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, which eventually led to Chef Pierre building a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved 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 across the nation. His passion for American cuisine, particularly barbecue and jerky, was inspired by his father’s traditional barbecue techniques, which used natural wood.
Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky uses high-quality, humanely raised beef, hand-cuts the meat, and marinates it for no less than 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 his family’s business. This Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky brand is distributed under the name of Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky, and it is located in Essex Junction, Vermont.
The next review on Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky will focus on a 3 ounce/85 gram bag of their Maple Whiskey flavored beef sticks. This jerky was graciously submitted for review by Owner/Chef/CEO Chef Pierra Mesa.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Natural Liquid Smoke added (Water, Natural Liquid Smoke), Tamari (Water, Soy Beans, Salt, Sugar), Maple Syrup, Pineapple Juice (Vitamin C – Ascorbic Acid), Whiskey (Water, Rye, Sugar), Homemade Worcestershire Sauce (Garlic, Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey, Molasses, Tamarind Paste, Spices, Onion Powder), Brown Sugar, 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.
Some healthy ingredients added are garlic powder, onion powder, and spices.
There is no nutrition facts provided. As a result, the exact levels of sugar and salt are unknown.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite or 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 – MAPLE WHISKEY BEEF STICKS
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I smell something, but I’m not sure what. I would venture a guess that I am smelling brown sugar, but it could be the maple, I’m not entirely sure. The meat stick resembles any other meat stick, but it is darker in hue than most. The meat stick is moist and soft, and it leaves some oily residue on your fingers.
When I bite into the meat stick, I taste mild salt and intense sweetness, likely due to the maple syrup. I taste minimal garlic and onion, and the pepper flavor leaves something to be desired as well. I also feel I need to add that there is no “snap” to the collagen casing.
I must say, I also don’t pick up any whiskey flavor whatsoever. This meat stick has been lacking in most everything except for being sweet. I can go no higher than a 7/10. Gentlemen?
Here is what Mark had to say about this Maple Whiskey beef sticks flavor from Vermont’s Farmhouse Jerky: “Thanks Paul for the honest taste review. We disagree on several points here. Starting with the taste of whiskey, I can detect it, albeit at a low level. I strongly disagree that these meat sticks are too sweet tasting, where the sweetness is not a distraction whatsoever. The taste of maple syrup is indeed noticeable but describing it as an intense sweetness is a big stretch.”
“The overall taste profile is fairly complex. Unusual for a meat stick, the natural beef flavor comes across well. A light smokiness is present, rounding out this flavor. I personally found this meat stick to be delicious and highly enjoyable. With its complex taste profile, I would be at a loss to suggest improvements to this flavor, other than adding more garlic and onion, which reflects my personal biases. Paul did make a legitimate point in that the texture has no ‘snap’. I cannot say that there is no ‘snap’, but not much. With Paul at a 7 and myself at a 9, a Good (8/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
This 3 ounce/85 gram bag of jerky sells for $10.00. That works out to $3.33 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price.
Bag Review
This white, resealable plastic bag has a label affixed to the front and nothing on the back. There is a small illustration of what may be a maple tree. This bag is vacuum sealed, the best way to keep a product fresh tasting.
There are no slogans printed on this bag. Some facts printed on this bag are “Made in Vermont Marketplace”, “Hand Cut”, “Chef Love”, “Driven by Passion”, and “Minimally Processed”.
Some missing bag categories are a best before date, a soy allergen alert, the jerky weight stated in grams, no nutrition facts table, and no blurb 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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