Update February 2015: a new live taste review has been done on this Simms – Teriyaki Beef Jerky (Recipe #2) flavor.
This 3.25 ounce/92 gram bag of peppered flavor beef jerky was purchased in Penn Yan, New York in 2009, located in the Finger Lakes region. It was purchased at a store name Aldi’s, where it was common to see horse and buggies parked in front of the store from the local Amish community.
This Simms brand of jerky is distributed by Aldi Inc., based out of Batavia, Illinois. Most likely this jerky is made by a private labeler, making this a stock recipe. Aldi is a very large company with grocery stores located in at least 18 countries around the world. They claim to use a select brand of high quality ingredients, which is slowly mesquite smoked to provide a great taste. They proudly display that this jerky is American made, and that the meat used is a product of USA.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Water, Sugar, Less than 2% Salt, Black Pepper, Maltodextrin, Dried Soy Sauce (Soybeans, Salt, Wheat), Monosodium Glutamate, Flavorings, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Sodium Erythorbate, Paprika Extract, Sodium Nitrite Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
The liquid marinade is just plain old water. While not common, the soy sauce is in powdered form. Black pepper is known to be very healthy.
There is a blurb printed on the bag, which we take exception to, “Our beef is never tenderized with chemicals such as bromelain or papain“. Bromelain is a natural enzyme from pineapples, and papain a natural enzyme from the fruit papaya, are both widely used in the food industry as meat tenderizers. We do not understand why Aldi chose to call them chemicals, and then cast them in a negative light. In our opinion, we would much rather have a naturally occurring enzyme tenderize meat, as opposed to some real chemicals conjured up in a laboratory.
The sugar level is very respectable at only 3 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. However, the salt level is extremely high at 600mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less.
This jerky uses the double whammy of sodium erythorbate and sodium nitrite as the main preservatives, apart from salt.
This jerky uses MSG outright. Even worse, the highly processed flavor enhancer hydrolyzed corn protein is used. Being hydrolyzed that makes it a type of unhealthy trans fat also.
Bad (3/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
Update February 2015: a new live taste review has been done on this Simms – Teriyaki Beef Jerky (Recipe #2) flavor.
As advertised, this jerky does have a soft and tender texture. I do not recall this jerky as having a very peppery flavor, being a peppered flavor of beef jerky. Overall, I found the taste pretty much awful, which I termed poor in my taste notes in 2009.
This 3.25 ounce/92 gram bag was purchased for $3.99. That works out to $1.23 an ounce. That rates as a cheap price. The recipe list has since been updated.
Very Bad (2/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This is a very professional looking bag, where everything is imprinted on the bag itself. There are no labels affixed.
Their slogan appears to be “All American Meat Snacks”. Many facts are displayed such as “Premium Cut”, “Mesquite Smoked”, “Solid Strips of Steak”, “American Made”, “Product of USA”, “97% Fat Free”, “High in Protein”, and “4g Total Carbs”.
Every single bag category is covered. They do offer a guarantee on the bag, that if you are not 100% completely satisfied with this product, they will gladly replace the product, AND refund your money. Something Aldi calls a “Double Guarantee”, which is admirable. There are decent blurbs printed on the back about this jerky.
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