The next review for House of Jerky will focus on a 4 ounce/113 gram bag of their ghost pepper flavored beef jerky. This bag was graciously submitted for review by Lesley from House of Jerky.
This House of Jerky brand is distributed by House of Jerky Inc., based out of Evansville, Indiana. House of Jerky started business way back in 1993 by husband and wife Ron Hargett and Janie Honeycutt. They were pioneers in the jerky industry, and perhaps the first commercially sold jerky that did not use MSG, fillers, or unhealthy preservatives. In 1996, the first House of Jerky opened in Temecula, California, earning the distinction of being the first jerky store. Today, they have approximately 25 House of Jerky stores located across the U.S.A, where new business opportunities are always welcome.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef (Top Round), Water, Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Brown Sugar, Pineapple Juice, Honey, Water, Tabasco Sauce (Vinegar, Red Pepper, Salt), Ghost Chili Pepper (Bhut Jolikia), Garlic, Red Chili Pepper, Onion, Liquid Smoke, White Pepper, Black Pepper, Ginger. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
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 is comprised of a decent soy sauce, pineapple juice, Tabasco sauce, and liquid smoke. The Tabasco brand name is owned by the McIlhenny company in Avery Island, Louisiana, created in the 1860’s, and uses a simple healthy ingredient list.
The trifecta of super healthy vegetables is achieved here with garlic, onion, and ginger.
The heat in this flavor is achieved from the Tabasco sauce, Red Chili Pepper, and obviously the ghost chili peppers. As a general rule, hot peppers are healthy if eaten in moderation. It may make sense to exercise more caution with ghost peppers considering how insanely hot they are.
The sugar level is somewhat on the high side at 5 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less. The salt level is somewhat high at 380mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservative used is salt. Admirably, there is also no MSG added.
Decent (7/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These jerky strips are mostly large in size, and are sliced to a medium thickness. The texture is near soft and tender, but not quite. There is very little visible fat, and handling this jerky leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
The first taste detected is a moderate pineapple taste. Then the heat starts to quickly build. There is that familiar unmistakable burn in your mouth from the ghost peppers. As you eat more strips, the heat level stays at about a 4 out of 5 on the heat scale.
The soy taste is at a moderate level, and the garlic/onion combination is at a mild level. Both the salt and sugar tastes are at a moderate level. There is a faint peppered taste, and the smoked flavor is light. Overall, a great tasting ghost pepper flavor that leaves you wanting more.
On the House of Jerky web site, 8 ounces sells for $22.00, which includes shipping. That works out to $2.75 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price. This jerky is surely recommended as worth your money.
Excellent (10/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This is a standard, clear, non-resealable sized plastic bag. Worth noting is that this bag is vacuum sealed, the best way to keep jerky fresh. There is one label affixed to the front, and nothing of the back.
The House of Jerky logo is of a man tapping a triangle, signaling that it is time to eat. There is also a drawing of a ghost pepper stating that it has 1,000,000 Scoville heat units (SHU).
There are no slogans printed on this bag. The only fact stated on the bag is “Natural Smoke Flavoring Added”.
There are some bag categories missing such as a nutrition facts table, a bar code, allergen alerts, and a blurb about this jerky and flavor. To the credit of House of Jerky, a toll free phone number is provided for customer inquiries.
Order their jerky online: www.houseofjerky.net
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