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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 barbecue and jerky, was inspired by his father’s traditional barbecue techniques using natural wood.
Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky uses high-quality, humanely-raised beef, hand-cuts the meat, and marinates it at least 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 their family’s business. This Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky brand is distributed under the same name as Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky, and it is located in Essex Junction, Vermont.
The next review on Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky will focus on a 1.5 ounce/42 gram bag of their Carne Asada flavored beef jerky. This flavor is described as a light hint of lime tickles the mouth with a slow burn of Chipotle and a blend of spices and cilantro. The jerky was kindly submitted for review by Owner/Chef/CEO Chef Pierra Mesa.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Natural Liquid Smokes added (Water, Natural Liquid Smoke), Maple Syrup, Tamari, Water, Soy Beans, Salt, Sugars, Pineapple Juice, Vitamin C, Ascorbic Acids, House Made Worcestershire Sauce, Garlic, Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey, Molasses, Tamarind Paste, Spices, Onion Powders, Brown Sugar, Cumin, Coriander, 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, healthy apple cider vinegar, a local maple syrup brand named LaFountain Family Maple, healthy pineapple juice, and an awesome, unique homemade Worcestershire sauce.
Some healthy ingredients added are garlic powder, onion powder, garlic, cumin, coriander, and spices.
There is no nutrition facts table provided. As a result, the exact sugar and salt levels are unknown.
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.
Very Good (9/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
VERMONT’S FARMHOUSE JERKY – CARNE ASADA BEEF JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I detect a strong sweet smell. The jerky is quite small in size, but sliced rather thick. The jerky is more morsels than strips, and they are almost like “balls of jerky”. The jerky is dry and chewy, leaving a slight oily residue on your fingers.
When I bite into the jerky, I detect mild salt, mild sweetness, mild pepper, and mild garlic. I detect a pattern here. There is a myriad of flavors, but nothing stands out to me. I believe I am also detecting vinegar and an alien flavor, which is likely the carne asada, but I am not entirely sure.
This flavor is decent, but it is missing the “WOW!!” factor. Mediocre is the adjective that I feel best describes this flavor. Whatever carne asada is supposed to be, it is mild at best. I believe a 7/10 is the highest rating I can give this flavor. Gentlemen?
Here is what Mark had to say about this Carne Asada beef jerky flavor from Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky: “Thanks Paul for the honest taste review. We do not exactly see eye to eye here. Carne Asada is a complex flavor that has a distinct taste. Not that I am an expert on Carne Asada other than reviewing it many times in jerky reviews, and subsequently at restaurants when I can find it.”
“One thing lacking in this rendition of Carne Asada is a citrus flavor, typically lime juice or orange juice, or both, which is my favorite. A slight lime flavor is present, but it is not strong enough to be noticeable for a citrus based flavor. Other staples in Carne Asada are cilantro and cumin. While there are light levels of cilantro and cumin present, in my opinion, the cilantro should be at a stronger level. Spiciness is not an absolute requirement in Carne Asada, but there is a faint level of spiciness present, which barely registers on the heat scale.”
“This recipe uses a chef’s homemade creation of Worcestershire sauce, which tastes great on its own, but interferes too much with the authentic, true taste of Carne Asada. While I agree with Paul that the garlic is at a mild level, I may argue at a light level, but the garlic should also be amped up. All of these minor, technical complaints are what make Carne Asada a fantastic flavor. With Paul at a 7 and myself at an 8, a Good (8/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
This 1.5 ounce/42 gram bag of jerky sells online for $7.00. That works out to $4.67 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price.
Bag Review
This clear, non-resealable plastic bag has a label affixed to the front and nothing on the back. There is an illustration of a skull with a flower on it. The 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”, “Hand Cut”, “Since 2013”, “Chef Love”, “Driven by Passion”, and “Minimally Processed”.
Some missing bag categories are a best before date, an establishment number, a soy allergen alert, a nutrition facts table, 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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