The next review on Mountain Man will focus on a 1.8 ounce/50 gram bag of their salty hickory flavored beef jerky. This bag was kindly submitted for review by the founder of Mountain Man, Robert Lahue.
While not common, the Mountain Man jerky brand is distributed under the name Robert Lahue. Robert is located in Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. His jerky is advertised to have no preservatives, no nitrates, no gluten, and no MSG, all great characteristics for jerky. There are an impressive 18 different Mountain Man flavors available.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef Slices, Pineapple Juice, Brown Sugar, Liquid Hickory Smoke, Sherry, Salt, Garlic Juice, Onion Juice, Vinegar, Molasses, Spices.
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 pineapple juice, sherry, liquid hickory smoke, garlic juice, onion juice and vinegar. There is a natural enzyme named bromelain in pineapples that acts as a natural meat tenderizer. Garlic juice and onion juice are very healthy.
The sugar level is a bit high at around 4.5 grams per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less. The salt level is not known, but believed to be quite high.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, salt is the main preservative. Also, as a plus, this jerky qualifies to have no MSG added.
Decent (7/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
The strips are medium to small in size, and sliced to a medium thickness. This texture is dry, but not overly dry. While not common, these strips are sliced against the grain, instead of with the grain. There are visible signs of fat that enhance the flavor, and this jerky is relatively chewy. Handling this jerky leaves a little bit of oily residue on your fingers.
Easily the first taste detected is a strong saltiness. The saltiness level is so dominant, it masks the other flavors. There is a mild pineapple taste.
As for the hickory flavor, this jerky does have a fairly strong smoked taste. However, the hickory taste itself is not all that strong. This jerky is mildly sweet tasting, and the garlic/onion taste combination is light.
A 1.8 ounce/50 gram bag of this jerky sells for $5.00. That equates to $2.78 an ounce, which is classified as an expensive price. This flavor would be quite appealing to anybody who prefers jerky that is very salty tasting.
Bag Review
This is not your typical jerky bag. Mainly because the label is printed lengthwise instead of heightwise. The label on the front covers the entire bag, and there is nothing on the back. Best of all, this jerky is vacuum sealed, the best way to help preserve the jerky.
On the label there is a picture of Robert Lahue with a mountain in the background, where British Columbia has many mountains. The Mountain Man brand name curves along the mountain peak. The slogan is “The Best in the West”. Facts printed on the bag are “no nitrates”, “no msg”, “no gluten”, “no soy”, and “no preservatives”.
Another interesting fact stated on the bag is “Did you know: It takes 1/2 pound of fresh meat to make this pack”. While there is no Canadian Department of Agriculture or British Columbia Department of Agriculture stamp printed anywhere, it does explicitly state on the bag itself that this jerky was made and packaged in a commercially licensed facility.
All important bag categories are covered here. To the credit of Robert, he supplies an email address, and a phone number for customer inquiries. As per Canadian law, there are French translations provided.
Check out their web site: www.mountainmanbeefjerky.com
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