A month or so ago, Snackgirl over at Second Rate Snacks did a head-to-head comparison of Mr. Z to Jack Link (click here to check it out.) Her review was generally favorable, so I started to keep half an eye out for Mr. Z.As it happens, I soon found a couple packages of Mr. Z Peppered beef jerky at one of the local job-lot places. It was a good price, and it turned out to be pretty decent jerky - real slices of real beef, and not any of that chopped and formed stuff that looks like it's been put in a blender and poured out to dry like some kind of barbecue-flavored Fruit Roll-Ups.
And then over the weekend, I hit the jackpot over at Dollar Tree: the full line of Mr. Z jerky, in full-sized four-ounce packages, for just a dollar each!
My first impression of Mr. Z was borne out as I tried the other flavors. Very high-quality beef jerky. The pieces were cut a little small, but they were still real slices of meat and not some bastardized puree. The label touts that the jerky is made from "grass-fed beef" which is probably meant to imply "free range" without actually saying so, but realistically, you'll never be able to tell the difference after all the processing is done and the spices and flavorings are added.
So, how is this stuff? Here's the run-down:
- Original Flavor is pretty standard beef jerky. Snackgirl noted that there wasn't much difference between this and Jack Link, and she was right, but it also wasn't all that much different from Oberto or Jeff Foxworthy's, either.
- Peppered is excellent. Very pronounced beefyness, loaded with delicious fruity-smelling fresh cracked pepper. Lots of black-pepper heat and a subtle sweetness behind it all. This is so much better than cheaper "peppered" jerkies I've had.
- Teriyaki - Another winning flavor; delicious soy and ginger flavors shine through.
- Sweet and Hot - Quite interesting. This flavor seemed to be lightly glazed with brown sugar and it had a very subtle cayenne-style pepper heat behind it. The sweet predominates at first, with the hot barely noticeable, but after eating more than one or two pieces, the heat begins to build and balance out the taste. Diehard chiliheads won't find this anything to scream about, and neither will pepper wusses (at first.) It's the cumulative effect that gets ya.
i finally got the nerve and bought a package of mr. z beef jerky the other day. i must say it is pretty good especially for the value. at first i was very skeptical because its foreign(brazil) and knowing s. americas laws on the pesticides and regenerative feeding i think its called(where they use dead animals in the feed) but than i realized that brazil is not the country whom practices such measures. i figured id give it a try bc my one old friend moved there. i was suprised that the sweet and hot was actually of a much better quality than the 6 dollar a bag oberto and jack links. i of corse returned to dollartree and purchased 3 more bags of the terryaki style. the terryaki at first tastes like its just plain icky but after tyhe first few pieces when youre used to the btype of terryaki they use it actually tastes pretty darn good. not overpowering sweet and not too plain just right. im not too fond of the fact that they use MSG though but i think that applies to most of the jerky industry anyhows. now if only theyd produce the beef steak nuggets in the mr. z brand*hint to brazil*
ReplyDeleteoverall rating-exceptional quality and same quantity minus the hefty pricetag:)
My friends
ReplyDeleteMr Z is simple the best beef jerky ever.. If you knew the plant where it's produced you wouldn't believe...So high tech following most rigid saniatary rules. I'm sure there's no one company like Mr Z in the world.
Another information. In the past, they produced for Jack links...
other info: oberto also produces part in Brazil...
Conagra belongs to marfrig a brazilian beef and part of slim jim and pemican is also produced here...
The best quality beef in world...
regards