Smokehouse Jerky Co. - Korean Barbecue

Smokehouse Jerky Co. is a brand of Tender Heifer Snack Co., based out of Beaumont, CA. It was started in 2008, and is currently run by a husband and wife team, Franco Fonseca and Patti Fonseca.

The company takes pride in its beef brisket-based jerky, using meat sourced from California. They add no MSG and no preservatives, and focus on small batches at a time.

This "Korean Barbecue" variety is described by the company as showcasing, "the use of Korean barbecue sauce as a main ingredient", going on to say that they, "blended it up with a few more spices", and then fused it with their old fashioned recipe.

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Chew On This Jerky - Korean Style BBQ

Chew On This Jerky is a new brand of jerky launched in April 2018 by Eric Bowlus and Grace Bowlus, based out of Corona, CA.

Veteran-owned and operated, the Bowlus' history in craft jerky goes back over 40 years working in the food manufacturing industry. Eric began making jerky as a hobby just within the last five. After a couple of years making dehydrated meats, he decided to turn it into a business.

This Korean Style BBQ variety doesn't come with any further description or claims by the company.

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Genius Jerky -South Korean BBQ

Genius Jerky was founded by Richard Plebuch in 2012, based out of Lovettsville, VA. Plebuch has long held an affinity for the culinary arts and in 2009 began pefecting recipes for jerky.

After raising funds through a Kickstarter campaign in 2016, Genius Jerky has been selling in markets throughout Virginia and Maryland, as well as from its own website.

This South Korean BBQ beef jerky is described by the company as, "Sweet and smoky with a hint of warmth", going on to say that it pays homage to traditional Korean Street BBQ with, "...notes of honey, garlic, soy, and sesame".

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Genius Jerky

Genius Jerky is one of the newest brands of jerky, still in fundraising mode.

Founded by Richard Plebuch and Steve Brewster, two friends battling muscular diseases. Based out of Lovettsville, VA, the two-man team have already won endorsements and support famed Australian-chef, Adrian Richardson, and the cast from DIY Network's "Salvage Dogs". A portion of the profits earned by Genius Jerky will be going to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Genius Jerky currently offers two flavors, "Honey Habanero", and "South Korean BBQ".

NOTE: Because Genius Jerky is still in fundraising mode, and not yet available to consumers, we are withholding ratings until final productions samples are available.

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Ria's RoadKill Jerky - Korean BBQ

Next in the series on Ria's RoadKill Jerky is this Korean BBQ beef jerky. See previous reviews of Ria's RoadKill Jerky.

Ria's RoadKill Jerky is run by Eden Van, based out of Long Beach, CA, having launched in January 2011. Eden got started in making jerky after receiving compliments on his barbecue recipes. He uses USDA Choice top round from his local meat market. All jerky is dehydrated in a smoker. He currently sells through Facebook and eBay while waiting for his new website to finish.

According to the company, this variety was inspired by "bulgogi", a Korean-style BBQ, this recipe comes from the Korean mother of one of Eden's friends. It's not spicy, like some bulgogi can be, but more of a rich, sweet flavor. It's smoked using real apple wood.

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Golden Island Beef Jerky - Korean Barbecue Pork

Next in the series on Golden Island Beef Jerky is this Korean Barbecue Pork jerky. See my reviews of their other flavors here.

Golden Island Beef Jerky is a brand of Formosa Meat Co., Inc. based out of Rancho Cucamonga, CA. I had originally reviewed Golden Island back in 2008, but just recently the company unveiled a new package design, reformulated recipes, and eliminated the use of preservatives.

This Korean Barbecue Pork jerky is described as being, "flame grilled", "sweet and slightly smoky", with "bold flavors of sesame and spices".

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Dried and True Beef Jerky - Korean BBQ

Dried and True is a brand of all natural, artisan beef jerky based in Venice, CA. The brand was launched in August 2012 by Matt Lauster.

Focusing on all natural ingredients and using 100% USDA Choice Sirloin, Lauster has managed to create a following in his hometown. He sells his jerky at local farmer's markets and small specialty stores in Venice. Lauster claims to have sold out at the recent 150,000+ strong Abbot Kinney Festival, also in Venice.

This Korean BBQ variety is said to be Dried and True's best selling flavor. Lauster describes it as, "savory, sweet, and just a little spicy", and is made using his own homemade sriracha sauce.

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Kings County Jerky Co. - Korean BBQ

Next in the series on Kings County Jerky Co. is this Korean BBQ beef jerky. See my previous reviews of their Sichuan Ginger and their Original.

Launched by two cooks Chris Woehrle and Robert Stout in November of 2009, Kings County Jerky Co. has enjoyed a lot of recent press in the news as an artisanal jerky manufacturer based in New York City. The pair got a big boost when they finished 2nd place out of 150 contestants in the Rooster Design "Next Big Small Brand" competition, earning a big hit from the crowd.

This Korean BBQ variety is described as having "the authentic taste of fire-grilled Korean beef", and that it's, "just the right blend of heat and sweet".

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