The next review on The Bored Butcher will be on a 2.1 ounce/60 gram bag of their pepper flavored beef jerky. This jerky was kindly submitted for review by co-owners Gabriel Amador and Gabriel Costa.
The Bored Butcher is distributed by Amcofood S.A., and is located in Guayaquil, Guayas, Ecuador. Gabriel Amador, Gabriel Costa, and Daniel Costa officially launched The Bored Butcher jerky brand in December 2016. Locally sourced Ecuadorian cattle are used, which are mostly grass-fed, and the cows have plenty of room to roam about, the way nature intended. The Bored Butcher advertises their jerky to be minimally processed, no preservatives, and low on sugar. There are currently four flavors for sale, and a web site will eventually be launched.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Carne de Res Deshidratada, Vinagre, Azucar Morena, Sal, Pimienta Gruesa, Paprika, Ajo, Cebolla.
Ingredients: Dehydrated Beef, Vinegar, Brown Sugar, Salt, Cracked Black Pepper, Paprika, Garlic, Onion.
The Ecuadorian beef used here is guaranteed to be ethically raised, meaning free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. These cattle also are guaranteed to have at least partial free range access to roam about. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Very Good (9/10) rating.
The only liquid marinade used here is healthy vinegar.
Some other healthy ingredients are used such as paprika, cracked black pepper, garlic, and onion. Some people call black pepper the King of Spices, with its multiple health benefits offered.
The sugar level is somewhat high at 3 grams of sugar per 15 grams of jerky, although the actual taste is not sweet tasting at all. While the salt level is high at 610mg of salt per 15 grams of jerky, the taste would indicate that this salt level is at a mild level at best.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservative used is salt, and vinegar to a lesser degree. Commendably, there is no MSG added.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
I find this to be an interesting beef jerky. There is a good meaty flavor followed by some nice acidity. Unfortunately, the flavors are uneven and can differ drastically between each strip and even from bite to bite.
Although quite subtle, there are notes of black pepper, garlic and onion and these vary a great deal between each piece. These strips of beef are medium in size and thinly sliced. The texture is very dry and still reasonably easy to chew. These thin slices almost melt in your mouth. There are very little visible signs of fat and not enough to noticeably accentuate the natural beef flavor.
The interesting thing about this jerky as mentioned earlier is the fact that even though the seasoning varies from strip to strip and bite to bite, it is quite addictive. The flavors start building up after chewing a few strips and then begin to come together. The cracked black pepper, garlic and onions eventually come through and develop a nice flavor profile. As a result, this beef jerky becomes fairly addictive.
In summary, this jerky tastes good in general. I wish the flavors would be distributed more evenly and a little extra sprinkle of fresh cracked pepper would deliver added fullness and refinement. These would trickle down and remedy these unfortunate technical issues and make this jerky a home run.
I would rate it 8/10 with the potential to be over the top.
A 2.1 ounce/60 gram bag sells for $7.00. That works out to $3.33 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price.
Bag Review
This clear resealable plastic bag has labels attached to both the front and back. The Bored Butcher logo has a cleaver and fork crisscrossed.
The Bored Butcher slogans are “Hand-Crafted Snacks” and “South American Beef Our Way”. Some facts printed on this bag are “High Protein”, “Low Sugar”, “Soy Free”, “G F” (Gluten-Free), “Dehydrated Meat”, “High in Salt (In red, meaning the opposite of low in salt), “Low in Sugar”, and “Low in Fat”. An “Ecuador First” logo is printed, and another logo indicating that the plastic bag is reusable.
The only bag category missing is a best before date. A lot number is provided, which could translate to a best before date. A blurb is printed on the back about The Bored Butcher, which is written in Spanish. Admirably, a phone number and email address are provided for customer inquiries. The @TheBoredButcher social media handle is displayed.
Check Out Their Instagram Page: www.instagram.com/theboredbutcher
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