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 Korean BBQ flavored beef jerky. This flavor is described as having a South Pacific vibe with lemongrass, garlic, lime, cilantro, sesame seeds, and toasted sesame oil that is wonderful, vibrant, and clean. The jerky was graciously 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), Pineapple Juice (Vitamin C – Ascorbic Acid), Homemade Worcestershire Sauce (Garlic, Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey, Molasses, Tamarind Paste, Spices, Onion Powder), Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup, Ginger Powder, Sesame Oil, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Black Pepper, Sesame Seeds. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Sesame
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, healthy apple cider vinegar, a local maple syrup brand named LaFountain Family Maple, healthy pineapple juice, healthy sesame oil, and an awesome, unique homemade Worcestershire sauce.
Some healthy ingredients added are black pepper, lemon, garlic powder, onion powder, ginger powder, and black pepper.
The sugar level is high at 8 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 5 grams of sugar or less per 28 grams of jerky for a sweet based flavor, as we have here. The salt level is high at 770mg 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 – KOREAN BBQ BEEF JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I smell BBQ, and not much else. The pieces are generally small in size, but they are rather thick. The jerky is quite moist, and it leaves a fair bit of an oily residue on your fingers.
When I bite into the jerky, I find that it is soft, not generally to my liking, but acceptable in this case, because the flavors coming out at me are very bold and also very tasty. I taste salt, sweet, pepper, garlic, and onion, all at very good levels. I also taste the Korean BBQ, which is coming out in spades.
You texted me earlier about the jerky being made by an actual chef, and I concur, this chef got it right when he made this flavor. The flavor is very apparent, very flavorful, and exceptionally tasty. A very exuberant, tasty, succulent 10/10, hands down.
Here is what Mark had to say about this Korean BBQ beef jerky flavor from Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky: “Thanks Paul for the glowing taste review. Every once in a while, we encounter a jerky maker who is a Chef by trade, as is the case with Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky. This Korean BBQ flavor is an absolute masterpiece. As Paul stated, this unique flavor is quite bold tasting. I would not say it is your traditional, classic tasting Korean BBQ flavor, but it contains enough aspects to pass as a true Korean BBQ flavor.”
“As Paul stated, the jerky is sliced quite small but thick with a borderline soft and tender texture, akin to being chunks of jerky. Multiple and complex flavors jump out at you right away. While there is a medium level of sweetness present, it does not distract from the overall flavor. The taste profile is extremely well-balanced, with not a single flavor standing out. I struggled not to eat my portion in one sitting, which was downright delicious and addictive. Take a bow Chef Pierre for creating this truly memorable take on a Korean BBQ flavor with some unique twists, ingenuity, and bold decisions. Two thumbs way up for knocking this flavor out of the ballpark!!👍👍”
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 what I think is lemongrass. This bag is vacuum sealed, 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 Flavor Added”, “Made in Vermont Marketplace”, “Hand Cut”, “Since 2013”, “Chef Love”, “Driven by Passion”, and “Minimally Processed”.
Some missing bag categories are a best before date, an establishment number, soy and sesame allergen alerts, 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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