The next review on Joe’s Wicked Good Jerky will be on a 3 ounce/85 gram bag of their peppered beef jerky flavor. This jerky was graciously submitted for review by one of the co-owners, Traci Nixt.
This Joe’s Wicked Good Jerky brand name is based out of Redding, California, near two volcanoes, Mt. Shasta and Mt. Lassen. Redding is a great tourist area being beside the Sacramento River. Joe started making jerky in the late 1980’s, and with his wife Traci, launched Joe’s Wicked Good Jerky in March 2015. Traci and Joe pride themselves by offering the best quality service. Top round beef is used to give a savory taste.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Marinade (Soy Sauce [Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt], Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Mirin (Water, Dextrose, Mirin [Rice, Alcohol, Salt], Lactic and Succinic Acids), Water, Dehydrated Garlic, Spice, Modified Corn Starch, Sunflower Oil), Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt), Spices. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
While not 100% guaranteed, the cattle imported from New Zealand and Australia are believed to be ethically raised, meaning the cattle are never administered growth hormones. The cattle are guaranteed to have some partial free range access to graze on grass, just the way nature intended.
The liquids in this marinade are comprised of a decent soy sauce twice, mirin, water, vinegar, and sunflower oil twice. Mirin is a Japanese cooking wine, often rice based. Sunflower oil is a healthy choice, and is full of healthy fats, but should be consumed in moderation.
The only complaints here is that the marinade uses highly processed and unhealthy high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). To a lesser extent, modified corn starch is used, where corn based products have no business being in jerky.
There are some healthy ingredients used such as spices, garlic, dehydrated garlic, and paprika extractive.
There is no nutrition facts table provided. As a result, the exact sugar and salt levels are unknown.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite, or use any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservative used is salt. To the credit of Joe’s Wicked Good Jerky, there is no MSG added.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These jerky strips are mainly small to medium in size, and sliced to a medium thickness. They are borderline dry, and are relatively easy to chew. There are very little visible signs of fat, and handling these strips leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
A moderately strong soy sauce is detected first. The cooking wine mirin adds an good aspect to the flavor. There is a mild level of sweetness, and a moderate salt level. An interesting mix of spices is used, where this jerky is savory and tasty.
While not immediate, as advertised, there is a good deal of black pepper. The peppered level increases as you eat more strips. For the black pepper lovers out there, this peppered flavor does not disappoint.
This 3 ounce/85 gram bag sells online for $6.00. That works out to $2.00 an ounce, which rates as an average price. This flavor is wicked good, and worth the money.
Excellent (10/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This is a standard resealable plastic bag that has a label affixed to the front, and a small sticker on the back. Their company logo is a bull’s skull. There are no slogans or facts printed on this bag.
Many bag categories are covered here. Some missing categories are a nutrition facts table, allergen alerts, a blurb about the company or flavor, and the jerky weight is not stated in grams. To the credit of Joe’s Wicked Good Jerky, a phone number is provided for customer inquiries.
Order their jerky online: www.joeswickedgoodjerky.com
We can say for a fact that this beef jerky is well worth your $6 a bag! We have enjoyed many bags our self’s and we enjoy Joe’s Wicked Good Beef Jerky! Great review!