Jeff was just a hungry teenager in the 1970s when he realized his favorite on-the-go snack had the potential to be so much better. That summer, he bought a dehydrator from the county fair, and he was fascinated with the process of how the flavors intensified by using flavorful marinades during the dehydration process. Over the years, he spent thousands of hours experimenting with recipes, intent on making beef jerky how he envisioned it could be… intensely full of flavor, soft and tender with the taste and texture of a fine steak but without the chemical preservatives.
Jeff’s relentless quest for culinary flavor perfection kept him researching different cultural influences and refining and innovating new fusion recipes for more than three decades before he ever offered his jerky for sale to the public in 2010. People from all over the world were soon enjoying jerky perfection, and Jeff’s Famous legacy continues today.
Jeff lives in the pristine, four-season, mountain community of Big Bear Lake, California, with his loving, vibrant wife, energetic toddler son, and two spoiled cats. He enjoys cooking and great food and quality time with family.
Jeff’s Famous Jerky brand is distributed under the name of Jeff’s Famous Foods, Inc., and they are located in Big Bear Lake, California.
The next review on Jeff’s Famous Jerky will focus on a 2.75 ounce/77.96 gram bag of their Teriyaki flavored beef jerky. This flavor as described as sweet and medium hot, gluten-free, soft and tender mouth-watering brisket beef deliciousness that is 100% all natural introduced this Fall. The bag was graciously submitted for review by owner Jeff Richards.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Gluten Free Reduced Tamari Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans, Salt, Alcohol), Brown Sugar, Pineapple Juice Concentrate, Granulated Garlic, Black Pepper, Ginger. Allergen Warnings: Soy
The beef used here is guaranteed to be ethically raised 98% of the time, meaning free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. There is no 100% guarantee because sometimes the beef used cannot keep up with the demand. These cattle are not 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.
This liquid marinade here is comprised of a well-respected brand of gluten free reduced tamari soy sauce, and healthy pineapple juice concentrate.
There are healthy ingredients added, such as granulated garlic and black pepper.
The sugar level is high at 7 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference for a sweet based flavor is 5 grams of sugar or less per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is acceptable at 330mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, salt is the main preservative used. Admirably, this jerky qualifies to have no MSG added.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
JEFF’S FAMOUS JERKY – TERIYAKI BEEF JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag, I smell sweet. The jerky is soft and moist, leaving a slightly oily residue on your fingers. The jerky “strips” (they’re more like small morsels) are small in size, and they are sliced relatively thin.
The first flavors I encounter are salt, at a mild level, sweet, way too much sweet for my liking, slight garlic, more sweet, and so on. This jerky, while flavourful, is too sweet, and the sweetness overpowers the other flavors. The teriyaki flavor is rather prominent, kudos to Jeff’s Famous for that, but I can only go as high as 8/10.
Here is what Mark had to say about this teriyaki beef jerky flavor from Jeff’s Famous Jerky: “Thanks for the honest taste review Paul. We agree that a classic teriyaki flavor exists with the pineapple, soy, garlic, a hint of ginger, and sweetness. This flavor is too sweet for my liking also, but the sweetness is a trademark aspect of a teriyaki flavor. As advertised, this flavor is soft and tender being easy to chew. The cut of beef brisket is used, which soaks up marinade better than any other cut of beef for maximum flavor.”
“Due to COVID-19, we are down to just Paul and me for this taste review. I am personally at a 9 rating only due to this flavor being arguably too sweet tasting. I am sure that not everybody would agree that this flavor is too sweet tasting. Therefore, a Very Good (9/10) taste rating seems most appropriate here.”
This 2.75 ounce/77.96 gram bag costs $7.49. That works out to $2.72 an ounce, which rates at an average price.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This gold-colored resealable plastic bag has a label affixed to the front and nothing on the back.
There are no slogans printed on this bag. Some facts printed on this bag are “Gluten Free”, “All Natural”, “Minimally Processed”, and “No Artificial Ingredients”.
The only bag category missing is a blurb printed about Jeff’s Famous Jerky, and this Teriyaki flavor. To the credit of Jeff’s Famous Jerky, there is a toll-free phone number provided for customer inquiries.
Order their jerky online: www.jeffsfamousjerky.com
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