Country Butcher Beef Jerky - Crushed Chili Pepper

Country Butcher is a brand that's been around since 2001 (based on our research). The company itself did not send us samples for review; we were provided samples by one of their online retailers. Country Butcher was started by Ken Croucher, based out of Placentia, CA.

Croucher has been making jerky since 1974, and perfected his recipe while working at a grocery store where he could offer samples to customers and gather feedback. He's been relying on the same recipe ever since. According to online documents, Croucher developed a beef jerky recipe for Perky Jerky. Perky Jerky grew to fame by offering the world's first energy-infused jerky, using Croucher's recipe, and today they're one of the biggest jerky brands on the market. Country Butcher currently sells online through Amazon and eBay, and a variety of other outlets.

This Crushed Chili Pepper variety is marked as, "Hot", and being made from "Brisket". It's also marked, "Gluten Free" and "All Natural".

Ingredients

Beef brisket, gluten free reduced sodium tamari soy sauce, brown sugar, pineapple juice concentrate, granulated garlic, crushed red pepper, black pepper, ginger

Review

The first flavors that come into view is a light sweet and light salt. There's a light natural meat flavor that comes into view, and slowly the soy sauce starts to come on. The chewing brings on more soy sauce definition with some tangy fruit. I can detect some garlic while a faint chile pepper heat starts. After several pieces, the black pepper builds its aftertaste.

For being labeled as "Crushed Chili Pepper" and as, "Hot", there's a moderate sprinkling of red pepper flakes visible on these pieces, but barely any flavor. It's heat, however, is more noticeable, yet remains subdued, at what I would rank as, "mild medium" on our heat scale (level 2/5), and certainly not hot as the packaging claims. If anything, the visual aspect of seeing these flakes perhaps gives off more effect than anything else.

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is the soy sauce, sweetened up lightly, with a light fruity tang, and seasoned with a light black pepper and a touch of garlic, over a light natural meat flavor. You do get a light bit of chile pepper heat.

The chewing is very soft and tender, almost to the point of a kippered meat snack. It's very "melt in your mouth" and once chewed down, has the consistency of filet mignon cooked medium rare. Despite these being cut from brisket, they don't feel stringy at all.

Verdict

This Crushed Chili Pepper beef jerky from Country Butcher creates a nice visual aspect with the sprinkling of red and yellow chili pepper flakes and seeds, but doesn't provide any substantial flavor, though does offer up a light level of heat. It's certainly not, "hot" as the packaging claims, at least not for anyone who makes a habit of buying spicy hot foods. But on its own merits, it's still a very tasty jerky, relying on a soy sauce base with a light sweet and light tangy fruit, comparable to a teriyaki style, but not quite the traditional Japanese style. It very much hits the mark for that West Coast demographic, however. Even the tender, moist pieces, so easy to chew, and practically melts in your mouth like a filet mignon, is the kind of jerky that seems to be big sellers in the more trendy grocery stores. If that's the jerky you're looking for, and don't mind a light bit of heat, you'll certainly love this.

Rating: Good (4/5)