The Smokehouse Jerky Co. brand name was 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, and they have a new web site design. All Smokehouse Jerky Co. jerky is made in small batches. Tender Heifer Snack Co. have steadily been adding private label services for more jerky makers and entities, most notably for Knott’s Berry Farm. This jerky is manufactured and distributed by Tender Heifer Snack Co., and they are based out of Beaumont, California.
The next review on Smokehouse Jerky Co. will focus on a 1 ounce/28 gram bag of their Applewood Smoke Style flavored bacon jerky. This flavor is described as made with California pork and is seasoned with fine ingredients – its sweet Applewood mixture blends well with the bacon jerky’s texture giving it a rich fruity-yet-smoky flavor. The jerky was graciously submitted for review by one of the owners, Patti Fonseca.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Natural Bacon (Pork, Water, Salt, Turbinado Sugar, Celery Powder, Lactic Acid Starter Culture [Not From Milk], Brown Sugar, Honey, Applewood Smoke, Powdered Sugar, Ground Pepper, Apple Juice, Sea Salt, White Sugar.
This is a surprisingly good ‘natural bacon’ ingredient list. It is certainly visually noticeable that this bacon does not contain as much fat as to regular bacon that you commonly see for sale. It is uncommon to see no sodium based preservatives used. As a result, the ingredient rating starts at Very Good (9/10).
The liquid marinade used here is comprised of water, healthy honey, and healthy apple juice.
The sugar level is high at 9 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating, where we prefer 3 grams of sugar or less per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is also high at 550mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. However, the salt level is ignored because minimally processed sea salt is used instead of highly processed table salt.
As advertised, there are no unhealthy preservatives used, where this jerky is confirmed as having no sodium nitrite. Instead, sea salt is the main preservative used. Admirably, this jerky has no MSG added.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
I am really impressed with this Smokehouse Jerky Co. Applewood Smoke Style Bacon Jerky. The great quality of the meat is excellent; each strip is very meaty with just a little fat for added flavor. There is a generous amount of cracked black pepper and smokiness at the forefront. This is followed with some sweetness. Although, this bacon jerky is sweet tasting, it is still within reason in my own opinion. The crystals of sugar create a very pleasant texture and I enjoy its awesome crispiness and candied texture. This bacon jerky has a Maple like type of sweetness and it elevates the flavor profile many notches.
These strips are large, thin and comparable to typical strips of bacon. There is a healthy sprinkle of cracked black pepper on each strip. This bacon jerky is soft and easy to chew.
Overall, I really enjoy this delectable bacon jerky. It is addictive as heck and it stands proudly on its own. I am also convinced this would make a great add-on for a variety of dishes, breakfast and dessert such as sandwiches, salad toppings or dressings, French toasts, waffles, Sundaes and so many other creations. This wonderful treat will certainly add flavor, texture while sparking anyone’s creativity and many interesting conversation around the dining table.
I positively and enthusiastically rate this exquisite Smokehouse Jerky Co. Peppered Applewood Style Bacon Jerky a 10/10 taste rating …all day, every day and twice on Sunday!
This 1 ounce/28 gram bag of jerky sells online for 4.25, which rates as an expensive price. Commendably, free shipping is offered on all orders over $25.
Excellent (10/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This resealable plastic bag has a label affixed on the front, and nothing on the back. The label has a fairly detailed picture of a wooden shack with a “Jerky Co.” sign, plus a pig sitting on a smoker.
Some facts printed on this bags are “Old Fashion Recipe”, “No Added MSG”, “No Added Preservatives”, “Made in U.S.A.”, “Old Fashion”, “Gluten Free”, and “Natural Smoke Flavoring Added”.
All bag categories are covered but one. There is no blurb printed about Smokehouse Jerky Co. or Tender Heifer Snack Co.
The older bag listed below is a 2 oz bag of this Peppered Applewood Style bacon jerky, also kindly submitted by Smokehouse Jerky Co. The flavor name has changed, and the ingredient list has been tweaked.
Order their jerky online: www.smokehousejerkyco.com
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