The next review on Chomps will focus on a 1.15 ounce/32 gram bag of their Cracked Pepper & Sea Salt flavored 100% grass-fed venison meat stick. This flavor is described as being an amazing wild game protein snack without the gamey taste or texture that the whole family can enjoy! The meat stick was graciously submitted for review by Team Chomps.
Chomps is distributed by Logic Meat Locker LLC, and they are located in Naples, Florida. This Chomps brand name was officially launched in 2012. Chomps is the only meat stick brand that can claim to be certified paleo, certified gluten-free, Whole30 Approved, non-GMO project verified, and sugar free. In Chomps words the beef and venison used is “Grass FED & Grass FINISHED Never GIVEN ANY ANTIBIOTICS OR HORMONES”. There are currently four different flavors for sale. Future plans are to add more flavors including a turkey stick in 2018 Q1.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: 100% Grass-Fed Beef, 100% Grass-Fed Venison, Water, Sea Salt, Encapsulated Lactic Acid, Celery Juice, Black Pepper, Red Pepper, Garlic Powder, Coriander, Stuffed in a Beef Collagen Casing.
This meat stick uses 100% grass-fed beef and 100% grass-fed venison. These cattle and deer imported from Tasmania are raised ethically, meaning they are not fed growth hormones, or additional antibiotics. There is also some free range access for the animals to roam about. Venison is known to have one of the leanest cut of meats around.
The casing used is beef collagen casing. A more natural casing such as sheep or lamb is not used because casings are not available in the 17mm size.
There are multiple healthy ingredients used such as garlic powder, black pepper, red pepper, and coriander. Some people call black pepper the King of Spices.
A non-GMO encapsulated lactic acid is used to artificially give a fermented taste, instead of using for example lactic acid culture. The reason being is that lactic acid culture requires dextrose, and therefore Chomps would no longer be Whole 30 Approved, and sugar free.
The sugar level is perfect at 0 grams of sugar. The salt level is respectable at 290mg of salt per 32 grams of meat stick.
This meat stick does qualify to have no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservatives used are minimally processed sea salt, and celery juice with its naturally occurring nitrates. Admirably, there is no MSG added.
Excellent (10/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
This Chomps Cracked Pepper & Sea Salt 100% Grass-Fed Venison and Beef Meat Stick has a moderately strong saltiness and a reasonable meaty flavor. The venison gives a pleasant taste and seems a little richer in flavor than the beef. There is no sweetness to really speak of and a mild sourness is present. This sourness is likely the result of the encapsulated lactic acid used in making these meat sticks. The cracked pepper is also at a very light level.
The flavor is stated on the bag as ‘Cracked Pepper & Sea Salt’ and certainly could use a few more turns of the ol’ black pepper mill. This would bridge the significant gap between the stronger tasting salt and the much milder level of black pepper. A little less sea salt and more black pepper would certainly balance and create more harmonious flavors. These sticks are reasonably lean with the occasional little pockets of fat that roll on the tongue.
The physical appearance of this 7.5” meat stick is generally unremarkable and looks like any other meat stick. The texture is soft, tender and easy to chew. There is no ‘snap’ to this meat stick. The “snap” or “bite“ is an enviable characteristic and it is quite common with most meat stick and sausage made with natural casings. The absence of this snappy texture while biting in the stick is due to modern beef collagen casing.
This flavor seems a bit off, as if something is missing. The garlic flavor is faint and the coriander and red pepper are hardly noticeable. The garlic, coriander and red pepper could potentially bring fun and exciting flavors if used more liberally.
While I did enjoy this Cracked Pepper & Sea Salt 100% Grass-Fed Venison and Beef Meat Stick by Chomps, I wish the seasoning would have been a little bolder to make these sticks more fun and interesting while also respecting the flavor of the venison and beef. We’ve rated this flavor 8/10.
Five 1.15 ounce/32 gram meat sticks sells online for $11.25. That works out to $1.96 an ounce, which rates as a cheap price considering that 100% grass-fed beef is used.
Bag Review
This Chomps plastic bag has everything imprinted on the front, and nothing on the back. There is an interesting ‘peel here’ to open the bag. This Chomps bag is vacuum sealed, the best way to keep meat sticks fresh tasting.
There is no slogan printed on this bag. Some facts printed on this bag are “Grass Fed Venison Stick With Grass-Fed Beef Added”, “Beef Raised Without Antibiotics or Hormones”, “100 Calories”, “2g Sugar”, and “9g Protein”.
Some logos are printed such as “Non-GMO Product”, “Paleo Certified”, “Certified Gluten-Free”, and “Whole 30 Approved”.
All bag categories are covered. Commendably, an email address is provided for Chomps customer inquiries.
Excellent (10/10) – Bag Rating
Order their meat sticks online: www.chomps.com
Leave a Comment