Darling Jerky Co based in Sydney produce a handcrafted quality jerky made from 100% grass fed beef. They currently have two flavours on the market; Original and Cheeseburger.
I received this jerky several months ago and feared I had lost it whilst moving office but to my delight it was found in my new year cleanup. This review is of 35grams of their Original flavoured beef jerky which on first impressions looks to be a slightly wet jerky with visible flavour/coating. The pieces are a little thicker than usual and border on be classed as biltong.
Ingredients
100% grass fed & pasture raised beef, vinegar, soy sauce, freshly squeezed lemon juice, honey, brown sugar, spices, salt, pepper, chilli (habanero)
Appearance
Darling Jerky uses no preservatives or nastys in their jerky recipe and this reflects the semi wet/not too dry appearance and also the short shelf life. The jerky is rather thick and in small sticks about 1.5 to 2cm in thickness. The original flavour clearly has visible chilli flakes and evidence of the marinade on the outer and does look rather appealing, to be honest I couldn’t wait to try this jerky. In the 35g pack there would be approx 7 small pieces which isn’t too bad. The jerky pieces are quite heavy for their size so the 35g in weight would be quickly reached.
Taste
The taste is again different to many of the other jerky products on the market. This is what I love about jerky, you can try so many different varieties and they will all taste noticeably different. Instantly the flavour is evident upon first bite. The marinade provides a slight wet taste followed by some heat from the chilli. As you continue to chew the sweet flavour from the honey and brown sugar is released from the meaty fibres. There is a slight tang present throughout the whole experience, most likely due to the vinegar and lemon juice, but it combines nicely with the other flavours. Overall a rather soft jerky that is very easy on the mouth.
Meat Consistency
As the meat is rather thick, the first few bites are quite hard, but the small pieces quicky break up as they moisten further in your mouth. Each piece was of similar thickness and of good quality with no evidence of fat or unwanted nastys, what you would expect from a jerky that has source quality meat and handcrafted.
Value
RRP is $6.50 for 35g which is slightly higher than most companies, however this Jerky is not heavily mass produced and the quality reflects that. This isn’t a jerky you would expect to see hanging on a supermarket or servo shelf a year after it was made, instead expect to find this is fine foods establishments, delis, pubs and bars.
Overall
A nice mix of flavours with a fresh, boutique feel to it. A little pricey, but that reflects the effot that goes into making handcrafted jerky with quality ingredients. One to watch out for in the future if you are in or around Sydney. Can’t wait to try the Cheeseburger flavour in the coming week.
For more information about Darling Jerky click here
