My second review on Stemmler Meats will focus on a 1.5 ounce/42 gram bag of their hot flavor. This jerky was kindly submitted by Kevin Stemmler, a son of the founders Gerard and Maryanne Stemmler.
Stemmler Meats is manufactured and distributed under the same name of Stemmler Meats. They are based out of Heidelberg, Ontario, which is near the Waterloo area. Kevin and his two brothers Shawn and Terry run the store, where their parents are still actively involved, making this a family run store. All of their meats and other products come from families in the local farming community. Their store is a traditional “Bavarian” looking European meat shop, where you can see into every work space in their production facility so that you can see them making the products you’re taking home.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Reverse Osmosis Water, Sugar, Corn Syrup Solids, Salt, Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (from Soy), Onion, Garlic, Cayenne, Crushed Chili Peppers, Dextrose, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite, Maple Smoke. Allergen Warnings: Soy
The beef that Stemmler Meats sources from local farms is ethically raised, meaning no growth hormones or additional antibiotics are given to the cattle. The cows also have free range access to grass.
The only liquid used in the marinade is reverse osmosis water. It is impressive to see that a filtered type of water is used, which is far better than tap water.
The spiciness of this jerky comes from the cayenne pepper and the crushed chili peppers. Both are healthy if eaten in moderation. The very healthy vegetables onion and garlic are used.
The sugar level is impressive at only 2 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. On the other hand, the salt level is quite high at 490mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 250mg of salt or less.
This jerky uses both sodium erythorbate and sodium nitrite as preservatives. Kevin has assured us that the erythorbate content is only a few parts per million.
The highly processed food enhancer hydrolyzed plant protein is used, which is a type of trans fats. It is similar to MSG, but worse. Also used is corn syrup solids, where corn based ingredients have no business being in jerky.
Alright (6/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips are fair sized, and sliced quite thin. The texture is excellent being dry, but not too dry, which results in easy chewing. The crushed chili peppers are quite visible on these strips. There are no signs of fat anywhere. Handling this jerky does leave some oily residue on your fingers.
The first taste detected is the natural meat flavor, and then the spiciness quickly sets in. As more strips are consumed, the heat level remains consistent. You could rate it as a 4 out of 5 in terms of heat.
There is some sweetness with this jerky but not all that much. This jerky tastes only moderately salty, and the garlic taste is faint. While the texture and heat level with this jerky is excellent, otherwise it tastes somewhat nondescript.
You can purchase a 3 ounce/85 gram bag for $5.99 at Stemmler Meats. That works out to $2.00 an ounce, which would rate as an average price. This jerky is recommended as a good buy.
Bag Review
We have a non-resealable, transparent bag here. There is a label affixed to both the front and back of this bag. Something you do not see often on a transparent bag, the Stemmler Meats logo is printed on the plastic, along with an Ontario Department of Agriculture stamp. The best feature of this bag is being vacuum sealed.
Slogans printed on this bag are “Only the Best from our Family to Yours” est. 1985, and “European Style – Imported Cheeses – Quality Meats”.
The vast majority of bag categories are covered here. Missing is the jerky weight stated in grams, and slits to make this bag easy to open. As a required law in Canada, French translations are needed. Perhaps somewhat surprising for a small meat store, there is a QR Code that provides a URL to the Stemmler Meats web site.
Check out their web site: www.stemmlermeats.ca
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