The next review on PJ’s All Natural Beef Steak will be on a 3.25 ounce/92 gram bag of their teriyaki tenders style beef steaks. This tenders style consists of bite sized pieces of steak. This product was kindly submitted by the Marketing Manager Samantha Alderfer.
The PJ’s All Natural Beef Steak brand name is manufactured and distributed by Knauss Foods, LLC., who are located in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. Knauss Foods, LLC. was founded in 1902, and the PJ’s All Natural Beef Steak brand name was launched in March 2012. This product is not your traditional jerky. Instead, the beef is slow cooked for seven days at a very low temperature. The end result is a soft and tender beef steak product.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Gluten Free Teriyaki Sauce (Tamari Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans, Salt, Alcohol), Water, Organic Sugar, Honey, Sake (Water, Rice, Salt), Apple Cider Vinegar, Ginger Puree, Plum Juice Concentrate, Torula Yeast, Canola Oil, Spices, Arrowroot, Xanthan Gum), Brown Sugar, Potassium Chloride, Water, Vinegar, Cherry Powder, Evaporated Cane Syrup, Natural Smoke Flavor. Allergen Warnings: Soy
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 used here consists of gluten free teriyaki sauce, water, and healthy vinegar. Being a teriyaki flavor, it is great to see that the healthy vegetable ginger is used. Other healthy choices used in the teriyaki sauce are honey, apple cider vinegar, plum juice concentrate, spices, and arrowroot.
The sugar level is quite respectable at 3 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. As an added bonus, better than average sweeteners are used such as organic sugar, honey, and evaporated cane syrup.
The salt level used is high at 390mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. However, much of that is negated because healthy potassium chloride is used as an alternative to highly refined table salt.
As advertised, these beef steaks have no sodium nitrite, or other similar unhealthy preservatives. Cleverly, naturally occurring potassium chloride and vinegar to a lesser extent are the main preservatives. Admirably, this jerky qualifies to have no MSG added.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips of steak are sliced thin, and small in size. This tenders texture seems slightly less soft and tender compared to the strips style, and also slightly thicker than the strips style. Nevertheless, these steak strips are still easy to chew. There are very few visible signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves no residue on your fingers.
The first taste detected is soy, with a light smoked taste in the background. With minimal sugar used, the natural beef flavor stands out. This would not be classified as your traditional teriyaki flavor with the absence of a dominant sweet flavor. There is a faint peppery taste, and the saltiness level is moderate. The overall taste is a complex blend, where these beef steaks are a tasty and flavorful snack.
This 3.25 ounce/92 gram bag sells online for $5.00, but you have to purchase a minimum of three bags for $15.00. That would equate to $1.53 an ounce, which rates as a cheap price. As an added bonus, there is free shipping offered until February 28/2015. Given the good taste, quality, and healthy ingredients, we recommend these beef steaks as a good deal for your money.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This is an attractive, resealable, professional looking bag. Everything is imprinted directly on the bag, both the front and back. There is one sticker affixed on the front that states “Please Don’t Call Me Jerky!”. We are told that PJ’s All Natural Beef Steak did extensive market research, and determined that consumers would rather not have this product labelled as jerky.
The PJ’s logo could possibly pass as a red crown that a king may wear, with “High Quality Beef Steak” stated inside the logo itself.
Some facts stated on this bag are “Good Source of Protein”, “Natural Smoke Flavor Added”, “98% Fat Free”, “Authentic Cuts of Real Beef”, “All Natural*”, “*No Artificial Ingredients”, “*No Preservatives Added”, “*Minimally Processed”, “Gluten Free”, “No MSG”, and “No Added Nitrites or Nitrates”.
Every single bag category is covered here. To the credit of PJ’s All Natural Beef Steak, they offer a toll free phone number for customer inquiries, and also provide their business hours. Admirably, there is a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee policy offered.
Excellent (10/10) – Bag Rating
Order their product online: www.pjsbeefsteak.com
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