El Norteño Cecina

El Norteño is a new brand of cecina (Mexican style beef jerky), that launched last year. Based out of Belleville, WI, it's the creation of Scott Hare, presumably the same person who launched Wild Hare Jerky about 10 years ago.

Hare was having dinner with some friends from Mexico when they advised him to make cecina. He traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico to learn more about it, and eventually perfected a recipe for his new brand El Norteño.

El Norteño is currently in stores throughou Southern California, the Southwest, and Midwest. It's real wood smoked, with no MSG. Each package comes with a packet of hot sauce. The company also makes a habanero flavored meat stick.

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Think Jerky - Thanksgiving Turkey

Think Jerky is a new brand that hit the scene late last year. Based out of Chicago, IL, the brand spent nearly two years perfecting its recipe for a health-conscious market. The company claims to have "cut the salt in half" and replaced them with herbs and spices.

Think Jerky is a collaboration with three celebrity chefs, Chef Laurent Gras, a three-star Michelin Chef, Chef Matt Troost, a Baconfest champion, and Chef Gale Gand, a TV-host on Food Network. Together, their goal with Think Jerky is to create a great tasting jerky, with grass-fed beef, free-range turkey, that's paleo friendly, gluten free, family-farmed, with no artificial preservatives, and all natural ingredients

This "Thanksgiving" is described by Chef Gras as, "...this unique flavor combination of turkey, cranberry and herbs will remind you of the classic holiday meal."

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Northwest Bierhaus Jerky - Dark Ale

Northwest Bierhaus Jerky is a brand owned by GJ Products, based out of Clackamas, OR. It's run by Glenn Loehr who started it in 2015.

The company also owns, "Oregon Wine Country Jerky". Together, the two brands infuse the flavors of craft beer and wine from the Pacific Northwest, and target the tourist and gift basket markets.

This, "Dark Ale" variety is described by the company as combining the, "hearty dark ale with mouth-watering premium beef", and says that jerky snackers will love the "high quality nutty flavor".

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Astro Fresh Jerky - Buffalo Chicken Wing

Astro Fresh Jerky is a brand owned by HJP Trading, LLC based out of Los Angeles, CA. It was started by Roy Park in early 2015 who found an old family recipe that dated back to the late 1980s.

Since then, Roy has been selling his jerky in local markets and retailers in California. Recently they started a website and are now taking online orders.

This Buffalo Chicken Wing is a chicken jerky.

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Astro Fresh Jerky - Buffalo Chicken Wing Jerky Hot

Astro Fresh Jerky is a brand owned by HJP Trading, LLC based out of Los Angeles, CA. It was started by Roy Park in early 2015 who found an old family recipe that dated back to the late 1980s.

Since then, Roy has been selling his jerky in local markets and retailers in California. Recently they started a website and are now taking online orders.

This Buffalo Chicken Wing is a chicken jerky, comparable to the one we reviewed last week, but labeled, "Hot".

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Think Jerky - Sriracha Honey Turkey

Think Jerky is a new brand that hit the scene late last year. Based out of Chicago, IL, the brand spent nearly two years perfecting its recipe for a health-conscious market. The company claims to have "cut the salt in half" and replaced them with herbs and spices.

Think Jerky is a collaboration with three celebrity chefs, Chef Laurent Gras, a three-star Michelin Chef, Chef Matt Troost, a Baconfest champion, and Chef Gale Gand, a TV-host on Food Network. Together, their goal with Think Jerky is to create a great tasting jerky, with grass-fed beef, free-range turkey, that's paleo friendly, gluten free, family-farmed, with no artificial preservatives, and all natural ingredients

This "Sweet Chipotle" is described by Chef Gand as, "...a custom blend of sriracha, honey & spices", to create a, "...perfect balance of sweetness and heat".

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Chudabeef Jerky Strips - OG Spicy

Chudabeef Jerky Strips is a brand launched by Kevin Casey based out of Long Beach, CA. The brand has been in business since 2014, and at the beginning of 2015 had just completed a successful Kickstarter campaign.

Kevin is an active hiker and had been making his own jerky for his trips through the wilderness. His friends loved it so much, they offered to pay him for some. That got him interested in starting his own jerky business.

This Original is described the company as being based on the Original, but with, "extra spices to turn up the heat". They go on to add, "...will satisfy those jerky lovers with a knack for spicy foods."

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Astro Fresh Jerky - Whiskey BBQ

Astro Fresh Jerky is a brand owned by HJP Trading, LLC based out of Los Angeles, CA. It was started by Roy Park in early 2015 who found an old family recipe that dated back to the late 1980s.

Since then, Roy has been selling his jerky in local markets and retailers in California. Recently they started a website and are now taking online orders.

Astro Fresh Jerky currently lists 10 varieties of beef jerky and 1 variety of chicken jerky.

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Kingmade Jerky - Classic Recipe

Kingmade Jerky is a brand that hit the market in 2013, launched by Jeff King, and based out of McKinney, TX. King had been working as a golf caddie for many years, with a hobby in making homemade jerky.

After bringing some batches of his jerky to the golf course, his fellow golfers liked it a lot, and kept asking him for more. It was only a few years later that big names like Tiger Woods, Graeme McDowell, Brandt Snedeker, Davis Love III, Rickie Fowler and Billy Horschel, among others, began buying jerky from him. Today, King has gone full corporate and now sells jerky to major retail outlets across the country.

This "Classic Recipe" is described as being made from flank steak, and seasoned with steakhouse spices, brown sugar, and is touted as the lowest sodium beef jerky on the market.

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Chudabeef Jerky Strips - Original

Chudabeef Jerky Strips is a brand launched by Kevin Casey based out of Long Beach, CA. The brand has been in business since 2014, and at the beginning of 2015 had just completed a successful Kickstarter campaign.

Kevin is an active hiker and had been making his own jerky for his trips through the wilderness. His friends loved it so much, they offered to pay him for some. That got him interested in starting his own jerky business.

This Original is described the company as, "...crisp, smoky, peppery goodness", along with, "...a perfect blend of flavors that satisfies the taste buds of every jerky lover."

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