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 Whiskey flavored beef jerky. This flavor is described as using a locally produced Vermont Maple Whiskey marinade with BBQ seasoning and a blend of sweetness – maple, honey, palm sugar. 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), Maple Syrup, Tamari (Water, Soy Beans, Salt, Sugar), Maple Whiskey, Pineapple Juice (Vitamin C – Ascorbic Acid), Homemade Worcestershire Sauce (Garlic, Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey, Molasses, Tamarind Paste, Spices, Onion Powder), Whiskey (Rye, Water, Sugar), Brown Sugar, Lemon Pepper (Pepper, Lemon, Garlic, Onion, 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, an awesome homemade Worcestershire sauce, and unhealthy Whiskey/Maple Whiskey.
Some healthy ingredients added are black pepper, lemon, garlic, onion, and spices.
The sugar level is reasonable at 4 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is high at 760mg 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 or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservative used is salt. Admirably, there is no MSG added.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
VERMONT’S FARMHOUSE JERKY – MAPLE WHISKEY BEEF JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I smell sweet, not much else. The pieces vary in size and thickness. The jerky is rigid enough to be considered close to what our forefathers intended. There is, however, a slight oily residue left on your fingers.
When I bite into the jerky I taste medium salt, medium sweet, mediocre pepper, slight garlic, and onion. Unfortunately, I do not pick up on any of the whiskey flavor.
As I consume more, I am noticing that this particular flavor of jerky is quite tasty. Maybe a little too intense on the sweet, but generally rather tasty. An 8/10 would be my prognosis.
Here is what Mark had to say about this Maple Whiskey beef jerky flavor from Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky: “Thanks Paul for the candid taste review. The first flavor I encounter is the whiskey at a good level, which historically is a difficult task to achieve. Typically, Paul has identifying the flavor of whiskey even though he is a big fan of whiskey. The maple flavor is noticeable but far from overpowering. The sweetness level is well within reason for a maple based flavor.”
“The natural flavor of beef is at a good level with no hint whatsoever of tasting processed. While we have never specifically reviewed a Maple Whiskey flavor, this is exactly how I would envision this flavor. The flavor of whiskey, of which I am not a big fan, enhances the overall flavor greatly. Mix in a perfectly balanced taste profile, and I cannot say enough great things about this flavor. If this flavor was sold locally, I could see myself buying an endless supply. With Paul at an 8 and myself at a slam dunk, no doubter 10, a Very Good (9/10) taste rating will be awarded. Take a bow Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky for knocking this flavor out of the ballpark, a very enthusiastic two thumbs up for this exquisite 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 showing multiple fall colors.
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, an establishment number, 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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