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Archive for the ‘Venison’ Category
Howdy, y’all!
We’re tearing into a bag of Texas Best Smokehouse Venison Jerky picked up at their store in Italy, Texas.
Texas Best Smokehouse Venison Jerky
Being a fan of Texas Best Smokehouse’s delicious meats, it was a no-brainer to swing by on a recent road trip to central Texas to stock up. This particular bit of tastiness is one of many different meats available in their store. Along side the bison, elk, and good ol’ beef, the venison was a particularly tempting option. So, does the deer hold its own among the other available meats? Here’s what you get with this one:
Taste (A-): This meat starts out with a slight sweetness followed by a nice peppery tang. The venison flavor is mild and savory and the garlic and other seasonings are perfectly balanced to enhance but not overwhelm it. The pepper builds over time, bringing a bit of heat as you work through the bag, but never too much. It’s a tremendously enjoyable flavor, with the sweet and savory in terrific harmony, and delicious through and through.
Texture (A): The meat itself is quite dry. While a little pliable, with only a bit of flexing and you’ll begin to tear off pieces. Since it’s cut along the grain tearing the meat is easy, and while it starts off pretty dry it moistens up quickly in your mouth and delivers a really great chew. The pieces are relatively thin, but still substantial, and you can feel the leanness of this meat it in every morsel.
Smell (A): This jerky has a low-key scent, primarily that of the meat itself with a bit of support from the garlic and pepper. The venison smells fantastic, too – solidly meaty – with the seasonings just teasing your nose a bit around the edges. It sets you up nicely for that first bite, foretelling the taste to come.
Appearance (A): With natural cut pieces, mostly in substantially sized strips, this jerky looks very appetizing. It has an almost dull sheen, with spots of shininess here and there, and a dark brown color with red highlights peeking through the depths along the with-the-grain cuts. This is a fine-looking jerky.
Consistency (B+): This is an expert-made jerky by people who clearly love what they do. The pieces, while natural cut, were uniformly thick. The meat was consistently dry and slightly pliable through and through, too. In only one way, this particular bag was a touch less consistent than we’ve seen from other Texas Best Smokehouse wares – the flavor. While every piece was delicious, some of the pieces seems to lack some of the sweetness of the rest. It didn’t seem to be the normal variation of the meat itself but rather a subtle difference in the intensity of the flavorings. To be clear, it was ALL really, really good, and didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the meat at all, but the difference was a noticeable one none the less. Even with that, the Texas Best Smokehouse folks make some awesome jerky and this venison is another great example of their skill.
Overall Impression (A-): One word: Delicious! This is an incredibly great jerky. The venison flavor is frame perfectly by the seasonings of the jerky and the pieces themselves are a joy to eat. They look as good as they taste and you’ll enjoy the bag from beginning to end. This jerky is a definite winner. Grab a bag and we’re sure you’ll agree this is some seriously tasty jerky. Eat well!
Howdy, y’all!
Today we delve into the art of Jerkyology with a package of Oma’s Choice Gourmet Dried Pork and Venison Sausage. We were first introduced to Oma’s choice through the recommendation of a childhood friend who, after spending several years as a long-haul truck driver, developed a keen sense of where to find the best and tastiest snacks along this nation’s highways. His insistence that this Oma’s Choice was something special certainly piqued our interest and we’ve since become acquainted with a number of Oma’s Choice meats over the years, purchasing them at great truck stops, convenience stores, and even The Great State Fair of Texas.
Oma’s Choice Gormet Dried Pork and Venison Sausage
The fine folks at Oma’s Choice make a range of jerkies, sausages, cakes, and candies that feature simple goodness and a real sense of quality. They’ve even been a long-standing participant in the Go Texan program showcasing the best of native Texas and have been recognized for their great wares. So, how do these sausages stand up to the rigors of a Jerkyological review? Let’s see what you get with this one:
Taste (A): This sausage has a smoky, salty, savory flavor that’s bold, but not at all overstated. You start with a pretty strong garlic hit then a simple array of supporting flavors, good ol’ pepper chief among them, blending together to shepherd along the delicious pork and venison without ever distracting you from their goodness. You’d be forgiven for expecting something seasoned with a stronger, more assertive seasoning but this sausage clearly teaches the virtue in ‘just enough’. This sausage’s flavor is practically perfect and is an absolute joy for your taste buds.
Texture (A): If you’re a fan of old-fashioned sausage then you’re in for a treat! As you take your first bite you find that the casing is firm, but not particularly intrusive. It provides just enough definition for the sausage without drawing away too much of your attention. The meat inside is tender and exceptionally well-blended. Still, it has enough substance to it to remind you that you’re eating REAL meat. Pork and venison have very different feels but in this sausage they dance like old friends. It’s just fantastic stuff.
Smell (A-): As pork and venison sausage goes this one smells great. The smoky smell is low-key, almost subdued, while the garlic and other seasonings seem to play a purely supporting role. What you smell here is delicious meat and the rest of it just seems to sing its praises. There’s an art to making sausage with this sort of balance and the Oma’s Choice folks are clearly masters at it.
Appearance (A): These sausages are gorgeous. They’re dark brown with a slight reddish hue and have a slight sheen to them and their surface sports an appetizingly mottled wrinkle. With all the goodness of a traditional link sausage, these simply look fantastic.
Consistency (A): Small bites… large bites… they’re all as good as the last, and every bit of these sausages was made to enjoy. The moisture and flavor in every bit of these sausages is dead-on perfect and you can confidently enjoy every bit of they’re meaty goodness. With the slight variation in the length of the sausages suggesting that they may be hand-made, the skillful execution of the Oma’s Choice folks seems all the more impressive.
Overall Impression (A): This is some seriously tasty stuff. If you’re a fan of delicious and quality is your thing then you definitely will enjoy this Pork and Venison treat. Oma’s Choice has simply delivered an exceptional sausage. End of story. If you spy this, or any of the Oma’s Choice treats on your next road trip feel confident that you’ll be in for something special. Eat well, friends!
Howdy again!
Today it’s all about Kountry Boys “Gourmet Smoked Pork and Venison with Garlic” Sausage, purchased at the State Fair of Texas.
- Kountry Boys Gourmet Smoked Pork and Venison with Garlic Sausage
Previously unacquainted with Kountry Boys, I’ve been looking forward to sampling this sausage to see what they have to offer. I’m often a bit apprehensive with “real” sausage since people’s tastes seem to very so wildly, but this is pretty good! Here’s what you get with this one:
Taste (B)
This sausage has a nice, mild flavor. They did a good job at blending the pork and venison with neither meat’s flavor particularly dominating the other. The smoke flavor is subtle and the garlic suits the meats nicely. There is some complexity to it, too, that builds as you eat it. I found that my first impression wasn’t all that enthusiastic, but the taste quickly grew on me and I found myself quickly enjoying the second and third sticks.
Texture (A)
They did this right. The sticks have a good initial snap to them but are otherwise slightly tender and feel substantial in your mouth. The meat isn’t grainy or uneven, as you sometime find in some sausage treats, and delivers a really enjoyable overall experience.
Smell (B)
While you get a very subtle preview of the sausage’s flavors, this sausage doesn’t have much of an aroma to it. It works and seems complementary, overall. A bit more of an aroma would have been preferred, but what’s there didn’t detract at all.
Appearance (A)
The sausages are very appetizing in appearance. Their color conveys their smoky flavor, the slightly mottled texture suggests a dry, but not too dry consistency, and they’re just the right size and thickness to suggest that something good is coming.
Consistency (A)
The Boys have done well in preparing a sausage that’s good from the first bite to the last. The casings for their sausages provided a good snap with each bite but quickly gave way to the meat itself. The blend of meats and seasonings was thorough and enjoyable to eat.
Overall Impression (B+)
These guys make a good sausage! The taste is pretty good, but the overall quality of this sausage really sustains the experience. You’ll like this one, and I’d wager their other varieties pack some tasty goodness, too.
Good stuff, Boys!
Recent posts
- Monday ,23 May, 2016 Act fast – here’s an early access sale for some interesting Jerky!
- Wednesday ,20 May, 2015 Review: The Greenhouse Tavern’s Artisanal Jerky Plate (A-)
- Tuesday ,11 November, 2014 Review: Golden Island All-Natural Chili Lime Beef Jerky (A-)
- Tuesday ,4 November, 2014 Review: Golden Island All-Natural Five Spice Beef Jerky (C+)
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