The first review for Matador will be on a 3 ounce/85 gram bag of their chili lime flavored beef jerky. Back in December 2014, while getting off the i81 interstate to fill up with gas, this bag was purchased at store named Greggs Market Place. They are located in a small city named Marathon, New York.
The Matador jerky brand name is distributed by the very large, and successful company Link Snacks Inc. While the Jack Links jerky brand name is easily the world leader in jerky sales, this Matador jerky brand is targeted towards teenagers, with bolder flavors. Link Snacks Inc. is located in Minong, Wisconsin. Their company started way back in the 1880’s. Today, Jack Link’s sells more than 100 different meat snack products in more than 40 countries.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Sugar, Water, Brown Sugar, Less than 2% of Salt, Flavorings, Red Pepper, Lime Juice Powder (Corn Syrup, Lime Juice, Lime Oil), Chipotle Powder, Yeast Extract, Natural Smoke Flavor, Citric Acid, Sodium Nitrite.
Where the beef is sourced from is unknown. While not 100% certain, the cattle used are likely raised in massive ranches located in South America. The 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.
This entire liquid marinade is comprised of only water. As for healthy ingredients used, we only have red pepper and chipotle powder. The lime juice powder could have been healthy, but the cheap sweetener corn syrup is used.
The sugar level is fairly high at 7 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less. The sodium level is somewhat high at 390mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less.
Unhealthy sodium nitrite is used to preserve this jerky. To a lesser extent, citric acid also acts as a preservative, and of course salt also. This jerky does qualify to have no MSG added.
Fair (4/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These bite sized strips are all uniform in size, where each piece is an exact replica of each other. This jerky is advertised and does have a soft and tender texture. One of the joys of eating jerky is the ability to tear a jerky strip into smaller pieces by tearing it along the grain. This unnatural texture has no grain at all. While perhaps not your conventional chopped and formed texture, it is processed enough to earn the distinction of having a chopped and formed texture.
Without a doubt, the first taste detected is a processed beef flavor. It does not even taste similar to traditional beef jerky. There is a mild lime flavor. This jerky also has a minor spiciness, which would rate about a one out of four on the heat scale, at best. Both the sweetness and saltiness are at moderate levels.
This 3 ounce/85 gram bag was purchased for $5.99. That works out to $2.00 an ounce, which rates as an average price. There are much healthier choices out there.
Bag Review
This is a busy, resealable bag. Everything is imprinted directly on to the bag, both on the front and back. The Matador logo is a black bull.
There are a number of sayings displayed such as “We’ve made it extra tender so that it’s easier to eat”, “We gave it a bold flavor to satisfy your cravings”, “A revolutionary snacking experience”, “It’s unique, it’s bite-sized, and it’s awesome”, “No more rip & tear”, “High in Protein”, “Low in Fat”, “Matador is a tender jerky revolution”, “Bold Flavor”, “Tender Bite”, “Powerfully Bold Flavor”, “Uniquely Tender Bite”, and “Smoke Flavor Added”.
All bag categories are covered with this bag. Admirably, a phone number is supplied for customer inquiries.
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