Oh where has my Beef Jerky gone?

October 2, 2007 10:58 PM

I saw the question about how to make your own beef jerky. What i want to know is, where on the waves of the internets can i BUY the tastiest, most tender beef jerky the world has ever seen? Meat nirvana delivered to my door please.
posted by elfollador to Food & Drink (17 answers total)

"Tender" and "jerky" are mutually exclusive terms in my experience.
posted by wsg at 11:20 PM on October 2, 2007

The absolute best jerky I ever had, and it was tender, was caribou (reindeer) jerky some Canadians gave me. It was amazing stuff, you'd eat it like candy. It was also homemade but you can find it online, though I have absolutely no idea how it compares to what I had. But it's worth a try.
posted by 6550 at 12:24 AM on October 3, 2007

Buck Point Foods, Atkinson, Nebraska.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 12:41 AM on October 3, 2007

I've had many kinds, and the best, head and shoulders above the rest, were always homemade. One outstanding specimen was venison. That might be something to look into.
posted by scarabic at 12:55 AM on October 3, 2007

If you have a big enough Chinese market near you, there are varieties of hot and sweet you never imagined. They're also much more tender than your archetypal American jerky.
posted by rhizome at 1:00 AM on October 3, 2007

Hi Country from Lincoln, Montana is pretty damn good.
posted by davidmsc at 1:22 AM on October 3, 2007

Damn Good Jerky: "Unfortunately, most of the jerky available is stereotyped as being chewy and hard to tear with your teeth. Luckily, we were able to develop a process that makes our jerky tender and flavorful." Money back guarantee, and the best I ever had.
posted by jwells at 5:11 AM on October 3, 2007

I've always had a lot more luck at the local meat markets who make their jerky in house. Good, tender, chewable beef jerky is absolutely doable. Not cheap, but doable. That crap you buy in the grocery store or gas station is not even close to "real" jerky.
My favorite of all time is turkey jerky. Mmmmmmm.
posted by jmd82 at 5:36 AM on October 3, 2007

World Kitchens.

I found this stuff at a couple gas stations in Utah...it doesn't hurt your teeth, it's tasty as all get out...man, I'm going to have to order me some.
posted by notsnot at 5:37 AM on October 3, 2007

The absolute best beef jerky I've ever had came from Jiggs Smoke House in Oklahoma. They do not have an internet presence. At least the last time I ordered from them, they did not accept credit cards, so you'll probably have to send them something I'm told is called a money order, in return for which they'll mail you a package containing said jerky. They do have a telephone, and would likely be happy to tell you the procedure and relevant details if you call them.

I'm not kidding. It's something else. It starts out chewy, but turns tender as you work on it, as jerky should. It's beautiful.

Also, New Beef King on Bayard St. in Manhattan makes outstanding Chinese-style beef and pork jerky. I don't really like spicy jerky, but their plain pork and oyster-flavored beef are both great, and maybe what you're looking for - very bright flavors, tender, and moist. I'm pretty sure they ship, but you can email Robert and ask him.
posted by Caviar at 6:17 AM on October 3, 2007

For what it's worth, here is a NYTimes review of high-end jerky in the US. I've tried a couple of their recommendations, and they were pretty good, far better than what you get at the gas station. (The MSG in gas station jerky makes me feel ill, so I really appreciate the lack of it in the good stuff.)

But homemade, when it is fresh, and especially when it is venison or grass-fed beef, beats any of the commercial makers that I have tried. And it is easy to make -- sliced beef plus marinade plus dehydrator or oven set on low. No skill or expertise needed at all; takes less than a day.
posted by Forktine at 6:48 AM on October 3, 2007

I've plugged them before on the green, but there's my favorite distributorfor local smokehouse jerkys from across the Southwest. (I'm surprised they don't have Jiggs' - have to ask about that.)
posted by ormondsacker at 8:34 AM on October 3, 2007 [1 favorite]

A friend from a motorcycle forum runs his own jerky company. It's the best I've ever had. So is his BBQ pork shoulder, if you're in NC (he catered an event down here in FL for a friend, amazing BBQ).
posted by kableh at 9:54 AM on October 3, 2007

some of the best jerkey I've ever had was the pork jerkey occasionally carried by Prather Ranch. Their beef jerkey is super good too. I bet they ship.
posted by missmobtown at 10:32 AM on October 3, 2007

Response by poster: Awesome list people. I'm going to have a busy october trying all these out. If i find one to be head and shoulders above the rest, i'll post it.
posted by elfollador at 1:05 PM on October 3, 2007

Los Gatos Meats & Smoke House.

Take it from one who knows. No ordering from the website, but they do ship when you order by phone. Try the heavy pepper.
posted by DandyRandy at 2:07 PM on October 3, 2007

My entire family swears by Wild Bill's.
If I recall (I stopped eating red meat 5 or so years ago), it wasn't necessarily tender. However, they sell the "chew" variety, which is just shredded jerky in a chew can. It's amazing.
posted by denimflavored at 11:06 AM on October 4, 2007