Gourmet Beef Jerky

What does it take to make beef jerky into gourmet beef jerky? Well it's the same thing that would make any food item gourmet. The finest quality ingredients prepared by skilled craftsmen.

Consider for a minute that beef jerky is a two-sided coin.

The first side of that coin is the beef jerky that you find in the gas stations and at the check out counter of convenience stores. It is mass-produced in factories.

Now I'm familiar with a factory setting. I've been an industrial engineer all my life. Well, that is until I retired.

I've never been in a factory that produces beef jerky. I would be willing to bet, however, that it's not different from any other factory.

That means producing as much as possible as cheaply as possible. When the quality of the product is mentioned the term "acceptable" is used a lot. Believe me I know!

Beef jerky mass-produced in a factory would use the cheapest possible ingredients and the least amount of labor they can get by with. Just barely keeping it "acceptable".

Beef is the primary ingredient in beef jerky and the cheapest grade is what is probably used in the factories.

That grade would be USDA canner/cutter. This is usually from older animals and is not "acceptable" as retail beef cuts. It is only used in processed beef products like beef jerky.

Gourmet Beef Jerky: The Other Side of The Coin

Quantity and quality are not partners. When factories strive for quantity, quality always suffers.

Gourmet beef jerky is certainly the opposite side of the beef jerky coin. The artisans who produce this product strive for quality.

Cost and productivity are certainly concerns but quality is #1.

This is the best beef jerky you can buy. Craftsmen who really care about their finished product produce it from top quality ingredients.

The beef is almost always top round selected for the best possible finished product.

Not just "acceptable" but the best!

If you are fortunate enough to live within driving distance of one of these artisan shops you should go there and try some for yourself. If you are a jerky fan you will certainly see the difference.

Be prepared to pay more than you would in a gas station. Quality is not cheap!

By far the easiest way to sample gourmet beef jerky is to purchase it over the Internet. Just run a search and you'll find several gourmet shops.