J&K Beef Jerky is a brand owned by J&K Distributors based out of Huntington Beach, CA. J&K Distributors is an actual distributing company that stocks convenience stores throughout Southern California. J&K has been around since 1980.
Like most distributing companies, J&K offers several brands of jerky for its store clients, but also offers its own house brand. According to the company, they've offered this jerky over the past 20 years.
This Prime Rib beef jerky is not otherwise described by the company, nor comes with any claims aside from a photo of a juicy prime of beef on the label.
Ingredients
Beef, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, bouillon beef base, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne, salt, paprika, seasoning salt, liquid smoke
Review
The first flavors that hit my palate is a light sweet, followed by a savory marinade that soon develops into a beefy soy sauce laden with onion seasoning. The chewing brings on some natural meat flavors, and introduces a whisp of cayenne spice at the end.
For being marketed as "Prime Rib", there's a light reminiscence of the popular weekend steakhouse special, particularly the fatty, outer edges of a 12 ounce slice encrusted with seasonings. It does not, however, taste exactly like a slice of prime rib, nor anything close to the center portion. There's no pungent horseradish in this jerky, just a modest recognition of au jus sauce in the marinade.
Otherwise, the primary taste profile is a salty marinade comparable to a beefy flavored soy sauce with lots of seasonings and a bit of sticky sweet. It's peppery but also spicy with a light level of cayenne heat, registering as mild medium on our heat scale (level 2 out of 5). Think of it more as a seasoned steak variety of jerky than prime rib.
These slices of meat are chewy, but not tough. They have a faint bit of stickiness on the surface, but not enough to gunk up your fingers. There's light levels of stringiness in the chewing, but otherwise this jerky has a meaty chew that takes on a steak-like texture. I do see some streaks of gristle in the larger slices.
Verdict
This Prime Rib beef jerky from J&K may usher in some familiarity with a 12 ounce slice of the chef's special, perhaps with a light au jus flavor, or even the peppery, fatty edges of an end cut. But otherwise, these are not actual slices of prime rib, just beef jerky meant to mimic that roasted beef style. It kind of salty due to its stronger seasonings, as well as peppery with a light bit of cayenne heat. Think of it more as a seasoned steak style of jerky with a beefy soy sauce marinade. Chewy, yet easy to get through, this stuff has a meaty consistency with a steak-like texture. Definitely a more manly offering from J&K that you'll want to wash down with something cold and refreshing.
Rating:
Good (4/5)
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I'm Steve Johnson, and I've been in the Internet marketing and publishing business since 1997. I've been a life-long fan of beef jerky and decided to merge my profession with my snack food of choice, and gave birth to Best Beef Jerky.
