Pork jerky! I’ve had beef and bison, but never pork. So I dug into this bag, curious … and hungry. The first piece out of the bag, and I got something that was stringy and thinly sliced. This is a jerky you’re gonna have to chew. It’s not exactly shoe leather, but a slightly thicker cut – and one that’s against the grain rather than with it – would have gone a long way toward making this jerky easier to eat. As my packet stands, it took me a lot of chewing and several dental floss picks to get through my bits. If I had it to do over again, I’d have taken out the drying silica packet immediately after I’d opened it and kept the pack in the fridge (in case the moisture decided to get randy out on the countertop.)
The taste, however, made the chewing worth it. There’s definitely a faint pork flavor, but the blend of spice and sweet got my tastebuds immediately. Brown sugar, (gluten free) shoyu, and flakes of dried chili pepper give a nice burn on the tongue after you’ve finished your piece without making you want to run out for a glass of milk to cool the fire. I’d love a barbecue glaze with this taste; think North Carolina barbecue blended with brown sugar instead of regular. Of course, NC barbecue is my favorite, so I may be a bit swayed by these flavors. Still, I stand by my wishful glaze thinking.
This is the kind of jerky that’s perfect for snacking, though with these thinly sliced pieces you may find yourself downing the bag before you know what you’ve done. These pieces are definitely chewy, but being so thin, it’s a quick chew that’ll have you dipping back into the bag for another. And another. I’m snacking on my final pieces as I type, and I know I’ll have a moment of sadness when I reach in and get nothing but air and a silica packet.
Give this one a try if you’re up for treating yourself to a whole bag at one go, or if you think you’ve got the willpower to leave things alone after one serving. (Note: you probably don’t have that kind of willpower.) Chewy, yeah. Spicy – maybe too much so for some – of course. But damn if this jerky isn’t addicting.
