Lawless Jerky - Japanese Curry

Lawless Jerky is a new brand of jerky created by Matthew Tolnick of Santa Monica, CA. During the day, he's a licensed attorney, driving fancy BMWs, wearing Armani suits, and taking clients out for shabu shabu. But when he's not chasing ambulances, he's perfecting recipes for marinated meats and fulfilling online orders.

After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Lawless Jerky stepped up their game and is now made in a USDA inspected facility and distributing out to stores.

This Japanese Curry is Tolnick's first perfected flavor, and he often considers it his "Original" flavor. He describes it as "sweet from brown sugar, salty from traditional soy sauce, umami from a proprietary Japanese curry blend, and tender from Asian vinegar".

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Lawless Jerky - Pork BBQ Spare Rib

The newest flavor from Lawless Jerky is this Pork BBQ Spare Rib. See our reviews of other Lawless Jerky flavors here.

Lawless Jerky is a new brand created by a licensed attorney named Matthew Tolnick of Santa Monica, CA. Making jerky started from his days in college when he and his fraternity friends needed sustenance through long evenings of studying. But today, Lawless Jerky has grown into a thriving business and Tolnick has moved full steam ahead with it, producing his jerky in a USDA inspected facility.

This Pork BBQ Spare Rib jerky is the first non-beef product from Lawless.

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Lawless Craft Jerky - Mango Habanero

Among the newest flavors from Lawless Craft Jerky is this Mango Habanero.

Lawless Jerky is a brand owned and operated by Lawless Jerky, LLC based out of Santa Monica, CA. It was started by Matthew Tolnick, a former attorney who held a not-so-secret passion for making chewy chunks of dehydrated beef. After a stint as a legal counselor, he decided to throw his hat into the jerky industry and start his own business.

This Mango Habanero variety is described by the company as a "one-two punch of heat and sweet", going on to say it's "fruity from natural mango flavors", and "sweet from brown sugar", and "spicy from bright orange habanero peppers".

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Lawless Craft Jerky - Aloha Teriyaki

Next in the series on Lawless Craft Jerky is this Aloha Teriyaki beef jerky.

Lawless Jerky is a new brand created by a licensed attorney named Matthew Tolnick of Santa Monica, CA. Making jerky started from his days in college when he and his fraternity boys needed sustenance through long evenings of partyingstudying. But today, Lawless Jerky has grown into a thriving business and Tolnick has moved full steam ahead with it, producing his jerky in a USDA inspected facility.

This Aloha Teriyaki is described by Tolnick as the best of American and Japanese cuisines blended together, sweet from brown sugar and 100% pure Hawaiian pineapple juice, it's spiced with ginger, garlic, and onion, with some Asian inspired vinegar for tanginess.

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Back to School, Back to Football + Back to Jerky

It’s that time of year again: Back to School and Back to Football – both excellent reasons to stock up on jerky to study, spectate, or raise your game. Below are some suggestions for enjoying jerky this Fall brought to you by the good people at Lawless Jerky:

1. 1. In class, stow your jerky in a hollowed copy of Tolstoy’s War & Peace. You’re going to want the extra space for more jerky storage.

2. While you’re watching the big game (or binge-watching the Real Housewives), make your jerky last longer by incorporating into Loaded Nachos. See the recipe below.

3. As the weather gets colder, you’re going to need a hand warmer on the gridiron. Bring it out early as a handy storage device for your Lawless Jerky.

What better way to take advantage of these tips than at 20% off? Use coupon code "BackToJerky" at LawlessJerky.com to save. This Fall, Stay Lawless!

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The Lawless Jerky Approach to Innovation

Matt Tolnick on the set of MVP

How does the team at Lawless Jerky, and particularly me as our resident “jerky chef,” come up with our line of world-inspired Braver Flavors, and convert those ideas into recipes you can find at your local convenience store, supermarket or mailbox?

My team and I keep our eyes on emerging culinary trends and influences that may not be familiar to most Americas. As you can see from Lawless Jerky’s flavors, I’ve found tremendous inspiration in cuisine throughout Asia: Japan, China, Thailand and beyond. I also had a powerful stroke of inspiration during a recent trip to Jamaica for a friend’s wedding. Jerk seasoning is only the tip of the iceberg (a flavorful iceberg) in Jamaican cooking. 

To start, I face the fundamental challenge of translating my inspiration into a marinade recipe that will convey the flavor into a single bite of jerky. I begin with similar ingredients to the original recipe, and a ton of trial and error! Lawless Jerky is unique in that we don’t consider the conventions of the industry, what the other guys are doing. I start from scratch with an idea, a dream flavor, in mind and work tirelessly until I’ve brought it to life. Along the way I keep copious notes to inform my next experiment, and to faithfully replicate the formula when I hit the jackpot.

In creating Lawless’ line of Braver Flavors, I’ve developed a technique that has served me well with flavors like Mango Habanero, Sweet Sriracha and Honey Chipotle. By balancing the heat of hot peppers with a corresponding sweetness, the resulting flavor profile is much richer and more enjoyable than if spicy or sweet were dominating the other on the palate. In sampling our products, you’ll also recognize the varying prominence of distinct flavor components during the course of the chew, particularly in our more complex recipes.

In addition to looking around the globe and into the future for our next big flavor, I also look back in time for ideas. Jerky is, of course, based on traditional methods of preserving meat. Part of Lawless Jerky’s craft approach draws upon the knowledge of our ancestors. Sometimes the old way of doing things makes for a more satisfying, flavorful and healthful result than the modern version that is optimized for automation, speed and cost.

Sometimes it’s as simple as persistent suggestion from an old friend. As long as I’ve made jerky, about 15 years, my buddy Ethan found every possible way to suggest I translate his favorite dish, Vietnamese Pho, into a jerky. Finally, when Lawless Jerky ran a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, the highest support level offered a batch of jerky in a flavor of the donor’s choice. I should’ve guessed that Ethan would take advantage, but that only required me to make a single batch. Despite my chagrin that he’d finally forced my hand, I wanted to faithfully recreate the flavor. I did plenty of research at restaurants around LA and in Vietnamese cookbooks to ensure the jerky had the full bouquet of flavors including cilantro, mint, basil, jalapeno, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fish sauce, plum sauce and more. Long story short, the Pho jerky came out so well it is now among our bestsellers at some retailers and a cornerstone of Lawless Jerky’s commitment to unique ingredients exquisitely combined.

Where to next? I can’t divulge all my secrets but I’ll provide some hints. First, we’re experimenting with new protein options for our jerky beyond the 100% grass-fed beef and humanely-raised pork of today. Goat is my personal favorite, but I’m not sure America’s quite ready for it. We’re also looking to Africa for a new Braver Flavor profile. And, most exciting, we’re working on a protein snack for a time during the day people don’t normally reach for jerky. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, use coupon code INNOVATION for 25% off your order at LawlessJerky.com so you can sample all of the delicious flavors discussed above.

Visit Lawless Jerky: http://www.lawlessjerky.com

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Sean Donnelly Loves Beef Jerky

Sean Donnelly is a professional hammer thrower. He was a finalist at the latest US Olympic Trials and is the sport's top ambassador on YouTube and Twitter.

Last week the guys at Lawless Jerky caught up with him for an interview about his love for throwing hammers and throwing down jerky...

Lawless Jerky: How did you first get into throwing the hammer?

Sean Donnelly: I used to play a lot of Xbox. I was a huge gamer. What got me, first, big into lifting was that my Xbox broke sophomore year of high school. If my Xbox hadn’t broken, I wouldn’t be the athlete I am today. I didn’t start throwing until my senior year of high school to impress a girl.

When I got to college, I decided I would give the sport 4 years to see where it takes me. Now here I am 6 years later and it’s taking me all sorts of interesting places.


LJ: In what way did you think throwing the hammer would impress the girl? Like as a primal feat of strength, or just being successful at something athletic?

SD: Well … high school kids are dumb. Her ex-boyfriend was a thrower from a different school. So I thought, if I do this and I’m better than him, I’m in. It actually kinda worked out, believe it or not.


LJ: Unlike Gymnastics or Basketball it seems that athletes in the throwing events don’t hit their prime until they’re a little older.

SD: Most people would say anywhere from 27 to 32, you could say 30 on average. It takes some time to develop. I’m 24, so I’m just getting started. Hammer throwing’s been in a bit of a slump but it’s working its way back up. A lot of young guys coming up, like myself, filling in the gaps left by some of the guys who just retired.


LJ: You hear about athletes in training eating a lot of calories. What number do you shoot for in training day?

SD: In season, I have to fuel my body just to maintain my body weight. I’m not trying to gain weight, I’m not really trying to lose weight. On my heavy training days I’ll probably hit close to 5,000 calories, 250 grams of protein and all sorts of carbs and fats to fill in the rest.


LJ: In one of your YouTube videos, it looked like you have four refrigerators in your house.

SD: Yeah, I live with seven other throwers [near the University of Minnesota campus] so we need a lot space for food.

LJ: What are your favorite flavors of Lawless Jerky to get a protein boost on the fly.

SD: I really like Sweet Sriracha. That was killer. All of them are good, but different. I also really enjoy the pork jerky, BBQ Spare Rib.


LJ: Can you tell us a little more about your training regiment?

SD: I’ll lift 3 days a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday. I throw 5 days a week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. That’s been, more or less, my practice schedule since freshman year of college.


LJ: How many competitions will you participate in over the course of the year?

SD: There’s the Indoor and the Outdoor season. During the indoor season, I keep it really low key—only 2-3 competitions. In college, I would do 7-9 but I’ve scaled that back. Outdoor is more intense. I’m planning on 10-12 competitions Outdoors. That includes the [IAAF] World Championships team in August, which is like the Olympics without all the other sports. Same level of competition. Same big names competing. Just not as much publicity.


LJ: I’ve seen you say a lot of things can go wrong on any given throw.
SD: That’s true. Of 30 training days, I’ll have 3 of those 30 that I throw very well. The other 27 are either average training days, or crappy. At competition, it’s just about having faith in the training that you put in.

For the most part, I’ve had success throwing far at competitions. I get really excited when people are watching me. If my technique is feeling good, I’m automatically going to be feeling better physically than I ever would in practice. When I compete, I throw 5-6 meters farther.


LJ: When you release the hammer, and it’s in the air, what you do want to see to know it’s a good throw?

SD: When it’s in the air, it’s just flying. They say 37 or 38 degrees is the optimal release angle but if you get caught up in that you’ll forget the main things you need to do to make it go far. I focus on the feeling. If you get the feeling right, the release angle will be close, the release velocity will be fast, and it’s going far. My best throws are the ones where I “black out”. I don’t think about anything. The throw starts and everything shut off. My body does everything it needs to. I’ll release and “wake up” a couple seconds later like: Damn, I threw that far.


LJ: For a sport that’s not covered as much as others, you’ve taken it into your own hands with your vlog videos to draw some attention.

SD: I started vlogging not only to promote myself but to promote the sport. I wasn’t the first vlogger-thrower combo (I believe Cullen Aubski was) but since I started doing it, I’ve seen 7 or 8 others start. I’m on the front end of, not a revolution, but the track and field world is definitely changing and this whole self-promotion thing might make a difference.


LJ: When people discover that you’re a thrower, do they ever ask you to throw things?

SD: Every now and then. Usually it happens around someone’s family. A little cousin will come running along and their mom or dad will say, “He’ll throw you 30 yards over there”. Something like that. People don’t really say, “Take this chair and see how far you can throw it.” But I would definitely accept that challenge.

LJ: When this interview gets out, you’re going to hear it much more.


(Order yourself some Sweet Sriracha Jerky or Pork BBQ Spare Rib Jerky, at Lawless Jerky)

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Lawless Jerky - Pho

Among the newest flavors from Lawless Jerky is this Pho beef jerky. See our other reviews of Lawless Jerky.

Lawless Jerky is a brand owned and operated by Lawless Jerky, LLC based out of Santa Monica, CA. It was started by Matthew Tolnick, a former attorney who held a not-so-secret passion for making chewy chunks of dehydrated beef. After a stint as a legal counselor, he decided to throw his hat into the jerky industry and start his own business.

This Pho variety is described by the company as being made with, "...herbs like cilantro, mint and basil; spices like star anise, cinnamon and cloves, and the heat of jalapeno."

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Benefits for the Planet of Raising Grass-Fed Beef

by Lawless Jerky

There is a lively debate going on in the media and around the web about the environmental impact of raising cattle relative to a purely vegetal approach to agriculture.

Critics say that the methane expelled by livestock contributes to global warming, that what cattle eat and drink should be sustaining humans directly, or that the land cattle graze upon is better used raising produce.

These arguments are not completely off base but they are exaggerated, generalized and offset by important aspect of raising cattle that contribute to the betterment of our ecosystem. In particular, cattle raised on grass throughout their lives (rather than "grain-finished") represent a boon to our environment.

At present, just 2% of US greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to raising cattle, and that figure can be further diminished, by half, with measures now entering farmers’ repertoires, including bovine nutritional supplements and cultivated dung beetle populations.

More significant is the impact pasture-raised beef has on returning carbon from all sources to the soil. Land covered by vegetation (trees, bushes, grass, etc.), like that used for grazing cattle, is ideal for recapturing carbon via photosynthesis and holding it stably in the ground. Cows' "pruning mouths stimulate vegetative growth as their trampling hoofs and digestive tracts foster seed germination and nutrient recycling."

Research on other aspects of cattle farming reflects that a pound of beef consumers 441 gallons of water, a figure that only slightly exceeds the requirement for rice. And, of course, beef is much more nutritious than rice.

It is also the case that much of the land on which cattle graze (85% in the U.S.) is actually unfit for other uses. The grain used to fatten up factory-farmed cattle might otherwise appear on supermarket shelves but the grass fed to cows used by beef jerky purveyors like Lawless Jerky is outside the diet of even the most veggie-loving humans.

Even as vegetarianism becomes more trendy, and non-meat protein options increase, meat-based jerky is not going anywhere. Nor should it, given the offsetting benefits that raising grass-fed cattle has for the earth, and the unmatched nutrition and satisfaction it provides to us.

Sources: Niman, Nicolette Hahn. "Actually, Raising Beef is Good for the Planet." Wall Street Journal, 19 December 2014; Niman, Nicolette Hahn. "Defending Beef: The Case for Sustainable Meat Production." Chelsea Green, 2014

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Pick the NCAA Final Four and Get Free Jerky

Order now at: www.lawlessjerky.com

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10 Tips for the Home Jerky Maker

from Matt Tolnick

Matt Tolnick

Matt is Lawless Jerky’s Founder and Jerky Chef.

He was a jerky hobbyist, experimenting with interesting recipes for himself and his friends, until he came to the realization that his job practicing LAW was making him LESS happy.
He was certain he could contribute more to the world with his jerky than his lawyering.

Matt launched Lawless Jerky with a Kickstarter on the day of his 30th birthday … and the rest is history. Almost 4 years later, Lawless Jerky is available in 4,000 stores in the US and Canada along with a bustling online business. Enjoy the following tips for making your own jerky at home, and sample his greatest hits at LawlessJerky.com.

1) Choice of Meat: One of the great things about home dehydrating is that you can use any meat that you want. So if you're looking to try an exotic meat (e.g. duck, goat, elk, venison, etc.) or just a different cut of a more common protein (e.g. beef brisket, chicken thighs), the world is your oyster!

2) Slicing the Meat: If (like most people) you don't have a meat slicer, you can get a thinner slice on your meat (and thus more surface area to marinade, and a quicker cook) by slicing the meat while it is still partially frozen.

3) Making a Marinade: In my early days, I'd start with a base marinade or sauce and then supplement it with salts, sugars, spices, and other sauces/vinegars. Once you're comfortable with building a nice jerky marinade from a base sauce/marinade, you can move towards building your marinade completely from scratch.

4) Calibrating your Marinade: Make your marinade stronger (more intense) than you would for grilled meats. The marinade's intensity will dissipate some during the drying process.

5) Marination: Marinate the jerky at least overnight, ensuring that the marinade is evenly distributed over each piece. If marinating in plasticware, shake the mixture rigorously during the marination process to simulate the tumblers that we use at our facility.

6) Rotating Trays During the Cook: No matter the style of your home dehydrator, there are probably multiple trays. When full, the top trays (if you're using a Nesco dehydrator for example) or the back of EACH tray (if you're using an Excalibur or Weston) should be rotated during the cook process to ensure an even cook. With a Nesco, swap your bottom two trays with your top two trays halfway into your cook and as needed throughout to control the consistent drying of your jerky. For "heat-element-in-the-back" units, simply rotate each tray in its slot 180 degrees, or two turns.

7) When to Pull the Jerky” Just like other cooked meats, deciding when the jerky is "done" is a matter of taste. To experiment with different levels of doneness, you can either cook meat sliced into different thicknesses for the same amount of time or cook meat of a uniform thickness for different amounts of time. Remember that the jerky will continue to cook and harden once it's pulled from the dehydrator, so account for that extra hardening when deciding when to pull it!

8) Bagging the Jerky: Make sure to let the jerky fully cool before bagging so that evaporated moisture (an enemy of jerky preservation) doesn't accumulate inside of your bag/container.

9) Cleaning Up: Whether dehydrating in a dehydrator or a home oven, if you're using a wet marinade, make sure to line the bottom of your unit with towels/paper towels to catch the drip of the marinade and to make for easy cleaning. Cleaning a Nesco is pretty easy but a stainless steel Weston definitely benefits from a bottom catch layer, or drip tray.

10) Jerky Shelf Life: One of the nice things about home jerky is that you can get a level of freshness that is impossible for commercial jerky to achieve. Like eating fresh cookies out of the oven! Also, as a home jerky maker, you aren't constrained (by law) by the moisture content of the final product, so you can have a moister jerky product than you could ever find in stores.

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How to Get Four Free Bags of Jerky at LawlessJerky.com

Step 1: Go to LawlessJerky.com.

Step 2: Fill up your shopping cart with at least $35.00 of jerky.

Step 3: Check out with promo code, "PATS" or "FALCONS", whichever team you think will win Superbowl 51.

Step 4: If your team wins, Lawless Jerky will send you four free bags of jerky of their most popular flavors.

Note: these promo codes are good between now and SuperBowl 51 game time.

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Lawless Jerky Cyber Monday Special

As a celebration of the season, Lawless Jerky is hosting a Cyber Monday Sale that allows you to gift a "Core Four" assortment ($29 value) to a friend or family member, FREE when you order $50+ at LawlessJerky.com.

Simply provide the name and address of your recipient on the Cart page before proceeding to Check Out. Click Add a note to your order to reveal the Special Instructions for the Seller box, which will provide the space you need.


See below for relevant Terms and Conditions.
Applies to orders placed between 12:01am PT Mon, Nov. 28 and 11:59pm PT Tues, Nov. 29.
Orders must equal to or greater than $50, not including Shipping cost.
Cannot be combined with other discounts, including % off, $ off, free shipping promo codes.
Core Four gift recipient must be located in the US or at a US Military Address.
Please direct queries about this promotion to info@lawlessjerky.com.

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Lawless Jerky Teams with The Phoenix Suns SixthMan Members and St. Vincent de Paul to Fight Hunger in the Phoenix Community

Lawless Jerky, the Phoenix-based craft jerky brand known for its world-inspired "Braver Flavors™," has made its largest charitable donation to date. To mark National Jerky Day and celebrate the company's Arizona roots, Lawless Jerky donated 24,870 bags of jerky to St. Vincent de Paul, the prominent Arizona charitable organization.

Today, Lawless Jerky also will team up with the Phoenix Suns SixthMan Members and St. Vincent de Paul to prepare, serve and enjoy a meal alongside hundreds of local Phoenix families in need.

Lawless Jerky Founder and CEO Matt Tolnick spearheaded the donation and community support initiative: "Lawless Jerky is proudly made in Arizona. The Phoenix community is our manufacturing home and we are fortunate to be surrounded by loyal and hardworking employees and business partners from the Phoenix area."

"We are grateful to the community and want to provide everyone here access to a nutritious, high-protein, and delicious snack. To do this alongside community stalwarts like the Phoenix Suns fans and St. Vincent de Paul, who have impacted this community for generations, is an honor. We aim to follow in their sizable footsteps," continued Tolnick.

After founding Lawless Jerky in Santa Monica, Calif. in 2013, Tolnick struggled to find an ideal manufacturing base. After a thorough search, he settled on Phoenix for its growth potential and high quality of life.

"As head of product development and jerky chef at Lawless Jerky, I spend an increasing amount of time in Phoenix and will personally relocate here this summer," said Tolnick. "The city is flourishing and has plenty of untapped potential. People love living in Phoenix and are passionate about supporting local businesses. With this donation, we aim to celebrate deep roots in Phoenix."

About The Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Each year, St. Vincent de Paul provides approximately 10,000,000 meals to people in need, in addition to a wide array of life services including employment counseling and placement, medical and dental services, and the provision of clothing and food.

Jerry Castro, Director of Food Services at St. Vincent de Paul, has been a leader within the organization for nearly 30 years: "We are fortunate to have the support of the Phoenix Suns for quite some time."

"When Lawless Jerky came to visit us earlier this year, there was an immediate mutual respect and connection. Though new to our community, Matt Tolnick and the Lawless Jerky team have an obvious commitment to be strong corporate citizens here. We at St. Vincent de Paul welcome Lawless Jerky to our home with open arms."

Lawless Jerky's donation of 24,870 bags of jerky marks the number of years that each of the participants have called Phoenix home: two years for Lawless Jerky, 48 years for the Phoenix Suns, and 70 years for St. Vincent de Paul.

The impact this sizable donation will be felt throughout the state of Arizona, as Lawless Jerky bags will be packed into shelf stable meals and delivered to the 83 conferences maintained throughout the state by St. Vincent de Paul. Collectively, over 500,000 grams of 100% grass-fed protein will be distributed.

"Food insecurity in the United States, particularly among children, is a much more significant problem than most people realize," said Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom, a national health and wellness expert and the Health and Nutrition Editor for NBC News and the TODAY Show on NBC. "Nutrition that the most vulnerable members of our society receive is often devoid of quality protein, so Lawless Jerky's donation is particularly meaningful. High quality beef jerky is a healthy, tasty, and satisfying snack in between meals, and I’m sure the donation will be very much appreciated."

For more information on Lawless Jerky, please visit http://www.lawlessjerky.com. Arizona residents can now find Lawless Jerky in local Bashas’ and Sprouts Farmers Markets. To see a full list of stores where Lawless Jerky is available, please click here.

About Lawless Jerky

Lawless Jerky offers unique "Braver Flavors™" that include: Sweet Sriracha, Aloha Teriyaki, Pho, Japanese Curry, BBQ Spare Rib and other world-inspired varieties. Handmade in micro-batches in Arizona, USA, Lawless Jerky uses 100% grass-fed beef and hormone-free, antibiotic-free pork. Lawless Jerky does not use sodium nitrites, MSG, corn syrup, or added preservatives.

Learn more about America’s Craft Jerky at https://www.LawlessJerky.com.

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National Jerky Day (and Father's Day) Event with Lawless Jerky

It's an auspicious time of year with National Jerky Day on the horizon (Sunday, June 12), followed by Father's Day (don’t forget your priest) seven days later on Sunday, June 19.

Lawless Jerky has you covered on both accounts with coupon code 'jerkydad25' good for 25% off your order from LawlessJerky.com.

And if you live in the New York area, join us for our National Jerky Day party at Barcade in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (388 Union Ave). We’ll be buying a craft beer for every bag of our craft jerky purchased between 2pm and 5pm: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/celebrate-national-jerky-day-with-lawless-jerky-tickets-25983391022

If you’re not local to NYC, keep an eye on our Facebook page, and other social media outlets, to learn how you can win Free Jerky for a Year!

Lastly, but most importantly, Lawless Jerky is celebrating National Jerky Day with a tremendous donation of 27,000 bags of our 100% grass-fed beef jerky. That translates to over 500,000 grams of nutritious and delicious protein for those who need it most. And this is just the beginning! We’ll follow up this donation to St Vincent De Paul food bank in our hometown of Phoenix with similar donations later this year in Charlotte, Brooklyn, and beyond.

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Lawless Jerky Cyber Monday Sale!

Sponsored message...

Lawless Jerky has you covered for the holiday season! 100% grass-fed beef jerky and 100% pasture-raised pork jerky in amazing, 5-star flavors are the perfect small gift or stocking stuffer.

Lawless Jerky is America's Craft Jerky. A true craft brand that combines traditional techniques and modern creativity. We handcraft our jerky without artificial additives or preservatives, generating more interesting and more intense flavors with no sugary coatings.

On Cyber Monday try Lawless Jerky at a ridiculously low price...

• 30% off EVERYTHING
• Free shipping on orders over $50

Sale starts at 12:01am on Monday morning through midnight.

Use coupon code "cybermonday15"

Go to: www.lawlessjerky.com

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World Health Organization Incorrectly Demonizes Natural, Grassfed Beef Jerky

(Editor's note: the following is a letter to jerky lovers the worldwide from Lawless Jerky, a maker of 100% all grass fed, purely natural beef jerky, in response to the World Health Orgranization issuing a warning that processed meats cause cancer. Lawless Jerky is a top rated jerky brand here on Best Beef Jerky and has been outspoken on the healthful goodness of natural, grassfed beef...)

by Matthew Tolnick, Founder
Lawless Jerky (http://www.lawlessjerky.com)

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that processed meats cause cancer and that red meats may cause cancer. By captivating the public’s imagination with headlines worthy of a doomsday “meatpocalypse,” some media outlets have unfairly taken aim at the entire category of beef jerky as a “processed meat” potentially implicated by these findings. As detailed below, this is sloppy reporting which seeks to get a cheap rise out of the public by attacking a beloved morsel of Americana. In considering these findings, we must remember that not all beef jerkies and not all red meats are created equal; thus, not all beef jerkies and not all red meats should be implicated by the WHO findings.

As a disclaimer, I clearly have a horse – err cow? – in this race. Following a recall of Krave Jerky in 2014, in which cows with cancer were made into a purportedly gourmet jerky, I decided that my company, Lawless Jerky, would craft our jerky exclusively with 100% grass-fed beef. We take great effort and expense to produce truly premium jerky in gluten-free and all-natural flavors, and I resent our product being lumped together with old school “processed” jerkies that still add nitrites and preservatives. It is critical that we beef jerky lovers think a little bit more about what the WHO report said…and what it didn’t.

Even in the original IARC press release, which gave rise to the media’s feeding frenzy, Christopher Wild, Director of IARC, asked that people consider the positive nutritional value of red meat. In a same-day retort to the press release, “How bad is meat for me? Frankly, the experts don’t know,” health editor Sarah Boseley pointed to the misleading and hyperbolic notion that consuming processed meats and smoking cigarettes carry the same health risks, which leads us to stress that moderation is key and to caution against lumping all processed or red meats into a single category.

Unfortunately, the WHO report linked cancer to processed meats without going into detail about which specific part of the processing was found to be the cause of increased cancer rates. There is a significant difference between large-scale, conventional curing processes (which add sodium nitrites) and the processes used by more ingredient-conscious companies like Lawless Jerky. While the largest beef jerky processors still use nitrites and added preservatives, the undeniable trend in beef jerky is to move AWAY from the unnatural chemical additives commonly found in mass-produced sausage, ham, and bacon products.

Moreover, the report less conclusively suggested that red meats may cause cancer. By grouping all red meats into one category, the study fails to even consider differences in the ways in which animals are raised, an established and important difference between red meats. The old axiom “you are what you eat” is as true today as ever, and it equally applies to the animals that we eat and the foods that they consume.

For example, there are widely accepted and significant differences between grass-fed beef and “conventionally raised” beef. From a nutritional standpoint, the omega fatty acid ratios (good for the heart and brain) are far more ideal in 100% grass-fed beef than in grain-fed, factory-farmed beef (MayoClinic). Moreover, the amount of heart-healthy CLAs (conjugated linoleic acid; a type of fat believed to decrease the risk of heart disease and cancer) is greater in 100% grass-fed beef (MayoClinic). From an ethical standpoint, bovine left free to graze in pastures, eating the food nature intended for them, should be distinguished from the unnatural “conventionally raised” cows, which are plumped with a man-made diet of corn, soy, and antibiotics, which seek to combat illnesses associated with the horrid conditions found on factory farms. In sum, failing to distinguish how various red meats are raised is a critical misstep in the purported link of red meat to cancer.

For an increasing number of consumers, 100% grass-fed beef stands for better health, nutrition, ethics, and, ultimately, quality. Just this month, the cover story of Consumer Reports (which strongly recommends 100% grass-fed beef as being worth its premium price) showed another, less frequently discussed way that 100% grass-fed beef is different and better: 100% grass-fed cows are 3 times less likely to harbor superbugs, strains of multidrug-resistant bacteria.

The further our food gets away from how it evolved over time in nature (i.e. cows evolving as plant, not grain, eaters), and the more foreign substances that we introduce into our bodies (i.e. ingesting chemicals not found in nature), the more we run the risk of our bodies rejecting these choices (i.e. cancer). It is my hope that the millennial generation continues to champion the slow food movement and getting away from the “quantity over quality”, “convenience/cheapness over all else” mindset that has left so many children and adults victims of diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases of Western Civilization.

(Editor's note: Give Lawless Jerky a try, it's one of our favorites: https://www.lawlessjerky.com)

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National Jerky Day, June 12, 2015 - Come to a Free Party!

Friday, June 12, 2015 is "National Jerky Day"!

The brainchild of Lawless Jerky, a brand of all-natural, grass-fed beef jerky, National Jerky Day is to celebrate the goodness of dehydrated, marinated, seasoned MEAT!

Lawless Jerky is marking the moment by opening its new company headquarters in Brooklyn, NY. They're throwing a party there for jerky lovers and you're invited! All you have to do is RSVP, and it's free.  Party starts at 5:00PM.

There's going to be...

• Free craft beer
• Endless samples of Lawless Jerky including their newest "top secret" recipe
• McClures Pickle Chips
• Free T-shirts for the first 150 to arrive.

RSVP to: http://tr.im/LawlessIsBest

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Decide the Next Lawless Jerky Flavor!

by Matt Tolnick,
Founder/CEO, Lawless Jerky

Best Beef Jerky Readers,

It’s been a privilege to be able to write some jerky articles for you guys over the last year. Since starting Lawless Jerky less than 2 years ago, I’ve learned a tremendous amount about the craft food (and particularly jerky!) business.

Now I want to learn a little bit about you, some of the most passionate jerky fans in the world. I’ve created a short, (5 minutes) anonymous survey, the results of which I’ll publish into an article exclusive to BestBeefJerky.org later in the year.

At one point in the survey, you’ll have the exclusive opportunity to influence what could become the newest Lawless Jerky flavor (some pretty crazy ideas!)

TAKE THE SURVEY NOW!

If you’ve never had our jerky, now’s a great time, as all who fully complete the survey will receive a 25% off coupon for use (up to 2x!) on our website. This is the deepest discount we have ever offered, and it comes just in time for holiday shopping!

Thanks so much for your interest in craft beef jerky and for following Steve’s blog, bestbeefjerky.org!

Sincerely yours,

Matt Tolnick

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Just How Natural is Your “All-Natural” Beef Jerky?

by Matt Tolnick

For decades, beef jerky was a niche snack that had a small but dedicated cult following. Regardless of the brand, the flavors of mass-marketed jerky were unimaginative and limited. With an artisanal food movement sweeping America (in conjunction with the entrenched craft beer movement), beef jerky has been reimagined.

No longer is beef jerky dry, tough, and reserved for road tripping or camping. Jerky is increasingly appealing to active, health-conscious types looking for an all-natural, low-calorie, low-carb snack. For the modest calorie count in a serving of beef jerky (100 calories or fewer), there’s a fair amount of chewing, which is satisfying. And the high protein content (typically 10-12 grams per ounce) helps build muscle and keeps us full. Contrary to popular belief, jerky is not a male dominated snack; 45% of our company’s online consumers are women.

Recently, even some of the most mass-market jerky companies have begun to remove some of the more objectionable “ingredients” long found in their products, such as nitrites, preservatives, MSG, and high fructose corn syrup.

Having removed the aforementioned ingredients, many jerky companies now claim to offer “all-natural” jerky. By its own admission, the FDA’s definition of “natural” fails to consider the unnatural processes by which whole foods are created. And since most beef in America is unnaturally fattened “on feedlots eating a concentrated mix of corn, soy, grains, and other supplements, plus hormones and antibiotics”, many jerky companies are deceiving consumers. Since the predominant ingredient in their jerky is, of course, beef, these “all-natural” claims are particularly concerning.

Many well-meaning consumers who want to avoid unnatural food products are willing to seek out and pay a premium for “all-natural” beef jerky. But in most of these “all-natural” jerky products, the primary ingredient is beef raised in the most unnatural of ways. Like humans, cows are what they eat. And when we eat cows artificially plumped on an unnatural diet of genetically modified grains, antibiotics, and steroids, they lose many of the benefits typical of naturally raised cows. If your “all-natural” jerky doesn’t also say “100% grass-fed,” your jerky is anything but “all-natural.”

For a variety of reasons elucidated by the NRDC, 100% grass-fed beef is better than conventional beef. It’s better for the environment, more humane for the animal during its life, and it’s far healthier than grain-fed beef. At big food corporations, there is a desire to create highly marketable foods that are tasty and cheap. Taking the time and expense to offer truly healthy food products is considered risky because many consumers are deterred by the higher prices of higher quality, cleaner foods. With America’s increasing wealth gap, this is a valid concern and may be sound, shrewd business strategy. But by profiteering on the “all-natural” language, despite offering beef jerky with beef that’s raised unnaturally, the American public is being misled.

As Americans, we love negative externalities, pushing off the costs of our choices onto the system, onto our future selves, and onto future generations...all so we can save a few bucks in the present. Public policy should discourage this behavior. Instead, we should create a system where the standards for “all-natural” actually consider the processes by which our food (and particularly our meat) is grown.

Matt Tolnick is the Founder and CEO of Lawless Jerky®, a 100% grass-fed beef jerky company specializing in all-natural and gluten-free flavors. Creating jerky in internationally inspired flavors like Mango Habanero, Honey Chipotle, Japanese Curry, and more, Lawless Jerky is the only brand endorsed by the Humane Society for its efforts in sustainability and humane treatment of animals.

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