Rives Quality Meats Turkey Jerky - Regular

Continuing on with my series on Rives Quality Meats is this Turkey Jerky. See my previous reviews of their beef jerky, Regular, Chicago Style, and Barbecue.

Rives Quality Meats is a butcher shop in the town of Rives Junction, MI, that been around since 1973 started by Tom Hosler. In addition to butchering your game and livestock, they sell groceries and offer a delicatessen. They make their own jerky, which has been one of their most popular products.

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Dad's Jerky - Original Steak

Dad's Jerky is a brand of Dad's Jerky, LLC, based out of Lake Isabella, CA.

The company's website says it uses sirloin for its jerky, and puts a lot of focus on obtaining the best quality meat for their jerky, which they then trim off 97% of the fat, and marinate for 18 hours.

I didn't contact the company for additional details, so I don't have much background info to give you. I assume Dad's makes their own jerky because their website goes into detail about how they make jerky. But the USDA stamp suggests it came from Border View Foods out of Chazy, NY, the folks who make Backwoods Jerky. My guess is that Dad's purchases meat from Border View, and has it shipped out to California.

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Fesperman's Beef Jerky - Original

Fesperman's Beef Jerky is a brand of Fesperman's Beef Jerky, Inc., of Twin Hills, OK. It was launched by Curtis and Lynn Fesperman back in 1997, but the couple have been making and selling their jerky since before then.

I've seen this particular brand on some other blogs getting high marks for taste, texture, and easy eating.

The company claims that their jerky is made using the same formula and process that Lynn started out originally in her kitchen. They marinate the meat for 12 hours in their own USDA inspected facility.

In addition to this Original variety, I have their Garlic variety which I'll be reviewing later on.

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Damn Good Jerky - Original Hickory

Damn Good Jerky is a brand of Damn Good Foods, Inc., of Stillwater, NY. It's been around since 2000, launched by a guy named Greg Strope, who used to own a floor-cleaning business. He developed an interest in beef jerky, and eventually shifted focus from cleaning floors to selling jerky. In 2006, Damn Good Foods sold 100,000 pounds through convenience stores and its website.

I took notice of this brand after seeing reviewers on other websites rave over how good it is. Though it's apparently still more popular on the east coast as it is here on the west.

The company makes jerky at their own USDA inspected facility.

In addition to this "Original Hickory", I'll have reviews of their "Hawaiian Style Teriyaki" and "Death by Jerky" in the coming weeks.

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Ajay's Montana Bananas - Peppered

Next in my series on Ajay's Montana Bananas is this Peppered variety. Last month I wrote a review of their Original Peppered variety. The difference between the two is that the Original Peppered uses a thicker cut of meat, while the Peppered uses a thin cut.

Ajay's Montana Bananas brand of jerky has been around for 30 years, even more than that if you want to consider Ajay Avery himself started selling this jerky before then. In fact, it's been around longer if you consider he bought the recipe for his original Cowboy style jerky from a Missoula, MT butcher shop that had been selling thsi jerky for years before then.

Today, his jerky is sold through the BevMo! chain of liquor stores throughout California and Arizona, as well as tool trucks like Matco and Snap On, and through the brand's website.

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Uncle Buck's Beef Jerky - Original

Uncle Buck's is the store brand of Bass Pro Shops, the famous supplier of fishing gear that has exploded onto the American retail scene with super-sized stores dubbed "Outdoor World" looking like a log cabin big enough to house Paul Bunyan.

The name "Uncle Buck" refers to the uncle of Johnny Morris, the founder of Bass Pro Shops, who introduced him to fishing when he was a child. All of Bass Pro Shops store-branded items honor his name.

Bass Pro Shops doesn't make their own jerky. This stuff is manufactured by Monogram Meat Snacks of Chandler, MN, who makes jerky for several other brands, including Jeff Foxworthy, NASCAR, Winchester Rifles, Stubb's BBQ, Jim Beam, etc.

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Jawbone Beef Jerky - Hot

Third in the series on Jawbone Beef Jerky is this Hot variety. See my previous reviews of their Original and Peppered varieties.

The brand is owned by Jawbone Canyon Store, an oasis located along Hwy 14 in the upper Mojave Desert of California, seemingly out in the middle nowhere, surrounded by vast expanses of empty desert. The store has been around since the 1950s, serving off-roaders, campers, hikers, and bikers. The current store owner, Scott Spencer, had wanted to offer his customers a unique jerky that extended his store's brand name, and gave people a reason to stop by.

He hooked up with Monrovia, CA-based KMB Foods, the makers of Cactus Jacks brand of jerky, as well as a private labeler for several other jerky brands.

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Rives Quality Meats Beef Jerky - BBQ

Next up in this series on Rives Quality Meats is this BBQ variety. The last two reviews of their Regular and Chicago Style showed that Rives' wins high marks through a great tasting meat flavor.

Rives Quality Meats is a butcher shop located in the small town of Rives Junction, MI. They serve the local hunters and farmers by turning wild game and livestock into steaks, chops, burger, and jerky. It was started in 1973 by Tom Hosler, and over the years expanded its offerings to become a small grocery store and delicatessen. Beef jerky was one of their first retail products.

It was only a year ago that Rives Quality Meats launched a website. Prior to that they remained largely unknown from jerky snackers nationwide, being tucked away in rural Michigan.

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Green Light Jerky - Garlic Parmesan

Green Light Jerky is a brand of Green Light Jerky Company of Redwood City, CA. It's a unique brand in that it focuses on unusual flavors in a stylish design and concept. This Garlic Parmesan is their newest flavor. Read my previous reviews of their Jamaican Jerk, and Prime Rib Dinner.

It's a relatively new brand, being around only in the past few years. They claim to add no preservatives, no MSG, no thickening agents, and no food colorings, going on to say they use such name-brand ingredients as The Perfect Puree of Napa Valley, George Chiala Farms in Morgan Hill, and Grandma's Molasses. Their products are sold through specialty stores in northern California, and from their website.

One thing to take note of is that Green Light recently modified their manufacturing process by adding another 24 hours to their marinade, which they claim makes it more soft and moist than in the previous reviews I wrote.

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Papa Dan's Beef Jerky - Ring of Fire

Next in my series on Papa Dan's Beef Jerky is this Ring of Fire variety, described by the brand as "the absolute hottest beef jerky you will find anywhere."

Papa Dan's is a brand of jerky belonging to Fullerton, CA-based Batistelli Foods. Read my previous review of their Carne Asada Beef Jerky. While Papa Dan's is focused as a beef jerky brand, it's website also sells nuts, sauces, and candies from other brands.

This "Ring of Fire" variety from Papa Dan's is not associated with the Ring of Fire Beef Jerky that I reviewed last year. This one is made by TM Jerky & Processing, Inc. of Monrovia, CA, while the Ring of Fire Beef Jerky I reviewed earlier was made by J.C. Rivers.

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