The next review for Pecos Bill’s will focus on a 3.17 ounce/90 gram bag of their teriyaki flavored beef jerky. This will be the second review on Pecos Bill’s teriyaki flavor, where the ingredient list and bag design have changed since 2008. The jerky bag was purchased at a Walmart store in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
The Pecos Bill’s jerky brand name is manufactured by likely the largest jerky private labeler in the world, Marfood USA. They were founded in 1997, and Marfood USA is located in Taylor, Michigan. With this bag being sold in Canada, Mirab Canada is the distributor of this jerky, based out of Cranbrook, British Columbia. At one point, Mirab USA became Marfood USA. This Pecos Bill’s brand is especially popular in Western Canada, and popular in areas of the United States and Canada.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Sugar, Teriyaki Sauce Soy Sauce [Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt], Wine, Sugar, Water, Vinegar, Salt, Spices, Onion Powder, Succinic Acid, Garlic Powder, Sodium Benzoate), Water, Maltodextrin, Salt, Vinegar, Salt, Monosodium Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Papaya Juice, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper Powder, Sodium Erythorbate, Citric Acid, Natural Smoke Flavor, Disodium Inosinate, Sodium Nitrite, Paprika Oleoresin, Smoke. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
This 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 consists of a decent teriyaki sauce, water, healthy vinegar, and papaya juice. In the fruit papaya juice, there is a healthy enzyme named papain that acts as a natural meat tenderizer.
Some healthy ingredients are added such as garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
The sugar level is at our acceptable borderline of 5 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky, which is our sugar limit for a sweet based flavor as we have here with teriyaki. The salt level is high at 480mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 350mg of salt or under per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky does not qualify to be sodium nitrite free. The negative trifecta is achieved here, losing two ratings with sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium erythorbate, and sodium nitrite used as preservatives. Citric acid and vinegar to a lesser extent acts as preservatives.
Another unhealthy trifecta is achieved here. Unhealthy monosodium glutamate (MSG) is used outright to lose a rating. Another rating is lost using the unhealthy flavor enhancer disodium inosinate, which works in conjunction with MSG to enhance the flavor that much more. Furthermore, another rating is lost with the cheap, highly processed flavor enhancer hydrolyzed soy protein being used.
Very Bad (2/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips are a mixture of medium to small in size. Some pieces are sliced thin, while others are sliced to a medium thickness. Despite being advertised as soft & tender, these strips are closer to being on the dry side. A reasonable amount of effort is needed to chew these jerky strips.
A moderately strong teriyaki type of flavor is detected first. Perhaps not a classic tasting teriyaki flavor, but there is a pronounced level of soy. It takes a while for the garlic, onion, and black pepper flavors to develop, and are all at faint to light levels.
Mild levels of sweetness and saltiness persist. There is not a great deal of natural beef flavor, as this beef has a somewhat undesirable processed taste and feel.
The three types of flavor enhancers used here give this flavor a sort of unnatural savory taste. Another side effect of the flavor enhancers is that this flavor can leave you with an unusual aftertaste, which is not normally the case with jerky.
There was some mixed reaction here to this flavor. Overall, the taste is fine, but lacks richness and refinement to peak our interest. We wish there would have been somewhat of an acidity/citrus kick and perhaps ginger to make this flavor fun and more interesting.
This 3.17 ounce/90 gram bag of jerky cost $4.97. That equates to $1.52 an ounce, which classifies as a pretty cheap price in 2018.
Bag Review
This bag has everything imprinted directly on to the bag itself. Being sold in Canada, there are some French translations provided, which is required by Canadian law. The Pecos Bill’s logo is a cowboy with a lasso.
The jerky brand name Pecos Bill’s on the back of this bag is not even mentioned once, where this is likely a stock jerky recipe and bag.
Pecos Bill’s along with many other Marfood USA jerky brands shares the registered trademark slogan “Soft & Tender”. Some facts printed on this bag are “80 Calories”, “12g Protein”, “Product of the U.S.A.”, and “Packaged in the USA”.
The only bag category missing is a blurb printed about the Pecos Bill’s jerky brand. To the credit of Marfood USA , they provide a toll free phone number for customer inquiries. Pecos Bill’s curiously does not have a web site.
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