The first review on Beef Boys will be on a 3 ounce/85 gram bag of their sweet garlic flavored beef jerky. This bag was kindly submitted by the Beef Boys Jerky Co. team.
This Beefy Boys brand name is distributed by Top 10 Produce LLC, and are located in Salinas, California. It started with friends Craig Bray and Tony Souza making jerky together at age 11, where Craig is the chef behind all of their flavors. They officially launched the Beefy Boys jerky brand name in 1999. In 2013, Top 10 Produce LLC acquired the Beefy Boys jerky brand. Their registered trademark is Locale®, which by definition is “a place or locality, including the events, people, food & wine associated with it”. In terms of the jerky, every ingredient used is guaranteed to have been sourced within 120 miles, which is truly awesome.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Water, Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt, Sodium Benzoate), Brown Sugar, Teriyaki Sauce (Soy Sauce, Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt), Sugar, Garlic, Sesame Seeds, Dried Onion, Ginger, Garlic Seasoning, Salt, Seasoned Salt (including Maltodextrin), Spices and other Flavorings. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat, Sesame
The beef used is ethically raised, meaning it is guaranteed to be free of growth hormones and additional antibiotics. Also, these locally raised cattle have free range access being pasture raised, and then finished with grains. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Very Good (9/10) rating.
The liquid marinade is comprised of a decent soy sauce, a good teriyaki sauce, and water. One ingredient used is sesame seeds, which offer many health benefits, but an allergen to some.
There are healthy spices used. Some people think garlic is in the superfood category. It is part of the allium family, and interestingly, aids people differently depending on their individual’s needs.
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 any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservative used is salt. Admirably, there is no MSG added.
Very Good (9/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips of jerky are mainly medium in size, and sliced thin. The texture is fairly dry, but still reasonable to chew. There are no signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves a very slight residue on your fingers.
The first flavor picked up is the garlic at a good level. While not overdone, the sesame flavor pairs very well with the garlic. A good deal of soy flavor is present.
There is not much sweetness despite being advertised as a sweet flavor, which allows a good level of natural beef flavor. The saltiness is at a mild level, and a light level of black pepper persists. Overall, this flavor definitely hits on the garlic, and is quite addictive.
A 3 ounce/85 gram bag sells online for $7.99. That works out to $2.66 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price. Any garlic lover will surely enjoy this flavor.
Excellent (10/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This clear resealable plastic bag has two labels affixed to the front, and nothing on the back. The Beef Boys logo has a cows head in the middle of a circle, where the red and gold colors are by no coincidence the same colors as the San Francisco 49’ers NFL team.
There are no slogans or facts printed on this bag.
There are some bag categories missing such as the jerky weight not stated in grams, a blurb about the jerky or flavor, a best before date, sesame allergen alert, and nutrition facts table. To the credit of Beef Boys, a toll free phone number is provided for customer inquiries. A QR Code is printed that links to the www.top10fresh.com web site, which gives details on the farmer or rancher.
Order their jerky online: www.ourlocale.org
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