor on the nose. The spots of fat on this meat also adds a nice flavor, but also contributes to the chewing texture to make this feel more carnivorous. It's well seasoned, a touch spicy, but not hot by any means.

Rating: Good (4/5)