The next review on Mad Cow Jerky will be on a 0.6 ounce/18 gram bag of their Smoking Jack flavor. This flavor is described as having a smoky taste, along with the whiskey brand Jack Daniel’s. This jerky was graciously submitted by the owner, Mary-Anne Delost (M.A.D.).
The Mad Cow Jerky brand name was launched in 2014, and located in Morwell, Victoria, Australia. This jerky is distributed under the name of Maryanne Collyer Delost. Based on some of her previous reviews, you can see that she has passionate fans and friends on Facebook. There are currently seven different flavors available. As in North America, the jerky industry in Australia is continually growing.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Brown Sugar, Paprika, Onion Powder, Salt, Pepper, Whistershire Sauce, Liquid Smoke, Jack Daniels Whiskey.
It has been confirmed that the cattle used have some free range access to forage on grass, and roam about. Just the way nature intended. It is also confirmed that the cattle are not given growth hormones or additional antibiotics. That qualifies this jerky to use ethically raised beef.
This liquid marinade is comprised of liquid smoke, Whistershire sauce, and Jack Daniel’s whiskey. The jerky drying process removes the alcohol content. While not required to do so, Maryanne was kind enough to provide this somewhat healthy Whistershire sauce (aka Worcestershire Sauce) ingredient list. For those interested: vinegar, molasses, golden syrup, tamarind, salt, vegetable powder, garlic, and onion.
There are healthy spices used such as paprika, onion powder, and black pepper.
The sugar level is very commendable, only having around 0.5g of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is respectable at around 294mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. Admirably, Himalayan pink salt being used. Himalayan pink salt is considered to be the purest salt in the world, and contains many essential/trace minerals.
The main preservatives used here are salt, and to a lesser extent the red wine vinegar. That qualifies this jerky to have no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservative. Admirably, there is no MSG added.
Very Good (9/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips of beef are all medium in size that are sliced surprisingly thin. The texture is dry, but relatively easy to chew having such thin slices. There are no visible signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves no residue on your fingers.
The absence of sweetness really allows the natural beef flavor to stand out. Combined with that is a great blend of spices. There is a mild soy type of flavor, with a light smoked taste in the background. For a whisky based flavor, the Jack Daniel’s taste is not apparent. Overall, this is a pleasant and addictive flavor.
A 1.76 ounce/50 gram bag retails for $7.50. That works out to $4.26 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price. Based on having a healthy ingredient list, and being very tasty, this jerky is worth buying.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This is a rather small, brown paper bag, which you could describe as being quaint. There is a layer of plastic in the bag to help keep the jerky fresh. It is unusual to see jerky sold in paper bags, where this jerky has a two month shelf life.
The Mad Cow Jerky logo is of a cow’s head. Stated on the bag is “Proudly Australia Owned”.
For a small sized bag, impressively, many of the bag categories are covered. Missing categories are no best before date, no bar code, and the jerky weight is not stated in grams. Admirably, a phone number is provided for customer inquiries.
Check out their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/MAD-Cow-Jerky
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