Smoke Shack Jerky - Dojo Mojo

Smoke Shack Jerky describes itself as a "small Upstate NY kitchen" that launched in 2017 by Jonathan Brown of Rochester, NY. Their unique angle is smoking jerky over real wood, and using thicker cuts of meat for a beefier chew. They don't use any smoke flavoring, and no preservatives. The company also has a line of smoked nuts.

Brown also chose to develop jerky recipes based on cultures found around the world as opposed to the more common profiles found with mass-produced brands.

This Dojo Mojo is described by the company as an, "Asian BBQ with tangy, smoky flavor and a bit of sweetness", going on to say that it's mild in spice.

Ingredients

Beef, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, red wine vinegar, lime juice, ginger, black pepper, garlic

Review

The first thing I taste is an earthy spice, comparable to cumin. Some salt comes in. The chewing brings on a light curry flavor, a touch of smoke, a bit of sweet, and faint traces of soy sauce.

For being described as a Medium-spice, Asian BBQ, it's hard to determine this as having a BBQ flavor. There's a light smokiness, but doesn't really have a grilled, or char flavor. It doesn't really have a distinct Asian flavor as well. The soy sauce is very light, and the hoisin sauce is not identifiable. If anything, there's a light thai-style curry flavor, with a faint tangy chew.

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is a light soy sauce, gently sweetened, with a dusting of thai-style curry. There's a well-done cooked steak flavor that comes in towards the end.

The meat consistency looks great in terms of little to no signs of fat or stringiness. It is a thicker sliced meat, generally easy to bite off and chew, but rather dry. The chewing texture feels very meaty, and almost a steak-like feel. Most of the pieces, however, are cut into small chunks and bits, which may necessitate having to grab 2 or 3 at a time to get a decent mouthful.

Verdict

This Dojo Mojo beef jerky from Smoke Shack Jerky delivers a light Asian-inspired flavor through an earthy, almost cumin-like flavor, perhaps something comparable thai-style curry. There's still a soy sauce profile, lightly salty, somewhat smoky and just a bit of sweet, but it's more of a steak-house flavor with a thick, steak-like chewing. The spiciness remains mild however, and there's even a shade of tanginess. While it tends to have a dry chew, it gives off a good deal of natural meat flavors.

Rating: Good (4/5)

Buy this online:

• https://smokeshackjerky.tumblr.com/