Tired of paying high prices for marginal jerky products, Chef Pierre Mesa started refining his technique and jerky recipes. A local hardware store asked him to sell his jerky, eventually leading to Chef Pierre building a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) production kitchen. Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky was launched in 2013.
Chef Pierre’s culinary journey began in his childhood in Telluride, Colorado, and was influenced by his French Canadian and Colombian heritage. He pursued formal culinary education, graduating from the Culinary Institute of America and working with renowned chefs nationwide. His passion for American cuisine, particularly BBQ and jerky, was inspired by his father’s traditional BBQ techniques using natural wood.
Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky uses high-quality, humanely-raised beef, hand-cuts the meat, and marinates it for no less than 24 hours with organic ingredients like Tamari soy sauce and Worcestershire. Their jerky is soy and gluten-free, with no artificial additives, MSG, or nitrates. The company also offers custom jerky processing for game meats. Chef Pierre and his devoted wife Laura remain committed to quality and continue to be hands-on in his family’s business. This Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky brand is distributed under the name of Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky, and it is located in Essex Junction, Vermont.
The next review on Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky will focus on a 3 ounce/85 gram bag of their Maple flavored beef jerky. This flavor is described as using award-winning regular choice beef jerky strips lightly surrounded by the highest quality small batch Amber Vermont Maple syrup and adding sweet, salty snap, with a little stickiness and tenderness. The jerky was kindly submitted for review by Owner/Chef/CEO Chef Pierra Mesa.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Natural Liquid Smoke added (Water, Natural Liquid Smoke), Tamari (Water, Soy Beans, Salt, Sugar), Maple Syrup, Pineapple Juice (Vitamin C – Ascorbic Acid), Homemade Worcestershire Sauce (Garlic, Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey, Molasses, Tamarind Paste, Spices, Onion Powder), Brown Sugar, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Spices. Allergen Warnings: Soy
This beef is ethically raised, meaning it is guaranteed to be free of growth hormones and additional antibiotics. The cattle are guaranteed to have some free range access to roam about and graze on grass the way nature intended. Chef Pierre personally inspects all facilities and checks every eye-round for quality and marbling. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Very Good (9/10) rating.
The liquid marinade used here is comprised of natural liquid smoke, a respected brand of tamari soy sauce, a local maple syrup brand named LaFountain Family Maple, healthy pineapple juice, and an awesome homemade Worcestershire sauce.
Some healthy ingredients added are garlic powder and onion powder.
The sugar level is very high at 11 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 5 grams of sugar or less for a sweet based flavor as we have here. The salt level is high at 760mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky to lose another rating. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservative used is salt. Admirably, there is no MSG added.
Decent (7/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
VERMONT’S FARMHOUSE JERKY – MAPLE BEEF JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I smell intense maple. The jerky is exceptionally moist. The jerky is medium in size, and it is sliced to a medium thickness. The jerky is very moist, but it is much more rigid than it appears and much more rigid than I anticipated. It leaves an intense oily residue on your fingers.
When I bite into the jerky I taste salt, at a decent level, too much sweet, but well within reason. I can’t honestly say I taste much else.
However, with all that said, I appreciate the flavors I am detecting. The maple is not as sweet as I had anticipated. I am actually enjoying this flavor. It is not impeccable, but it is good enough to award an 8.5/10, which, when rounded up, constitutes a 9/10.
Here is what Mark had to say about this Maple beef jerky flavor from Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky: “Thanks Paul for the candid taste review. This flavor is among the messiest jerky reviewed to date, absolutely drenched in the marinade. The rich maple syrup flavor itself comes across in spades, leaving zero doubt that we are reviewing a Maple flavor. The sweetness is at a moderate level but does not seem overly distracting.”
“There is a light smokiness in the background, and the soy flavor is at a mild level. I too had trouble picking up on the onion, garlic, and spices. While we favor bold tasting flavors, the marinade is so strong that it drowns out the natural meat flavor. The overall taste profile is well-balanced and tastes delectable for maple flavor fans. While I have traditionally frowned against using .5 in the taste rating, I will do the same in this review. With Paul at an 8.5 and myself at a 9.5, a Very Good (9/10) taste rating will be awarded. Take a bow Pierre, as this was a memorable flavor.”
This 3 ounce/85 gram bag of jerky sells online for $11.00. That works out to $3.67 an ounce, which rates as a borderline expensive price.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This white, resealable plastic bag has a label affixed to the front and nothing on the back. There is an illustration of a maple leaf. This bag is vacuum sealed, which is the best way to keep jerky fresh tasting.
There are no slogans printed on this bag. Some facts printed on this bag are “Natural Smoke Added”, “Made in Vermont Marketplace”, “Hand Cut”, “Chef Love”, “Driven by Passion”, and “Minimally Processed”.
Some missing bag categories are a best before date, the jerky weight stated in grams, and no blurb is printed about Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky or this flavor. A lot number is provided, which could translate to a best before date. To the credit of Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky, a phone number and email address are provided for customer inquiries.
Order their jerky online: www.vtjerky.co
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