Simply Snackin - Gourmet Meat Snacks

Simply Snackin is a line of gourmet meat snacks produced by Silver Creek Specialty Meats based out of Oshkosh, WI. The brand has been around for several years and is produced at the company's own USDA inspected facility.

Silver Creek Specialty Meats was established in 1989 when Dr. William Kramlich and his wife Dorothy purchased the meat division of R-Line Foods, Inc. a division of JM Smucker Co. located in Ripon, Wisconsin. Since then, the company has gone on to make a wide variety of sausages, jerky, and meat snacks.

Simply Snackin is evolved from the old Native American "pemmican", which is a mixture of dried meat and fruit. The line includes beef, chicken, and venison variety, and combines together cranberries, blueberries, mangoes, apples, and even black bean salsa. They're all gluten-free, preservative-free, with no fillers, artificial ingredients, or MSG. We have 4 of their 9 varieties for review below.

Read More

Clean-N-Jerky - Original

Clean-N-Jerky is a new brand of beef jerky that launched just a year ago. It was started by Mischelle Marro, a Crossfit enthusiast, based out of Colorado Springs, CO.

When one day she was diagnosed with cancer, she changed to a paleo diet of natural ingredients. A friend of hers who marketed grass-fed beef gave her the inspiration to create her own beef jerky. Today, Clean-N-Jerky uses beef from free-range cattle that feeds on Maytag grass on the foothills of the Sangre De Cristo range in Colorado. It remains gluten-free and contains no preservatives.

Clean-N-Jerky is available in two flavors as of this writing, Original and Pepper. It can purchased from a variety of fitness and healthfood stores around Colorado, and through its website.

Read More

Grandpa's Beef Jerky - Cherry Chili

Grandpa's Beef Jerky is a brand started by Jacob Piercy, based out of Fishers, Indiana. Piercy remembers being a kid and watching his grandfather hanging deer meat for jerky. Eventually, his grandfather handed down the recipe and process.

Today, Piercy sells packages of Grandpa's Beef Jerky at farmers markets across Indiana and online too, allowing jerky fans across the USA to enjoy a family legacy.

This "Cherry Chili" is described as being made from, "Montmorency cherries and Thai chilies", and is marked as being, "Extra Hot".

Read More

Grandpa's Beef Jerky - Original Cajun

Grandpa's Beef Jerky is a brand started by Jacob Piercy, based out of Fishers, Indiana. Piercy remembers being a kid and watching his grandfather hanging deer meat for jerky. Eventually, his grandfather handed down the recipe and process.

Today, Piercy sells packages of Grandpa's Beef Jerky at farmers markets across Indiana and online too, allowing jerky fans across the USA to enjoy a family legacy.

This "Original Cajun" is described as tasting, "...as though it's straight from the Bayou.", and is marked as, "Medium".

Read More

Buffalo Bob's Jerky - Exotic Meats

Buffalo Bob's is a brand owned by Mark Matthews, based out of Petaluma, CA. The brand's has enjoyed some great success developing a line of exotic meat jerky pressed into long strips that sell anywhere from $1.00 to $2.00 at country stores and other retail markets all across the country.

The jerky is manufactured by Zick's Specialty Meats, Inc., based out of Berrien Springs, MI, but the two companies are separately owned entities. The popularity of the brand stems from the low price and the novelty of exotic meats.

Buffalo Bob's Jerky is all chopped and formed and mixed with beef. It all comes pressed into these long strips.

Read More

Grandpa's Beef Jerky - Sweet Teriyaki

Grandpa's Beef Jerky is a brand started by Jacob Piercy, based out of Fishers, Indiana. Piercy remembers being a kid and watching his grandfather hanging deer meat for jerky. Eventually, his grandfather handed down the recipe and process.

Today, Piercy sells packages of Grandpa's Beef Jerky at farmers markets across Indiana and online too, allowing jerky fans across the USA to enjoy a family legacy.

This "Sweet Teriyaki" is described as, "...smoky, salty and sweet in the best way", and is marked as, "Mild".

Read More

Grandpa's Beef Jerky - Original Hickory

Grandpa's Beef Jerky is a brand started by Jacob Piercy, based out of Fishers, Indiana. Piercy remembers being a kid and watching his grandfather hanging deer meat for jerky. Eventually, his grandfather handed down the recipe and process.

Today, Piercy sells packages of Grandpa's Beef Jerky at farmers markets across Indiana and online too, allowing jerky fans across the USA to enjoy a family legacy.

This "Original Hickory" is said to be Grandpa's most requested variety, and is made from top-round-steak. It's marked with a heat-rating of "Medium".

Read More

Well Food Company - Carne Bars

Last in the series on Well Food Company are these Carne Bars. See our other reviews of Well Food Company.

Well Food Company is a brand of sports snacks that originally launched in 2009 as Paleo Brands Inc. It was started by John Welbourn, former offensive tackle with the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, as well as his friend Joe Cappucio, founder of Del Mar Seafoods.

These Carne Bars is a chopped and formed beef snack that come in two varieties: Coconut and Berry. Well Food Company describes the Carne Bar as, "the ULTIMATE Paleo Protein Bar". They're made from grass-fed beef, no preservatives, and are gluten-free.

Read More

Grandpa's Beef Jerky - Blueberry Habanero

Grandpa's Beef Jerky is a brand started by Jacob Piercy, based out of Fishers, Indiana. Piercy remembers being a kid and watching his grandfather hanging deer meat for jerky. Eventually, his grandfather handed down the recipe and process.

Today, Piercy sells packages of Grandpa's Beef Jerky at farmers markets across Indiana and online too, allowing jerky fans across the USA to enjoy a family legacy.

This "Blueberry Habanero" is described as "Seasonal blueberries are picked then added to Grandpa's spiciest jerky. Enough said."

Read More

Grandpa's Beef Jerky - Original Jalapeno

Grandpa's Beef Jerky is a brand started by Jacob Piercy, based out of Fishers, Indiana. Piercy remembers being a kid and watching his grandfather hanging deer meat for jerky. Eventually, his grandfather handed down the recipe and process.

Today, Piercy sells packages of Grandpa's Beef Jerky at farmers markets across Indiana and online too, allowing jerky fans across the USA to enjoy a family legacy.

This "Original Jalapeno" is described as, "Garden fresh jalapeños add flavor and heat to Grandpa’s original hickory-smoked flavor." It's also marked as, "Hot".

Read More

Poor-Man's Jerky - Jalapeno

Poor-Man's Jerky is owned by Mike Stringfield, based out of Wellsville, KS. A landscaper by day, and jerky chef at all other times.

The name, "Poor-Man's Jerky" has often been used globally to refer to left-over scraps at the butcher shop that's been ground into jerky. And interestingly, this particular brand is also a ground beef product. But coincidentally, Poor-Man's Jerky doesn't have its own website; all sales comes from local street festivals and county fairs, as well as through Facebook.

This "Jalapeno" variety doesn't come with any other description or claims.

Read More

Poor-Man's Jerky - Kickory

Poor-Man's Jerky is owned by Mike Stringfield, based out of Wellsville, KS. A landscaper by day, and jerky chef at all other times.

The name, "Poor-Man's Jerky" has often been used globally to refer to left-over scraps at the butcher shop that's been ground into jerky. And interestingly, this particular brand is also a ground beef product. But coincidentally, Poor-Man's Jerky doesn't have its own website; all sales comes from local street festivals and county fairs, as well as through Facebook.

Little information is provided about Poor-Man's Jerky. This "Kickory" appears to be a combination of hickory smoke and habanero peppers.

Read More

Clean-N-Jerky - Pepper

Clean-N-Jerky is a new brand of beef jerky that launched just a year ago. It was started by Mischelle Marro, a Crossfit enthusiast, based out of Colorado Springs, CO.

When one day she was diagnosed with cancer, she changed to a paleo diet of natural ingredients. A friend of hers who marketed grass-fed beef gave her the inspiration to create her own beef jerky. Today, Clean-N-Jerky uses beef from free-range cattle that feeds on Maytag grass on the foothills of the Sangre De Cristo range in Colorado. It remains gluten-free and contains no preservatives.

Clean-N-Jerky is available in two flavors as of this writing, Original and Pepper. It can purchased from a variety of fitness and healthfood stores around Colorado, and through its website.

Read More

JerkyX

JerkyX is a new brand of jerky that debuted in 2013. It was started by Rob Evans, based out of Helotes, TX, who had been experimenting with a dehydrator and dozens of recipes.

The company started after he came up with a way to mix jerky with energy drink ingredients. He opted using ground beef instead of whole muscle to make it easier to eat. It was when he received a lot of compliments, even from women, that he decided he was on to something.

JerkyX currently comes in one flavor, though he claims to have a habanero variety in the works. Currently, JerkyX is sold in stores in the San Antonio, TX area, and on Amazon.com, as well as its own website.

Read More

Hi-Country Beef Jerky - Honey Kist TenderSlice Strips

Next in the series on Hi-Country Beef Jerky is this Honey Kist TenderSlice Strip Style jerky. See last week's review of their Original Flat Style.

Hi-Country Beef Jerky is a brand of Hi-Country Snack Foods, Inc. based out of Lincoln, MT. The company started out in 1976 strictly as a beef jerky manufacturer, then as sales increased, they added beef sausage to their line up. The company makes jerky from their own USDA inspected facility.

This Honey Kist flavor is described by Hi-Country as "a delicious twist on our Original recipe with a kiss of honey."

Read More

Dole Plantation Brand Hickory Smoked Jerky

A couple weeks ago, I published a review of Dole Plantation Brand Pineapple Flavored Ham Jerky. Here's their other flavor, Hickory Smoked Jerky.

This product says its made with beef and chicken, with hickory smoke added.

I found this while on vacation in Hawaii at an ABC Store in Honolulu. It's actually the product of Bric-A-Brac, Inc., out of Las Vegas, NV, but manufactured by Monogram Meat Snacks, who makes hundreds of other brands of jerky.

Read More

Black Knight Bison Bar

Black Knight Bison Bar appears to be a brand of Black Knight Bison Ranch, Inc. based in Norfolk, NY, and seems to have launched this year. I tried to call the company for additional information, but I got a recording for "Paradico Farms and Resort", and told me I needed to leave a message.

But it seems the company is aggressively trying to market their new Bison Bars, which are actually a blend of bison and beef, though I couldn't find the exact ratio between the two. The company's website says they are mailing out a free Bison Bar to anyone who wants one.

Black Knight Bison Ranch is using the soft and moist chewing of these bars as its primary selling point, noting that other brands of jerky are "hard leather like pieces". Their blog goes on to say their bars tease your taste buds with "an explosive hickory flavor."

Read More

Luther's Smokehouse - Cowboy Pocket Food

Next in the series on Luther's Smokehouse is this "Cowboy Pocket Food". See my previous reviews of Luther's other jerky varieties.

Cowboy Pocket Food is a chopped & formed pork jerky made from smoked pork shoulder. Last week I reviewed a similar jerky, "Midnight Special", also from Luther's Smokehouse. But this Cowboy Pocket Food includes dried cranberries.

Luther's Smokehouse is a smokehouse located in LeRoy, KS, owned and operated by Martin Luther. Luther started out running a slaughterhouse, but in 1974 he added beef jerky to his list of products and today it's his primary business.

Read More

Luther's Smokehouse - Midnight Special

Next in the series on Luther's Smokehouse is this "Midnight Special". See my previous reviews of their other jerky varieties.

Midnight Special is a pork jerky, chopped and formed from smoked pork shoulder. Luther's Smokehouse offers another chopped and formed pork jerky called "Cowboy Pocket Food" which I'll review next week.

Luther's Smokehouse is a smokehouse located in LeRoy, KS, owned and operated by Martin Luther. Luther started out running a slaughterhouse, but in 1974 he added beef jerky to his list of products and today it's his primary business.

Read More

Luther's Smokehouse - Pemmican Style Beef Jerky - Jalapeno

Next up in the series on Luther's Smokehouse is this Jalapeno flavored Pemmican Style Beef Jerky. Read my reviews of their other jerky varieties.

Luther's Smokehouse is a smokehouse located in LeRoy, KS, owned and operated by Martin Luther. Luther started out running a slaughterhouse, but in 1974 he added beef jerky to his list of products and today it's his primary business.

This Pemmican Style is meant to mimic what Native Americans made centuries ago by grinding up meat and mixing it with spices and fruit. In this case, Luther's Smokehouse uses raisins.

Read More