The next review for The Meat Makers will be on a 1.4 ounce/40 gram bag of their Sweet Asian Chili flavored beef jerky. Interestingly, the beef is air-dried, as opposed to using a dehydrator or smoker. No enzymes are destroyed in the drying process, where the intact enzymes help break down the beef in our bodies. 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 197 g beef) / Water / Soy Beans / Salt / Brown Sugar / Spices / Garlic / Red Wine / Apple Vinegar / Dried Plums /Chili Pepper 0,55%. 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 or thin thickness. The texture is dry, but tends to melt in your mouth, being air dried. There are no signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
Immediately the Asian flavor comes across very well, which could be a mixture of cumin or turmeric. There is a mild sweetness, which balances very well with the spices used. Each bite finishes off with a light amount of black pepper, along with soy and garlic flavors.
As for the spiciness from the chili, it is at a light level. On a heat scale, it would rate about a 2 out of 5. Worth mentioning is that The Meat Makers have a great base of ingredients for all of their flavors with dried plums, red wine, and apple vinegar. Overall, this flavor delivers on all fronts with the sweetness, chili pepper, and Asian flair.
This 1.4 ounce/71 gram bags sells online for €2.69. That works out to €1.91 an ounce, which rates as an average price compared to US dollars. The price is cheaper if you order larger quantities. This flavor reaches the trifecta of being highly recommended on taste, ingredient, and price perspectives.
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 197 G Beef / Chili / Plums / Garlic”. 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 Sweet Asian Chili 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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