Knights Ferry Cattle Co. was established on March 23, 2021. offering a variety of flavors such as Teriyaki, Hot & Spicy, Original, Peppered, and Honey Chipotle. While the company is registered as a cattle operation, there is no publicly available information indicating that they produce or market jerky products. Details about their specific operations and product offerings are limited.
This Knights Ferry Cattle Co. jerky brand is distributed under the same name as Knights Ferry Cattle Co., located in Modesto, California. The jerky is manufactured by KMB Foods, located in San Bernardino, California, likely making this a stock recipe.
KMB Foods, Inc. also offers a robust private label program, allowing other brands to customize and market their jerky products, leveraging KMB’s expertise and high standards in meat snack production.
The first review on Knights Ferry Cattle Co. will focus on a 3.25 ounce/92.1 gram bag of Original flavored beef jerky. This bag was purchased at a convenience store in Madera, California.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Sugar, Water, Pineapple Juice, Vinegar, Vinegar, Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt, Sodium Benzoate), Salt, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper, Liquid Smoke, Sodium Nitrite Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
This beef used is not guaranteed to be free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. Also, the beef is not guaranteed to have at least partial free range access to graze on grass. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Good (8/10) rating.
The liquid marinade is comprised of water, somewhat healthy pineapple juice, healthy vinegar, a fair brand of soy sauce, and liquid smoke.
The only healthy ingredients added are garlic powder and black pepper.
The sugar level is a little high at 4 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less per 28 grams of jerky for an original flavor. The salt level is acceptable at 290mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite because sodium nitrite is used outright as a preservative to lose a rating. Admirably, there is no MSG added.
Alright (6/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
KNIGHTS FERRY CASTLE CO. – ORIGINAL BEEF JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I smell what I believe to be vinegar. These pieces are medium in size, and they are sliced rather thin. The jerky is somewhat dry and somewhat rigid, and it leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
When I bite into the jerky I taste mild salt, medium to strong sweet, mild garlic, and mild onion, as well as vinegar (I believe). Pepper is coming in at an also mild level. While not extreme, the sweet is kind of carrying the flavor, coming across as more of a teriyaki flavor than an original flavor. Also, there is no WOW factor.
I’m feeling like a 7/10, and I believe this review is properly reflecting that, and therefore a 7/10 it is then.
Here is what Mark had to say about this Original beef jerky flavor from Knights Ferry Cattle Co. “Thanks Paul for the honest taste review. I mostly agree with all the points stated. True, this original flavor is too sweet tasting, which drowns out the natural beef flavor. In a way, that is a good thing, because the beef has a slight processed tasting flavor.”
“I would not say that these strips were sliced thin, closer to a medium thickness. Even with the sweetness, this flavor did not strike me as being a teriyaki flavor despite having pineapple juice. The overall taste profile is fairly well-balanced but somewhat bland tasting. I was unable to detect the smoked flavor and found that there was no ‘wow’ factor at all. With Paul at a 7 and myself at a 6, a Decent (7/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
This 3.25 ounce/92.1 gram bag of jerky sells for $8.99, which equates to $2.77 an ounce. That rates as a cheap price.
Bag Review
This clear, resealable bag has a label on the front and nothing on the back. The Knights Ferry Cattle Co. logo has a bull’s head in the middle. The USA flag is displayed in the background.
There are no slogans printed on this bag. Some facts printed are “Solid Strips of Beef”, “Natural Smoke Flavoring Added”, “97% Fat Free”, and “Made in the U.S.A.”.
Some missing bag categories are the jerky weight not stated in grams, soy and wheat allergen alerts, a company website although there appears to be none, and a blurb about Knights Ferry Cattle Co. or this flavor.
Purchased the 10 oz teriyaki jerky today. No flavor, tough it is awful. Worst beef jerky I’ve ever had. Bought in Gardnerville, NV at Golden Gate gas station. I’d like to return it for a refund.