Vacadillos advertises their air-dried beef strips as Carne Seca, meaning steak seasoned with various spices and flavors, including chiles and lime, and then air-dried, and sliced into lean strips. It’s a delicacy in Latin America and Northern Mexico. The bag has some Spanish words meaning that Vacadillos has Spanish roots. No other information is provided by Vacadillos on their website. This Vacadillos brand is distributed under the same name Vacadillos, and it is located in Frisco, Texas.
The first review on Vacadillos will focus on a 2 ounce/57 gram bag of Chile Lime flavored air-dried beef jerky. This flavor is described as each bite boldly blends smoky, hot, and cool flavors to keep you coming back for more. The bag was purchased at a gas station in Portage, Indiana.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Salt, Vinegar, 2% or less of: Spices, Garlic, Onion, Citric Acid, Orange, Lime Juice, Natural Flavors, Spice Extractives (including Paprika), Sugar, Celery Salt, Cayenne Pepper.
The beef used is not guaranteed to be free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. Also, the beef is not guaranteed to have 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 healthy vinegar and lime juice.
Some healthy ingredients added are
spices, garlic, onion, oranges, spice extractives (including paprika), and cayenne pepper. The vague term natural flavors is used, which can contain healthy and unhealthy ingredients
The sugar level is excellent at 0 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is high at 430mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite. Instead, salt, vinegar, and celery salt are used as preservatives. Admirably, this jerky does qualify to have no MSG added.
Decent (7/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
VACADILLOS – CHILE LIME AIR-DRIED BEEF
These air-dried strips of beef are sliced very small and thin. The texture is dry but easy to chew. Usually, air-dried beef has a smoother texture. There are some signs of fat that intensify the natural flavor of beef. Handling these strips leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
The first tastes I encounter are a strong level of salt, light garlic/onion, some sourness from the vinegar, and next to no sweetness. The heat slowly builds but never exceeds a light spiciness. The flavor of lime is faint at best. While these air-dried strips are enjoyable, no ‘wow’ factor exists.
Air-dried strips are commonly referred to as biltong but are nowhere mentioned on this bag or the Vacadillos website. This flavor somewhat resembles the taste of biltong but lacks the South African flair, such as coriander and cloves. The odd air-dried beef strip was an unchewable wad of tissue. I can go no higher than a Good (8/10) taste rating.
This 3.5 ounce/99 gram bag of jerky sells for $8.99, which equates to $2.57 an ounce. That rates as a cheap price.
Bag Review
This green plastic bag has everything imprinted directly on the bag, both on the front and back. There are no labels affixed to this bag. An illustration of a bull’s head is displayed. Another illustration displays air-dried beef strips and limes on a plate.
A slogan printed on this bag is “Wildly Satisfying Jerky”. Some facts printed on this bag are “15g Protein”, “0g Total Sugar”, “Carne Seca”, “Mild”, “Mucho Sabor”, “Hecho en U.S.A.”, “No MSG”, “No Gluten”, “No Nitrates”, “All Natural”, “Minimally Processed”, and “No Artificial Ingredients”. A heat index shows this flavor as mild tasting.
The only missing bag category is a transparent window to view the jerky. A small blurb about this flavor is printed on the back. To the credit of Vacadillos, a telephone number is provided for customer inquiries.
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