Note: For a more current taste review on a tweaked bag design, and improved ingredient list. open up Chef’s Cut Real Jerky – Chipotle Cracked Pepper Beef Jerky (Recipe #2).
This review will focus on a 2.5 ounce/71 gram bag of Chef’s Cut Real Jerky chipotle cracked pepper flavored beef jerky. The bag was purchased for $6.99 at a Bed Bath & Beyond store in Woodland Park, New Jersey back in 2015.
This Chef’s Cut Real Jerky jerky brand name is distributed by RSJ Ventures LLC. They are based out of Naples, Florida. The chief and founder, Blair Swiler, is a chef. Initially, Blair only made jerky for his family using a proprietary smoking process. Then his business partner, and now co-founder, Dennis Riedel, realized the potential of selling “Filet in a Bag”. In their words, it is “Jerky Done Right”. They aspire to only make the best jerky they can, where they don’t believe that anything, or anyone, should ever stop improving.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Soy Sauce (Water, Hydrolyzed Corn and Soy Protein, Corn Syrup, Salt, Caramel Color, Lactic Acid, Potassium Sorbate), Sugar, Horseradish (Horseradish Roots, Vinegar, Salt and Mustard Oil), Worcestershire Sauce (Distilled White Vinegar, Molasses, Sugar, Water, Salt, Onions, Anchovies, Garlic, Cloves, Tamarind Extract, Natural Flavorings, Chili Pepper Extract), Liquid Smoke (Water, Natural Hickory Smoke Concentrate), Chipotle Paste (Chipotle Peppers, Water, Salt and Acetic Acid), Celery Powder, Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Red Pepper. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Anchovies
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 consists of a very bad soy sauce, a very good Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and a good chipotle paste. The highly processed flavor enhancers hydrolyzed corn protein and hydrolyzed soy protein are used. When you see the word hydrolyzed that means it is a type of very unhealthy trans fat.
The sugar level is high at 6 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less. The salt level is somewhat high at 390mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less.
There are dried hot chili peppers used, which can be healthy if eaten in moderation. Easily the most interesting ingredient used is horseradish, where horseradish roots offer multiple health benefits, and are in the superfood category.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite. Instead salt is the main preservative used. This jerky does not qualify to be MSG free, because the flavor enhancers hydrolyzed corn protein and hydrolyzed soy protein are used.
Average (5/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
Note: For a more current taste review on a tweaked bag design, and improved ingredient list. open up Chef’s Cut Real Jerky – Chipotle Cracked Pepper Beef Jerky (Recipe #2).
These strips are a mixture of small and medium sized, sliced thick. The texture is soft and tender, which is relatively easy to chew. Handling this jerky leaves no oily residue on your fingers, and there are no visible signs of fat.
The first taste detected is a sweetness, which is a bit too sweet tasting. The soy flavor is mild, and the Worcestershire sauce is at a light level. As for the spiciness, it might rate a 2 out of 5 on the heat scale, at best, probably closer to a 1 out of 5. With all of the sugary sweetness, much of the natural beef flavor is masked.
For a flavor that has cracked black pepper in its name, the peppered taste is disappointingly at a light level. The salt level is moderate, and the horseradish is at a faint level. Overall, the sweetness dominates this flavor too much.
This 2.5 ounce/71 gram bag cost $5.99, which works out to $2.40 an ounce. That rates as an expensive price. While not a bad jerky product, this jerky is not recommended from a taste or health perspective.
Bag Review
This is a standard sized bag that is resealable. Everything is imprinted directly on the bag itself, both on the front and back. There are no labels affixed to this bag.
There is a graphic of a bull. Their trademark slogans are “Real Steak Jerky”, and “Real Jerky”. Other notes printed on this bag are “High in Protein”, “Made With Premium Beef”, “Smoke Flavor Added”, “Smoked Beef”, “12g Protein Per Serving”, and “Gluten Free”.
The majority of bag categories are covered here. Missing is a blurb about Chef’s Cut Real Jerky, or their jerky. Also, missing is a transparent window to view the jerky, and the jerky weight is not stated in grams.
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