J&K Beef Jerky - Prime Rib

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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The pair can be found at farmers markets across the San Diego area doling out taste samples. Their jerky is also sold at various stores and shops across town, and also sell from their website.

This "Craft Beer" jerky is part of their "Top Shelf Line" of alcohol-infused jerky, and was inspired by San Diego's love of craft beer. According to Jerky's Gourmet, "It packs a bold punch of traditional spices and, of course, lots of premium beer. We use the best domestic pale ale in our marinade to bring the on-tap flavor of hops and barley that will make your mouth water!"

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In January 2018, Biltong USA was acquired by a rival biltong brand, Stryve Foods. However, Biltong USA continues on under its own brand, and is still manufactured at its original USDA inspected facility in Stallings.

This Peri-Peri Sliced Biltong refers is the company's lean variety but seasoned with Peri-Peri, a South African style spicy seasoning made from the Piri-Piri pepper. Because Piri-Piri peppers are so difficult to find in the USA, most companies use cayenne. Biltong USA doesn't specify if this contains real Piri-Piri peppers or not. The package is also marked "Gluten Free".

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In 2016, they launched a line of jerky, and Whole Foods Market picked it up only for their Southern California market. However, in October 2018, Whole Foods announced it would begin selling Homegrown Meats Jerky nationwide, with a four of the company's specialized flavors, "Joel's Traditional", "Cracked Black Pepper", "Western Mesquite Barbecue", and "Paleo". The jerky is marked as, "gluten free" and "certified grass fed".

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Jerky Jerks is made in a USDA inspected facility and uses no added MSG.

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Pony Express is manufactured in its own USDA inspected facility in New Holland, right in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. The company offers a retail location in Blue Ball, PA.

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Mike, who's known by his friends as "Crazy Mike", had been making jerky himself since 1994 when a friend bought him a dehydrator on a BOGO deal after watching a late night infomercial. Mike had been making homebrew and winning chili cook-offs at the time, so making jerky was right up his alley.

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Bakke Brothers was started by Phil Bakke, one of Whiskey Hill's founders. The brand differs from The Jerky Hut in that it's free of preservatives such as sodium nitrite, sodium erythorbate, et al, and it's also gluten-free.

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