The next review on Smokehouse Jerky Co. will focus on a 2 ounce/56 gram bag of their Sriracha Cha Cha bacon jerky flavor. We reviewed this flavor back in April 2015, where this time the taste review will be written by Stéphane Leclerc. This flavor is described as bacon being delicious, Sriracha being delicious, jerky being delicious and putting them all together with this Sriracha Cha Cha bacon jerky flavor. The jerky was graciously submitted for review by one of the owners, Franco Fonseca.
This Smokehouse Jerky Co. brand is manufactured and distributed by Tender Heifer Snack Co., and based out of Beaumont, California. The Smokehouse Jerky Co. brand name was officially launched in 2008. On January 2/2017, Franco and his wife Patti Fonseca acquired Smokehouse Jerky Co. from Trent Levinson and his wife Barbie. Franco has since added some new flavors, got active on social media, and they have a new web site. All of their jerky is made in small batches. Tender Heifer Snack Co. are always looking for new distributors across the United States, and offer private label services
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Bacon (Water, Salt, Sugar, Smoke Flavoring, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Erythorbate, Flavoring, Sodium Nitrate), White Sugar, Sriracha Sauce (Chili, Sugar, Salt, Garlic, Distilled Vinegar, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Bisulfite, and Xanthan Gum), Teriyaki Sauce (Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt), Wine, Sugar, Water, Vinegar, Salt, Onion Powder, Spice Extractives), Succinic Acid, Garlic Powder), Pepper, Garlic, Cayenne Powder, Ginger. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
This is a standard ingredient list for bacon. While not good, it contains sodium erythorbate, and sodium nitrate as preservatives.
The marinade consists of water, a decent sriracha sauce, and a good teriyaki sauce.
Super healthy vegetables garlic and ginger are used. Healthy spices such as cayenne powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and onion powder are used.
The sugar level is high at 6 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less. This salt level is very high at 640mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. In fairness, bacon as a general rule is high in salt.
Admirably, this jerky has no MSG added.
Average (5/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
How do you kick up the taste of an ingredient as delicious and iconic as bacon? Well Smokehouse Jerky Co. did find the magical combination and kicked it up a notch with their Sriracha Cha Cha Bacon Jerky.
I love the combination of bacon, sriracha, jerky and natural smoke, it screams with taste and delicious flavor. There is a great aroma of bacon and smokiness. At first bite, I noticed a moderate spiciness; it is not overly spicy although there is a decent kick from the sriracha, chili and cayenne pepper. It is at a perfect level in my own opinion as I really appreciate their wonderful flavor. The spiciness is balanced with some sweetness; it is cleverly developed and the jerky has a nice depth of flavor while reminding me of some delicate notes of maple sugar.
There are also more subtle flavors in the background such as a light level of garlic and ginger with mild to moderate saltiness. A teriyaki sauce is added, it is subtle tasting as well and helps in rounding off this stellar flavor profile.
One may argue this jerky is too sweet tasting and I would disagree, the sweetness is warranted as it adds some depth and richness while adding a slight crunchiness to the jerky and by the same token giving it a fun and pleasant texture.
The spiciness and flavor from the sriracha sauce is awesome. The spiciness is perhaps at 2 out of 5 or slightly higher on the heat scale. The cayenne pepper really adds a nice little bite of heat in addition to the sriracha sauce.
The wonderful taste of bacon and natural smokiness are really noticeable and also consistent in each and every bite. These strips are mainly the same size as regular bacon strips. The texture is more on the soft and tender side and fairly easy to chew. There is some oily residue and it adds to the richness of these strips.
This tasty jerky would be great chopped up and generously sprinkled over your eggs or omelette, in your favorite sandwich, burger or grilled cheese, Mac & Cheese, pastas, baked potato, mashed potatoes, salads, in a dip or on your veggies, in a delicious pizza or a great poutine to name just a few!
In conclusion, this is one of the best bacon flavors we’ve reviewed to date. The Smokehouse Jerky Co. Sriracha Cha Cha Bacon Jerky is absolutely delicious and it was a monumental struggle not to finish off the entire bag in one sitting. I would easily give this great tasting jerky a 10/10 rating and I highly recommend this wonderful snack as it is excellent on every level.
This 2 ounce/56 gram bag of jerky sells online for $8.00. That works out to $4.00 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price.
Excellent (10/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This is a standard resealable plastic bag, with a label affixed on the front, and nothing on the back. The label has a fairly detailed picture that looks like a wooden shack with a “Jerky Co.” sign, and trees in a dark background.
Some facts printed on this bags are “Old Fashion Recipe”, “No Added MSG”, “No Added Preservatives”, “Made in U.S.A.”, “Old Fashion”, and “Natural Smoke Flavoring Added”.
The only bag category missing is a blurb printed about Smokehouse Jerky Co., Tender Heifer Snack Co., or this Sriracha Cha Cha flavor.
Order their jerky online: www.tenderheifersnackco.com
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