Jerky! Give Me Your Recommendations, Please!

[Knotorious]

I've developed a recent obsession with jerky and, naturally, it began with beef jerky. Since then, I've tried a few other kinds of jerky, and I'm now continuously on the hunt for the best kinds (best types of meat used, best forms, best preparations/flavors) and the best places to buy jerky from in the real world or, better yet, online!

It has become disappointingly apparent to me that just about the only type of jerky sold in any stores around me (that I'm currently aware of) is either beef, pork/bacon, Slim Jims (pork and beef)...and that's it. The general public apparently isn't into jerky enough for most stores to stock anything more interesting.

Having said all of this, does anyone have any suggestions for what types of jerky I should try next and, if possible/relevant, where you buy it online or physical stores (whether a specific store or a general type of store) that might have a wider selection?

Thanks everyone!

~Knotorious

 

[lxskllr]

I don't really buy by brand. I look at the ingredients and buy by sugar content(less is better), and by claims of being hot. That said, Mike's Desert Fire Hot is good, and if they're still around Wild Bills. Also, biltong is like jerky, but better.

 

[Mellow]

Learn how to make your own. It's not difficult. You'll never go back to store-bought.

 

[Kaveman]

Stryve, available at Walmart. It's air dried beef biltong. You can get online and order huge slabs of it if you like.

 

[Knotorious]

Learn how to make your own. It's not difficult. You'll never go back to store-bought.

I don't have the time or interest in making my own, However, having said that, I do not doubt for one minute that making one's own jerky is the way to go and that, if I could or would, I probably wouldn't ever go back. Maybe once I move to MA, I might have the money, the time and the interest, to make my own jerky.

I don't really buy by brand. I look at the ingredients and buy by sugar content(less is better), and by claims of being hot. That said, Mike's Desert Fire Hot is good, and if they're still around Wild Bills. Also, biltong is like jerky, but better.

Biltong is not new to me, however, I admit I've never tried it. I will definitely be giving it a go as the next type of jerky that I try out.

Stryve, available at Walmart. It's air dried beef biltong. You can get online and order huge slabs of it if you like.

Thanks for the recommendation! I just looked up the brand online and it is pretty cheaply available from Walmart online at a discount from buying it in stores. However, I have no idea what shipping costs, so that discount could cancel itself out prett quickly. Nevertheless, there is a Walmart nearby where I live and I will definitely be trying out some biltong very, very soon!

 

[Knotorious]

The indigenous people in the Andes mountains in modern day Peru invented the earliest versions of modern day beef jerky. The unique climatic conditions of this high altitude region made the ancient jerky production possible. The Quechua, a South American tribe, called it Ch’arki. The Quechuan word translates into “to burn/dry meat.”

(Quechua Indians riding in the Andes mountains.)

Ch’arki was produced by drying the meat in the hot sun during the day and then freezing it during cold nights. Unlike modern beef jerky, the earliest form of jerky was prepared with bones included, rather than thin strips of boneless meat. The protein source for this early jerky was made with animals from the camelidae family including llamas, alpacas, guanacos, and vicuñas.

The process of air drying meat through alternating between warm, sunny days and cold, freezing nights had distinct advantages. First, it allowed for food preservation at scale. As much as 15% of herds were slaughtered every year for consumption. A significant portion of the meat was used for ch’arki to ensure sufficient food supply throughout the year.

Upon arrival in the New World, the Spanish conquistadors adapted the word ch’arki to charqui. From there, it evolved over the years into modern day beef jerky.