Avalon Meat Candy is a veteran-owned, USDA-certified jerky company renowned for its innovative take on traditional beef jerky. Founded by Christian Petersen in April 2016, the brand emerged from his quest to create the perfect jerky after experiencing frequent shortages at his favorite Huntington Beach, California, store. Leveraging his background in the Coast Guard and his experience in the electrical business, Christian began crafting jerky as gifts for clients, eventually developing it into a full-fledged enterprise.
Avalon Meat Candy distinguishes itself with its signature “crispy jerky chips,” offering a light, crunchy texture that sets it apart from traditional chewy jerky. These chips are hand-cut, wafer-thin, and slow-cooked to perfection, providing a unique snacking experience.
Avalon Meat Candy uses 100% Angus beef and offers custom flavors, catering to customer preferences. The company also extends discounts to veterans and police officers as a token of appreciation. Beyond their crispy jerky chips, Avalon Meat Candy’s product line includes traditional jerky cuts, snacks, dog treats, sauces, and fruit rolls.
I had the pleasure of meeting Christian at his storefront, where I was given an educational tour of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved plant and its impressive setup. This Avalon Meat Candy brand is distributed under the same name as Avalon Meat Candy, and is located in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The next review on Avalon Meat Candy will focus on a 2.5 ounce/71 gram bag of their Hank’s Place flavored Angus beef jerky. This flavor is described as a Kentucky cider mixed with cayenne pepper, setting the tone for this spicy, tangy family tradition. The jerky was graciously submitted for review by Master Chef/Owner Christian Petersen.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Angus Beef, Aged Cayenne Red Pepper, Distilled Vinegar (Water, Distilled Vinegar), Water, Salt, Garlic Powder. Real Hickory Smoke
The Angus beef used is ethically raised, meaning it is guaranteed to be free of growth hormones and additional antibiotics. The cattle have partial free range access to roam about and graze on grass as nature intended. 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 healthy distilled vinegar and water.
Some healthy ingredients added are aged cayenne red peppers and garlic powder.
The sugar content is perfect at 0 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is somewhat high at 420mg 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.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
AVALON MEAT CANDY – HANK’S PLACE BEEF JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I smell something sour, possibly vinegar. The pieces are medium in size, and they are sliced to a thin to medium thickness. The jerky is rather rigid and dry, pretty much as our forefathers intended. There is no oily residue left on your fingers.
When I bite into the jerky, I taste salt at a good level, minimal sweetness, slight garlic and onion, and a great collaboration of flavors that are difficult to describe but are supremely tasty. A bit of a kick, with a pinch of dill pickle, lemon(?), vinegar…
Overall, this has been a very favorable flavor. I’m not sure what “Hank’s Place” is supposed to signify, but this is a delicious blend of flavors, and I can find nothing wrong. A well-deserved 10/10. Gentlemen?
Here is what Mark had to say about this Hank’s Place Angus beef jerky flavor from Avalon Meat Candy: “Thanks Paul for the positive taste review. Easily the most dominant flavor here is vinegar, which brings a good deal of sourness to the table, which we absolutely love. As Paul mentioned, there is a little kick to this flavor. The heat would only rate a 1 out of 4 on the heat scale, but it adds life and zest to the flavor.”
“There is no hint of the beef tasting processed, which does seem to come across slightly as a superior tasting beef being Angus. The fact that there is no sweetness attests to that fact. The overall taste profile is fairly simple but highly effective. I am not sure what the flavor name ‘Hank’s Place’ means, but Hank is a cute Yorkshire Terrier dog. Regardless, this is a highly addictive treat that tastes like more. A unanimous slam dunk Excellent (10/10) taste rating will be awarded. A very enthusiastic two thumbs up!!👍👍”
This 2.5 ounce/71 gram bag of jerky sells online for $13.00. That works out to $5.20 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price.
Bag Review
This resealable plastic bag has things imprinted on the front and back, and labels affixed to the front and back. The logo of the Avalon Meat Candy has a bull’s head in the center. There is an illustration of some cows on a farm on the back, and Las Vegas on the front.
A slogan printed could be “Thin Cut Gourmet Jerky”. Some facts printed on this bag are “Real Hardwood Smoked”, “Made in Las Vegas”, “Made with Aloha Shoyu”, “Gourmet Beef Jerky”, and “Veteran Owned”.
Some missing bag categories include the jerky weight not stated in grams and no transparent window to view the jerky. A phone number is provided for customer inquiries to the credit of Avalon Meat Candy. A great blurb is printed on the back about this jerky.
Order their jerky online: www.avalonmeatcandy.com
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