Weekend Jerky is one of the latest jerky makers to enter the market, debuting on September 3/2021. Their recipe is created by a food and travel-obsessed family inspired by flavors and quality ingredients from around the world. Weekend Jerky is proudly made from thinly sliced premium beef brisket. While on their three year voyage of perfecting their jerky, they discovered that leaving some of the fat on makes it easier and tastier to eat.
True to food culture, they constantly travel across the globe, searching for unique flavors that different regions and climates bring. From spices of China and soy from Japan to hickory wood from the US and chili from Mexico, they are inspired by the farmers and purveyors of these foods. Their mission is to use those exquisite flavors combined with quality ingredients to bring you delicious snacks. Weekend Jerky is distributed under the name of Weekend Foods Inc., and it is located in Berkley, California.
The first review on Weekend Jerky will focus on a 2.6 ounce/73.7 gram bag of their Smoky. Salty. Sweet. Spicy flavored crispy beef brisket jerky. This flavor is described as a crispy, fatty beef brisket jerky that explodes with sweet, salty, spicy, and umami flavors in each bite. The jerky was kindly submitted for review by the cofounder, Anson Tsui.
Ingredient Review
Beef Brisket, Sugar, Natural Smoke Flavor (Water, Natural Hickory Smoke Concentrate), Honey, Fish Flavored Sauce (Anchovy Extract, Salt, Water, Fructose, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein), Salt, Water, Brown Sugar (Sugar, Molasses), Tomato Paste (Tomatoes), Red Peppers, Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt, Less Than 1/10 of 1% Sodium Benzoate [Used as a Preservative]), White Vinegar (Diluted With Water To 5% Acidity), Apple Cider Vinegar (Diluted With Water to 5% Acidity), Molasses, Black Pepper, Granulated Garlic, Onion Powder, Mustard Powder, Paprika, Cayenne pepper Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat, Anchovies
The beef brisket used is sourced from Omaha, Nebraska. The beef is ethically raised, meaning it is guaranteed to be free of growth hormones and additional antibiotics. The cattle are also guaranteed to have free range access to roam about and graze on grass the way nature intended. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Very Good (9/10) rating.
The liquid marinade is comprised of natural liquid hickory smoke, healthy honey, a fair brand of fish flavored sauce, healthy tomato paste, an average brand of soy sauce, healthy vinegar, and super healthy apple cider vinegar.
Many healthy popular ingredients are added, such as red peppers, black pepper, granulated garlic, onion powder, mustard powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
The sugar level is very high at 11 grams of sugar per 29g of jerky to lose two ratings. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is somewhat high at 420mg of salt per 29 grams of jerky to lose another rating. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky qualifies to have no sodium nitrite or any other similar unhealthy preservative. This jerky does not qualify to have no MSG added, as the cheap flavor enhancer hydrolyzed wheat protein is used to lose a rating.
Average (5/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
WEEKEND JERKY – CRISPY BEEF BRISKET JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I immediately smell both smoke and sweetness. The slices are generally large, thin, and moist. There is a lot more fat on this jerky than any other jerky I have ever reviewed before, which is incredible considering the fat typically contains the most intense flavors. Since this jerky is somewhat moist, it leaves some oily residue on your fingers.
Holy “cow”, no pun intended. This jerky is supremely exploding with a ridiculous cornucopia of delectable flavors, especially in the healthy amounts of fat on pretty much each succulent piece. I am detecting salt, pepper, garlic, sweet (almost too much), smoke, and a myriad of other flavors, including spice.
This jerky is the Cadillac of jerky’s, these artisan craft jerky makers are fond of their product, and it emulates well in the end product. A very well deserved 10/10. Two thumbs way up!!!👍👍 Gentlemen?
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
The Weekend Jerky Crispy Beef Brisket Jerky is very tasty with a remarkable aroma. This jerky is significantly fattier than the average beef jerky. The smokiness is at a perfect level. There is a noticeable spicy kick and it packs a lot of great flavors in the background. The strips are sticky and have a taste and texture resembling a candied product. The crispy texture is great, and the quality of the product can’t be challenged.
I find the sweetness somewhat offset the flavor profile. It could be dialed down to a lesser level to balance and better emphasize the spiciness and acidity. It could have been worse, although I could only eat a couple of bites before being overwhelmed by its sweetness.
I’ve enjoyed the Weekend Jerky Crispy Beef Brisket Jerky, and I’d recommend it with a small disclaimer. I usually like sweets, as most people do, and perhaps this may not be as much of an issue to the average beef jerky enthusiast. I’d rate this beef jerky treat 8/10 taste rating. Cheers.
Here is what Mark had to say about this original crispy brisket beef jerky flavor from Weekend Jerky: “Thanks Paul and Stéphane for the great taste reviews. I lean more towards Stéphane’s review here. Very true that this flavor is sweet tasting, which distracts from the natural beef flavor. Otherwise, there is a fantastic taste profile present.”
“True to their word, this jerky contains plenty of fat, which tends to accentuate the natural beef of flavor, the sweetness withstanding. Some strips have the appearance of a well-done bacon strip. This jerky is advertised as crispy but not crispy in the true sense of crispy jerky found primarily in the West Coast and New Mexico, as an example. At best, this texture has a candied texture from the sugar.”
“With Paul at a 10 rating, Stéphane at an 8 rating, and myself at a 7 rating, a Good (8/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
This 2.6 ounce/73.7 gram bag of jerky sells for $15.00. That works out to $5.77 an ounce, which rates at an extremely expensive price. Free shipping is offered, and the price goes down if you order higher quantities.
Bag Review
This resealable plastic bag has no labels affixed to the front or back. There are a variety of images displayed on the bag.
A slogan printed is “Savor Every Moment This Weekend”. Some facts printed are “Smoky”, “Salty”, “Sweet”, “Spicy”, “Premium Marbled Beef”, and “Smoke Flavor Added”.
The only missing bag category is a best before date. There are two good blurbs printed on the back about Weekend Jerky. On a heat scale from 1-5, this flavor is rated at a 3.
Order their jerky online: http://weekendjerky.com
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