Boar’s Head – Cracked Pepper Mill Turkey Jerky

The next review on Boar’s Head will focus on a 2 ounce/56 gram bag of their Cracked Pepper Mill turkey jerky. This bag was purchased at a convenience store in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

This Boar’s Head brand of jerky is manufactured and distributed by Brunckhorst Co. based out of New York, New York. The Boar’s Head brand began in the New York City area in 1905, and is still family owned over 110 years later. Following the principles set out by the founder, Frank Brunckhorst, Boar’s Head will never sacrifice quality for profit, with an unwavering commitment to high standards. Today, you can find their products for sale in thousands of Mom & Pop stores across the USA, and not just jerky, where their specialty is as a delicatessen.

Ingredient Review

Coated With Black Pepper.

Boar’s Head – Cracked Pepper Mill Turkey Jerky

Ingredients: Turkey Breast, Water, Dextrose, Salt, Paprika, Celery Powder, Potato Maltodextrin, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors, Gum Arabic.

While against federal regulations anyway, the turkeys were not administered any growth hormones, meaning they were raised ethically. There are no guarantees that the turkey had free range access. As a result, the highest ingredient rating achievable is Very Good (9/10).

The liquid marinade used is just plain old water. Apart from super healthy black pepper, paprika is the only other spice used.

The salt level is very high at 510mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 350mg of less of salt per 28 grams of jerky. In fairness, some of the salt is minimally processed sea salt.

The sugar level is high at 5 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less.

As advertised, this jerky has no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, just salt and vinegar are used to preserve the jerky. Also, as advertised, this jerky has no MSG added.

Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating

Taste Review

These strips are small in size, and sliced to a medium thickness. The texture is somewhat dry, and relatively easy to chew. There are no visible signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves no oily residue on your fingers.

The first flavor detected is a good level of cracked black pepper. Apart from the black pepper, there are not many other flavors present. The saltiness is at a moderate level, which mixes well with the black pepper.

A mild level of sweetness does not go overboard in being too sweet tasting. There is a reasonable amount of natural turkey flavor. Overall, while this flavor delivers on the cracked pepper taste, the remaining flavors come across as bland tasting.

This 2 ounce/56 gram bag cost $4.99, which works out to $2.50 an ounce. That classifies as being an expensive price, at least compared to beef jerky. This flavor is recommended for the black pepper flavor, but otherwise it is nondescript tasting.

Decent (7/10) – Taste Rating

Bag Review

At first glance you can tell this packaging is fancy, leading you to believe that this will be a high quality product. Everything is imprinted directly on the bag, both the front and back. There are no labels affixed on this bag. This resealable bag has a dual barrier pack, and unusually, this bag is near square shaped.

The Boar’s Head logo is the head of a wild boar. Their slogans are “All Natural” and “Butcher Craft”. Some facts printed on the bag are “Raised without the use of hormones & no antibiotics ever”, “No artificial ingredients, minimally processed”, “Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in poultry”, “Gluten Free”, “No MSG”, “No nitrites”, “No preservatives”, “Refrigerate After Opening”, “Coated With Black Pepper”, “18g Protein Per Bag”, “Low in Saturated Fat”, “0g Trans Fat Per Serving”, “9g Protein Per 1 oz Serving”, “Low Fat”, “Milk Free”, “No Artificial Colors or Flavors”, “No By-Products”, “No Erythorbate”, “No Fillers”, “No Soy”, and “All Natural Turkey Jerky”. For the record, this bag has 9 grams of protein per ounce, and not 18 grams of protein as stated on the front.

All bag categories are covered except one. There is no transparent window on the bag to view the actual jerky, which is somewhat annoying. On the back there is a good blurb written about Boar’s Head. As added bonuses, there is an “All Natural Turkey Jerky” stamp on the front, and a “Premium Quality” stamp printed on the back.

Very Good (9/10) – Bag Rating