The first review for The Meat Makers will be on a 1.4 ounce/40 gram bag of their Mild Indian Curry flavored beef jerky. Interestingly, the beef is air-dried, as opposed to using a dehydrator. That results in jerky that tends to melt in your mouth. This bag was kindly submitted for review by Silvija Murnikovaite from the Sales & Marketing team.
The Meat Makers brand of jerky is distributed by DORA. They are located in Šiauliai, Lithuania, and started in 2000. The Meat Makers jerky brand was launched in 2014. Today, they employ over 60 people. Sales continue to grow year over year, and they currently produce about 250,000 packages a month. Over half of their sales are exported to Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, UK and Baltic. Their jerky is advertised as being 100% natural, using high-quality ingredients. For those interested, they offer private labeling services.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef Topside (100 g of product is made from 198 g beef) / Water / Soy Beans / Salt / Brown Sugar / Spices / Garlic / Red Wine / Apple Vinegar / Dried Plums /Curry 0,08%. For allergens, see ingredients in bold. May contain traces of mustard, celery, seezam and nuts.
The cattle used have some free range access to forage on grass, and roam about. Just the way nature intended. The cattle are not given growth hormones or additional antibiotics. That qualifies this jerky to use ethically raised beef.
The liquid marinade is comprised of water, healthy red wine, and very healthy apple cider vinegar. Actual soy beans are used instead of being in sauce form.
Garlic is another healthy ingredient used, which many consider to be in the superfood group. An interesting choice is dried plums, which are highly nutritious. Healthy spices are used.
While there is a nutrition facts table provided, it would appear that things are measured differently in Europe. Based on the taste alone, both the sugar and salt seem to be at reasonable levels.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservative used is rock salt. Admirably, there is also no MSG added.
Very Good (9/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips of beef are small in size, and are sliced to a medium thickness. The texture is dry, but tends to melt in your mouth. There are no signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
The first taste detected is a mild level of red wine. A light level of apple cider vinegar gives the flavor a light tanginess. Both the saltiness and sweetness are at mild levels. A mild soy level is consistent, as is a great mild level of garlic.
The curry flavor itself is at a mild to moderate level, and tastes fantastic. Overall, this is a terrific blend of flavors, which is a treat to eat.
This 1.4 ounce/71 gram bags sells online for €3.49. That works out to €2.49 an ounce, which rates as a slightly expensive price compared to US dollars. The price is cheaper if you order larger quantities. This Mild Indian Curry flavor is wholeheartedly recommended from taste and ingredient perspectives, it’s addictive.
Excellent (10/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This is an uncommon bag of jerky because it has a cardboard casing. The plastic bag itself is clear, and not resealable. This package has a professional and appealing appearance.
One detailed fact printed on this bag is “100 G of product is made from 198 G Beef / Curry / Garlic / Spices”. Other facts printed on this bag are “Premium Quality”, “Air-Dried”, and “No Artificial Flavours”.
All bag categories are covered. A great blurb is printed on the back about this Mild Indian Curry flavor. There are translations provided in English, Polish, and German. To the credit of The Meat Makers, a phone number is provided for customer inquiries.
Excellent (10/10) – Bag Rating
Order their jerky online: www.themeatmakers.com
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