Pop’s Famous Gourmet Beef Jerky – Jalapeno Hottie Beef Jerky

The first review for Pop’s Famous Gourmet Beef Jerky will be on a 3 ounce/85 gram bag of their Jalapeno Hottie flavored beef jerky. This flavor is described as being hot as molten lava, and made with real jalapeños, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper and ground black pepper for a well-rounded burn. The bag was purchased at a ShopRite store in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.

The Pop’s Famous Gourmet Beef Jerky brand name is distributed under the same name of Pop’s Famous Gourmet Beef Jerky. They are located in Ramsey, New Jersey, and are owned by Joel and Ewa. Their jerky recipes and cooking process was first developed years ago, and was passed on. They take great pride in knowing that all of the ingredients that go into their jerky are made from high quality products from companies who share their commitment to excellence. This jerky is advertised as having no preservatives, and low on sodium using beef that is guaranteed to be hormone-free.

Ingredient Review

Ingredients: Beef, Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt), Water, Brown Sugar, Worcestershire Sauce (Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Distilled Vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce Base (Distilled Vinegar, Molasses, Corn Syrup, Water, Salt, Caramel Color, Garlic Powder, Sugar, Spices, Tamarind, Natural Flavor, Sulfiting Agent), Salt, Citric Acid), Black Pepper, Natural Smoke Flavor, (Water, Natural Hickory Smoke Concentrate), Jalapeno Powder, Crushed Red Peppers, Cayenne Powder, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Citric Acid.    Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat

The beef used is guaranteed to be ethically raised, meaning free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. There is no guarantee that the cattle have at least partial free range access to graze on grass. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Very Good (9/10) rating.

The liquid marinade consists of a decent soy sauce, a not so good Worcestershire sauce, water, and a liquid hickory smoke. It is disappointing to see that the Worcestershire sauce uses the highly processed sweetener high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Also not good is that cheap, processed sweetener corn syrup is used in the Worcestershire sauce.

The heat in this flavor is achieved from the crushed red peppers, cayenne pepper, and Jalapeno peppers. Hot peppers are healthy if eaten in moderation, which flush toxins out of the body.

The sugar level is decent at 2 gram of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is respectable at 220mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky.

This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservative used is salt. To the credit of Pop’s Famous Gourmet Beef Jerky, there is no MSG added.

Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating

Taste Review

These strips of jerky are medium in size, and sliced to a medium thickness. This texture almost qualifies to be soft and tender, which is easy to chew. There are no signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves a slight oily residue on your fingers.

Despite the flavor name being labeled as “Jalapeno Hottie”, there is not much spiciness here. On a heat scale, it would rate a 1 out of 4. Nor is there any natural jalapeno flavor detected. The saltiness is mild, and there are faint levels of black pepper/garlic. Overall, while not bad tasting, this flavor misses the mark in delivering the taste of jalapeno.

This 3 ounce/85 gram bag sells online for $7.49. That works out to $2.50 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price. This flavor is recommended to people who only want a light level of spiciness, and a fair amount of sweetness.

Alright (6/10) – Taste Rating

Bag Review

This gold colored resealable bag has a label affixed to the front, and nothing on the silver colored back. The Pop’s Famous Gourmet Beef Jerky logo is a gentleman tipping his cap. Also featured is a female Jalapeno hottie.

Their slogan is “Heat has never been so sweet!”. Facts printed on this bag are “Natural Style”, “No Preservatives”, “Low in Fat”, “No Nitrates”, “No Added MSG”, and “Natural Smoke Flavor Added”.

The only minor bag category missing is the jerky weight stated in grams.

Decent (7/10) – Bag Rating