This will be the second review on Phil’s Beef Jerky, where this review will focus on a 4 ounce/113 gram bag of their mild flavor. This bag was kindly submitted by the owner, Phillip Morgan.
The Phil’s Beef Jerky brand of jerky is also distributed under the same name, based out of Tye, Texas, who started this business in 2008. This mild flavored jerky is advertised to have a little heat, but loaded with other spices to divert your attention from the “mild” heat. The owner, Phillip Morgan, retired from the military, supports overseas troops with his jerky.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt, Sodium Benzoate), Water, Apple Juice (Water, Apple Juice Concentrate, Ascorbic Acid), Vinegar, Dehydrated Garlic, Serrano Pepper, Corn Syrup (Light Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Salt, Vanilla), Crushed Red Pepper, Brown Sugar, Cayenne Pepper, Lime Juice (Water, Concentrated Lime Juice, Sodium Benzoate, Lime Oil, Sodium Bisulfite), and Black Pepper. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
The beef used is not guaranteed to be free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. Also, the beef is not guaranteed to have at least partial free range access to graze on grass. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Good (8/10) rating.
The liquid marinade is comprised of soy sauce, apple juice, corn syrup, vinegar, water, and lime juice. As for the juices, they are not nearly as healthy as they are marketed to be. We would rather not see corn syrup, or any other corn based products for that matter. Disappointingly, the unhealthy and highly processed sweetener high fructose corn syrup is used in the jerky.
The spiciness comes from the serrano pepper (a type of chili pepper), crushed red pepper, and cayenne pepper. All three of these spicy ingredients are very healthy if eaten in moderation.
There is no nutrition facts table provided. As a result, the exact sugar and salt levels are unknown.
To the credit of Phil’s Beef Jerky, there is no sodium nitrite added as a preservative. However, between the lime juice and soy sauce, they contain the preservatives sodium bisulfite and sodium benzoate. Admirably, there is no MSG added in this jerky.
Alright (6/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
We have thick slabs of beef here, similar to a dried mini steak. The texture is fairly dry, but well within reason. There are some small visible signs of fat on this jerky that actually add to the overall taste. This jerky certainly leaves an oily residue on your fingers while handling it.
You are bombarded with different tastes in this jerky. Partly spicy, partly with a soy taste, and slightly tangy. This jerky flavor is anything but boring. Being a mild flavor, that can mean mildly spicy, or no spiciness at all. In this case, it is certainly on the hot side. There certainly is some spiciness to this jerky, but it remains fairly constant as you eat more.
The soy taste is somewhat dominant, in a good way. The tanginess is an interesting mix, while slight, almost certainly coming from the apple juice and lime juice. This jerky is moderately salty, and only slightly sweet. The actual beef flavor is quite dominating also. Overall, this jerky was quite addictive, where we just wanted more and more.
This 4 ounce/113 gram bag sells for $8.75. That equates to $2.19 per ounce, which rates as a borderline average price. This jerky is good quality for your money.
Excellent (10/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
First and foremost, the best thing about this bag, it is vacuum sealed, the best way possible to preserve the freshness of jerky. Otherwise, the jerky texture would certainly be drier, and therefore, the jerky eating experience would not be the same. This bag is transparent, resealable, and your standard size, with a quantity of 4 ounces/113 grams.
There is a label affixed to the front, and nothing on the back. The label is nothing fancy, no graphics, just your standard fonts. While not printed on the bag itself, their slogan is “Best Little Jerky Plant in Tye Texas!”.
A number of bag categories are missing, but the most important categories are covered here. Missing are a logo, bar code, nutrition facts table, slogans, a blurb about Phil’s Beef Jerky, originality, graphics, and allergen alerts.
The 4 ounce/113 grams bag of jerky displayed at the bottom was purchased online in 2012. The only ingredient change is that dehydrated onion has been removed, not enough to justify a different review.
Order their jerky online: www.philsbeefjerky.com
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