This Simply Shredz product is dried pulled pork that can be enjoyed as a meal with a long list of other familiar dishes (e.g. ramen, quesadillas, soups, nachos, sandwiches, breakfasts…). Furthermore, Simply Shredz is a healthier and delicious alternative to canned meats and bacon. The founder, Steve Song, goal is to bring the consumer a product that is both versatile and unique, which is currently not available in the preserved food market. In April 2018, this Simply Shredz product was officially launched. In the works is patenting the process of how this product is made in regards to process, texture, flavor, and moisture compared to “Chinese meat flosses” in the market. While the pork is dehydrated, Simply Shredz considers itself to be different from jerky because the pork is cooked in a slow cooker, and then shredded before dehydrating. These shredz are distributed by Wow Foods, and it is located in Los Angeles, California.
The first review on Simply Shredz will focus on a 2.2 ounce/62 gram bag of their original flavored pork shredz. The bag was kindly submitted for review by the owner, Steve Song.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Pork, Soy Sauce (Water, Soybean, Salt), Natural Flavor, Sugar, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Salt, Thyme, Sage, Parsley, Coriander, Celery Powder. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Anchovies.
The pork used is guaranteed to be raised with no antibiotics and no added hormones. This pork is not guaranteed to have at least partial free range access to roam about outside. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Very Good (9/10) rating.
The liquid marinade used here consists of only a good brand of soy sauce.
There are multiple healthy ingredients added such as black pepper, garlic powder, thyme, sage, parsley, and coriander.
The sugar level is great at around one gram of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is on the low side at around 205mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky.
As advertised, there are no unhealthy preservatives used, where this jerky is confirmed as having no sodium nitrite. Instead, salt is the main preservative used, and celery powder to a lesser extent. Admirably, this jerky has no MSG added.
Very Good (9/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
We all agree the Simply Shredz Original Pork Shreds is best enjoyed as an add-on to other foods rather than a standalone product. The texture is similar to traditional pulled pork although finer and drier. On the other hand, it is advertised as an add-on ingredient and should be paired with other food. I have tried it in few different ways and my favorite was added to a homemade mushroom and garlic Pho.
I sprinkled a generous amount of shredz to the hot soup and gave it plenty of time to steep. The shredz had the opportunity to soak up some of the broth and it significantly tenderized the pork. This also improved the flavor of the Pho as well as the texture of both foods. The flavor of the pork and seasoning did come together nicely with the bounty of mushrooms and garlic and I really enjoyed it.
As Paul said, “The pieces are as advertised, just shreds. The pork is dry, actually quite dry and it leaves no oily residue on your fingers. As I take a bite, I am met with a distinctive pork flavor. I taste slight salt, slight pepper, slight garlic and slight onion. The most predominant taste by a country mile is the natural pork flavor. While I am enjoying it, something has become exceptionally apparent. This shredz is best served as an additive to another food and not justifiably served as a ‘stand alone’ product as it is far better served as an additive.”
Mark added, “These pieces of pork are sliced into shreds as advertised, and are very easy to chew. Other words that come to mind describing this texture is fuzz, strings, or shavings. In any case, the texture is dry with next to no moisture present. As a result, with the lack of moisture, visually it appears that you are getting more pork shredz than just 2.2oz in this bag. The aroma is overly pork smelling along with a complicated blend of spices.”
Worth noting is that these pork shreds have an exceptionally unofficial long shelf life. Provided the pork shreds are refrigerated after opening in the sealed bag, these shreds are known to have lasted 30, 60 to even 90 days, although that long is not recommended. Again while not fully endorsed, approved, or authorized, you can comfortably eat these pork shreds 30 days after opening.
On its own merit, these shredz have an abundant amount of natural pork flavor. Complemented with the pork flavor are plenty of other spices resulting in a pleasant, subtle flavor. Saltiness is probably the most dominant flavor apart from the pork flavor, but far from being overly salty tasting. Almost no sweetness is present, which aids in maximizing the natural pork flavor.
While the most basic definition of jerky is dried meat, these pork shreds were never meant to be advertised as or considered to be jerky. We tend to favor bolder tasting flavors and these pork shreds really shine as an add-on to other foods.
Mark and Paul had the opportunity to sample various dishes while supplementing with pork shredz and their observations were as follows, where we are soup fanatics here at Jerky Ingredients along with jerky:
Paul – Sapporo Ramen Pork Noodle Soup
“The ramen soup with the pork shredz in them was quite tasty. Angeline’s bowl had significantly less pork shredz in them; therefore it did not really affect the broth. I tried a couple of bites of Angeline’s soup, and, while I could taste the pork, it wasn’t as prevalent as my soup, which had copious amounts of the pork shredz in it. I tried the broth in Angeline’s soup, and the pork was barely noticeable, whereas in my soup, when I tried only the broth, I tasted a strong amount of pork. The soup was very tasty but was even tastier with the pork shredz in them. I will rate the pork shredz soup that Bles made a 10/10. And your Tomato Pork Basil soup Mark was damn tasty as well, just shyer on the pork shredz…”
Mark – Sapporo Ramen Pork Noodle Soup
“While ramen soup can be enjoyable, often the overwhelming flavor of noodles can be overbearing at times. Not in this case. Liberal amounts of pork shredz were added to my large bowl of soup, and were given ample time to soften and start getting the pork flavor dispersed. The ramen noodles now had a contender, a great tasting flavor of pork. While this ramen soup was very tasty on its own virtue, compliments of Paul’s wife Bles, these pork shreds elevated this ramen noodle soup to a new level. Beyond a shadow of doubt, these pork shredz deserve a well-deserved Excellent (10/10) taste rating.”
Mark – Tomato Pork Basil Soup
There were two problems with my homemade Tomato ‘Pork’ Basil soup, and neither had to do with the Simply Shredz pork shreds. One, not enough pork shredz was added to this large 8 quart pot of soup. Second, and in hindsight was a major oversight on my part, these pork shreds were along with everything else in the soup blended in the blender. As a result, the taste of these pork shreds got lost in the broth. No taste rating will be awarded here.
Mark – Tomato Pork Rice Soup
A generous amount of pork shreds was added to this restaurant bought tomato ‘pork’ rice soup. In hindsight, this lukewarm soup should have been boiled with the pork shreds for a few minutes at least. This is easier said than done especially while at work. The pork shreds were a welcome and interesting addition to this tomato rice soup, but the texture of the pork was not soft enough, which is not the fault of Simply Shredz. It tasted as if the pork shreds were dipped in soup, rather than saturated or seeped into the soup broth. The mixture of the soup with the pork shreds enhanced the taste rating to a Very Good (9/10) rating.
Overall, these pork shreds are highly recommended to anybody feeling adventurous enough to spruce up their favorite meals. Given all of these variations on how these pork shreds can be served, which seems endless that could for example also include pasta, macaroni, baked potato, salad, burritos, eggs, pizza, poutine, stir-fry and fried rice.
We’ve awarded Simply Shredz Original Pork Shreds a Very Good (9/10) taste rating. Pork shreds are a common Asian staple and now we know why.
A 2.2 ounce/62 gram bags sells online for $5.99. That works out to $2.91 an ounce, which rates as an average price for pork.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This plastic resealable black bag has labels affixed to both the front and back. On the front is a high resolution picture of a pulled pork sandwich using these pork shreds. On the back are smaller high resolution pictures of ramen, bbq slider, and quesadilla.
There are no slogans printed on this bag. Some facts displayed on this bag are “Ready To Serve”, “Premium Dried Pulled Pork”, “Made With ¼ Pound Of Premium Meat” (with an arrow pointing to the sandwich), “Ready To Eat”, “No Cooking Required”, “Premium Cuts”, “Does Not Contain Meat Fillers”, “Excellent Source of Protein”, and “Made in USA & Patents Pending”.
A detailed list of food add-ons for these pork shreds is displayed on the back. Serving suggestions are given for some foods. You are encouraged to visit the Simply Shredz web site for simple recipes.
The only missing bag category is a transparent window to view the pork shreds, although a transparent window is forthcoming. There is a QR Code displayed that links back to the Simply Shredz web site.
Order their shredz online: www.simplyshredz.com
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