Sierra Madre Provision Co. – Ring of Fire Beef Jerky (Review #1)

Note: For a more current taste review on a tweaked bag design, open up Sierra Madre Provision Co. – Ring of Fire Beef Jerky (Review #2).

The next review on Sierra Madre Provision Co. will focus on a 3.25 ounce/92 gram bag of their ring of fire beef jerky flavor. This jerky was graciously submitted by the creator of this Sierra Madre Provision Co. jerky brand, James Schaft (a.k.a. – Jimmy the Jerky Man).

The Sierra Madre Provision Co. jerky brand name is distributed and manufactured by Sierra Madre Provisions. They are located in Sierra Madre, California, which is in the foothill of the San Gabriel Mountains. They have been in business for over 30 years selling wholesale and retail, using ranch raised cattle. Their meat is hand sliced. As of today, Sierra Madre Provision Co. offer 6 different styles of jerky, in 16 different flavors.

Ingredient Review

Ingredients: Beef, Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt, Sodium Benzoate), Cayenne Pepper, Worcestershire Sauce (Water, Distilled Vinegar, Soy Sauce [Molasses, Caramel Color, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein Extract, Salt], Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup Solids, Salt, Citric Acid, Sugar, Spices, Tamarind, Natural Flavor), Vinegar, Black Pepper, Lemon Juice, Liquid Smoke, Granulated Garlic, Habanero Chili Powder, White Pepper, Onion Powder, Cure Mix (Salt, Sodium Nitrite).    Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat

Sierra Madre Provision Co. uses ranch raised beef, which means the cattle have free range access to graze on grass. The cattle are also ethically raised, meaning that the cows received no growth hormones or additional antibiotics.

The liquid marinade used here contains soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, liquid smoke, and lemon juice. Lemon juice is generally healthy, and a great addition to a ring of fire flavor, to offset the heat. Unfortunately, the Worcestershire sauce uses the highly processed unhealthy sweetener high fructose corn syrup solids.

The spiciness in this ring of fire comes from several sources. Surprisingly, cayenne pepper is third on the ingredient list by weight, which is a healthy spice if eaten in moderation. Habanero chili powder is one of the hotter spices out there.

There is no nutrition facts table provided. As a result, the exact sugar and salt levels are unknown.

There are multiple preservatives used in this ingredient list, excluding salt. A little bit of sodium benzoate in the teriyaki sauce, and the seasoning uses potassium sorbate. Then sodium nitrite is added on top of that.

This jerky does not qualify to have no MSG added, because the highly processed flavor enhancer hydrolyzed soy protein is used.

Alright (6/10) – Ingredient Rating

Taste Review

As advertised, this jerky is a thick style cut. These strips of jerky are quite large, where just a few strips alone accounts for the whole 3.25 ounces/92 grams. The texture is dry, but not too dry. There are barely any signs of fat on this jerky.

The first taste detected is a tanginess from the lemon juice. That is followed by a moderate soy taste, along with a mild sweet taste. Then the hot flavor starts to kick in big time. As more strips are consumed, the hot level does start to sort of level off. The heat level is at least 4 out of 5 on the heat scale, and more likely 5 out of 5.

A good feature about this jerky is that the tanginess and sweetness offset the heat to a certain extent. This jerky also has a faint smoked taste in the background. With a flavor name of ring of fire, this jerky does live up to its name.

This 3.25 ounce/92 gram bag sells for $5.99, which works out to $1.84 an ounce. That rates as an average price. For anybody who appreciates a very hot flavored jerky, this jerky is highly recommended.

Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating

Bag Review

This is a fairly tall bag. The front is gold colored, and the back is silver colored with nothing on the back. There is a label affixed to the front, plus a separate sticker that states “Sweet N’ Spicy”. The scenic picture on this bag depicts mountains, including a few California palm trees.

While these slogans are not printed on the bag, here are some of the slogans that Sierra Madre Provision Co. uses: “We Do Jerky”, “Quality You Can Taste”, “Picturesque Little Town”, “Quality is our Watchword”, and “Truly a Cut Above”.

There are a few bag categories missing, such as slogans, a blurb about Sierra Madre Provision Co., and a nutrition facts table. Kudos to Sierra Madre Provision Co., where they provide a toll free phone number for customer inquiries.

The bag displayed at the bottom is a 3.25 ounce/92 gram bag of their ring of fire flavor. That bag was purchased in 2011 in San Clemente, California, at a convenience store for $5.99.

Alright (6/10) – Bag Rating

Order their jerky online: www.sierramadreprovision.com