The first review on Get Hooked Beef Jerky will be on a 2 ounce/57 gram bag of their garlic flavored beef jerky. This bag was kindly submitted by the Chief Marketing Officer, Jordan R. Lapira.
This Get Hooked Beef Jerky brand name is distributed by Get Hooked Jerky Quality Foods Inc., and is made exclusively in the Land of Enchantment, specifically in Tomé, New Mexico. Formerly Sunset Foods Beef Jerky, Get Hooked Jerky Quality Foods evolved from over 30 years of development and experience. Family-owned since 1985, their roots are strong locally, and their products have reached the four corners of the globe. Their tagline is “it’s a HOLE lot better”, because they hang their jerky from bacon hangers, rather than lay them flat in their custom-built and engineered oven. Each strip has small holes, and the light crunchy texture sets them apart.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Water, Garlic Juice (Sea Salt, Vinegar, Citric Acid, Garlic Oil, P-80), Black Pepper, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavor, Canola Oil.
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 is comprised of garlic juice, sunflower oil, and canola oil. It is disappointing to see that polysorbate-80 is used in the garlic juice to help bind ingredients together, but it was never designed to withstand the jerky drying process.
Black pepper is used, which some people call the king of spices.
There is no nutrition facts table provided. There is no sugar added. Based on taste alone, the salt level seems reasonable.
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.
Decent (7/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips of jerky are medium to large in size, and sliced thin. The texture is dry to the point where it is slightly crunchy, which has a tendency to dissolve, disintegrate, and melt in your mouth. That does seem to require extra saliva to digest. There are no signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
The first flavor detected is the garlic, which grows as you consume more strips. A good ratio of salt to black pepper remains constant. With an absence of sweetness and sauces, there is a very good level of natural beef flavor.
The crunchy texture more than anything stands out here. While not for everybody, you can see why people get hooked on this garlic flavor. A mild tang from the vinegar fits in very well. One minor complaint is that not all jerky strips have the same flavor profile, but otherwise it can be very tasty.
A 4 ounce/113 gram bag sells online for $14.00. That works out to $3.50 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price. The price gets cheaper if you order large quantities. Plus it is $10 for a 4 ounce/113 gram bag if you buy the jerky from their store. If garlic and a slightly crunchy jerky texture sounds appealing, you will enjoy this flavor.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This clear resealable plastic bag has a label affixed to the front, and nothing on the back. Interestingly, their logo is a heart with bull horns, because jerky is their passion. Curiously, the jerky brand name is not displayed anywhere.
There are no slogans or facts printed on this bag.
There are a couple of other bag categories missing such as a blurb about the jerky or flavor, and a nutrition facts table. To the credit of Get Hooked Beef Jerky, a phone number is provided for customer inquiries.
Order their jerky online: www.gethookedonjerky.com
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