Looking for a way to add some nutrition and flavor to your meals? Look no further than jerky and biltong! Jerky is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes, from eggs and pasta to stir-fries and salads. In this post, we'll show you how to cook with jerky, share some delicious recipes to get you started and showcase some of the best jerky in America. Whether you're a seasoned cook or just starting out, cooking with jerky is a great way to add some protein and spice to your meals. Think outside the bag!
Cashew Butter Masala Meatball Naanwich With Biltong & Spicy Mango Chutney
Biltong // Ayoba // Springfield, VA
Introducing Ayoba Biltong, the perfect hand held protein rich flavor hit. Here's the step by step breakdown in the maker's own words:
100% Grass Fed Beef
Our Biltong crafting process starts with selecting premium cuts of grass fed beef and marinating it to perfection with vinegar, only a few natural spices and no sugar!
Air Dried For 14 Days!
We then air dry our perfectly seasoned cuts of beef for up to 14 days in a temperature controlled room (instead of being cooked at a low temperature like jerky).
Sliced to Perfection
We then carefully slice our beef into thin, tender bite-size pieces. Biltong is convenient enough as an on-the-go protein snack, and premium enough for the fanciest of cheese boards!
Add Jerky To Salads For Umami Goodness
"Fattoush" Style Salad With Crispy Harissa Naan, Biltong, Jerky & Mango Chutney Dressing
Buffalo BBQ Beef Jerky // People's Choice // Los Angeles,CA
From a four-generation Angeleno butcher dynasty comes this Jerky straight out of their innovative test kitchen. Whole cuts, marinated, slow-cooked (and we mean sloooow — 5 hours at least), gets transformed into a cure-all, perfect for snacking on or stirring into any dish for a stampede of flavor. The chicken is swapped out for 100% American beef but the buffalo burn and smoky finish remain. From Bills Mafia to the City of Angels, the people agree, this is some choice jerky.
From The Maker:
Thick cuts of 100% American Beef are seasoned with a rich buttery bite of spicy buffalo hot sauce, tangy vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce—then slow cooked for a minimum of five hours. The cowboy-style cuts of jerky enhance the rich meaty flavor for a thick jerky with a great chew. The more you bite, the more the spice builds leaving you wanting more.
Spiced Mango With Jerky & Habanero Recipe Here
Premium Beef Jerky // Top Chops // Lebanon, GA
Jerky was born of necessity — spoil-proof sustenance for long, backcountry rambles. And most these days still tastes that way. A chewy chore, not a choice: old cows, sunbaked into last-resort protein fuel. But can jerky be a treat? When it’s done right: USDA choice beef, fresh and tender as a quality steak, popping with pepper, tangy and tender and, dare we say, even refreshing. Fresh from the saddlebag or, as we like it, skewered with a few chunks of pineapple and chared quickly on the grill.
Add Crispy Jerky or Snack Sticks As A Topping
Butternut Squash And Chorizo Tacos With Grated Dark Chocolate
Chorizo Snack Sticks // Aurelias // Austin, TX
This Chorizo x Snack Stick mashup is the collaboration we didn’t know we needed. Add big flavor to the middle of your afternoon hike or workout routine or use it as you would Chorizo in tacos, nachos or clams. We submit that any dish that begins with sautéed Aurelia’s chorizo will have the rest of the fans on gameday asking about the recipe. Aurelia’s owner Leslie has years of experience and it shows in our favorite Chorizo in the US of A.
Rosemary Garlic Premium Beef Jerky // Savage Jerky Co. // Buford, GA
This jerky gets impressively close to just tasting like a good steak. Tender, with a hit of rosemary and garlic. That is why we recommend thinking beyond the bag and trying it shredded over a baked potato or tucked into a grilled cheese. Another underrated way to use jerky? Crisp it up in a pan with olive oil and sprinkle it over pasta. Be sure to use the leftover umami-rich cooking oil as a finishing oil over roast veg, meats or fried rice.
Add Jerky To A Burger
Fig Syrup Caramelized Onion Burger With Jerky & Goat Cheese
Crumble Jerky And Use It As A Spice
Margarita Salt Blistered Shishito Peppers
Baja "Street Taco" Jerky // Baja Jerky // Buena Park, CA
Forget standard gas station jerky and take a trip down the Baja with this stunning mix of street taco flavors. The team at Baja Jerky start off with the key players like lime juice and garlic then kick it up with a touch of annatto, tamarind and chipotle. The result? The closest jerky can come to transporting you to a roadside taco truck down the coast. No nitrates, gluten, preservatives, or MSG, just healthy protein and an open road to a flavortown down south.
From The Maker:
Have you ever wondered why tacos from hole-in-the-wall shops always taste so much better than tacos from 4-star restaurants? We’ll let you in on the secret – it’s because they’re 100% authentic. The heroes running small shops like that aren’t worried about the frills of the culinary world… rather, their #1 priority if serving up a taco platter that keeps you coming back for more.
Our Street Taco flavor taps into that authenticity with ingredients like cilantro, white onion, chipotle, chili and oregano to bring you a flavor of jerky you couldn’t have even dreamed of. This delicious new flavor tastes like it’s been passed down from generation to generation through family recipes, but it’s got the flare of a modern snack. We’ve, of course, put our Baja Jerky touch on it to make sure it fits our flavor fam perfectly!
BBQ Jerky // Aufschnitt Beef Jerky // Owings Mills, MD
No mass production or automation here, just grass-fed beef and age-old family recipes. Aufschnitt takes their journey on the BBQ trail for the protein-packed snack that is great for pre-afternoon crash, post-workout or during beer sippin' sessions. Need more healthy power? Try their beef bars or beef sticks that will curb any craving and keep you fuelled while you wait for the cue to heat up.
From The Maker:
Looking for a BBQ in a bag? Try our BBQ Jerky and you will be pleasantly surprised with the amazing flavor. Enjoy your Kosher, all natural, gluten free BBQ Beef Jerky sourced from Grass Fed Beef.
Add Jerky To Salads & Slaws
Korean Style BBQ Jerky // Field Trip Jerky // Brooklyn, NY
Jerky is a moveable feast: have meat, will travel. Field Trip is made for carnivores on the go. Started by three ski bums looking for a healthier, heartier fuel pre-, post- (and during) long days on the slopes, where mountain lodge sustenance is scarce, and usually covered in nacho cheese. Grass-fed beef and no MSG or preservatives make this a perfect way to sate your cravings anywhere you go. This bag transports you to a Seoul Barbecue, some Korean chili paste known as Gochujang adds the big flavor that makes this one of our all-time favorite jerky mashups. Want to think outside the bag? Try tucking some into this crunchy, zippy slaw and wash it down with a couple ice cold beers after your next field trip.
Spicy Beef Salad With Peanut Vinaigrette & Jerky Recipe
Everything Jerky // Field Trip Jerky // Brooklyn, NY
Jerky is a moveable feast: have meat, will travel. Field Trip is made for carnivores on the go. Started by three ski bums looking for a healthier, heartier fuel pre-, post- (and during) long days on the slopes, where mountain lodge sustenance is scarce, and usually covered in nacho cheese. Grass-fed beef and no MSG or preservatives make this a perfect way to sate your cravings anywhere you go. This bag transports you to a classic NY Deli, except instead of chewy bagels, tender beef is subbed in for one of our all-time favorite jerky mashups. Want to think outside the bag? Try tucking some into this crunchy, zippy slaw and wash it down with a couple ice cold beers after your next field trip.
Fry Jerky Or Biltong With Eggs
Biltong Scrambled Eggs With Chili Crisp Recipe Here
Naked Biltong // Brooklyn Biltong // Brooklyn, NY
In South Africa, biltong is a way of life. Everyone makes the salty sweet meat treats, but Brooklyn Biltong’s founder Ben was lucky: his Granddad’s was the best in town, and he spent his childhood filling paper bags with handfuls at his family’s Pretoria butcher shop. While you and your buddies suffered through Slim Jims, Ben snacked on juicy, rich strips of air-dried goodness. He still makes it the old way: marinated with spices and slowly cured, not dehydrated, and never heated so it stays supple and chewy, even though it’s built to last, staying fresh on pantry shelves or stuffed in saddlebags for a long road ahead — as if you can wait to dig in.
Jerky As A Nacho Topping Or On Breakfast Tacos
Everything Bagel Smoked Salmon Tacos With Hot Honey & Sriracha Bacon Recipe
Sriracha Bacon Jerky // Savage Jerky Co. // Buford, GA
When it comes to road eats, while a rare few gas stations are diamonds in the oil, so to speak (think great hole in the wall taco stands like Fuel City in Dallas or De Amigos in Pescadero), most, of course, are food deserts. Stomach rumbling, gas tank low, a fluorescent oasis beckons — while the car drinks its fill, you muse over hypnotic slushie machines and mystery tubs of no-name jerky. Their road trip grumbles unsated, the Georgia buddies behind Savage decided to make their own. Their Sriracha Bacon, good enough to gnaw as is, but save a slice for your end-of-the-road drink, to replace your bloody mary’s celery stalk or add to a taco with a touch of spicy swagger.
Bacon Jerky For Dessert?
Hot Honey Caramelized Apples With Bacon & Bourbon Chocolate Recipe
Garnish Cocktails With Jerky
Bobbie's Bloody Mary Recipe With Mean Beans, Droewors & Biltong Rim
Biltong Baron // Cowboys ‘n Campfires: Smoky Chili // Greenwich, CT
A staple of Indigenous South African peoples such as the Khoikhoi, Biltong was developed to preserve meat without refrigeration. Long active days, meant a lean protein source was imperative and if this snack can fuel a wild game hunt in Sub-Saharan Africa our guess is it’s not a bad 3pm hunger suppressor at the office or during a leisurely camp out in the woods. Until recently, it was reasonably difficult to attain stateside. Eat it out of the bag or treat Biltong like prosciutto in a salad or on a cheese platter.
From the Maker:
"Get your boots and saddles ready because this recipe will make you feel like you’re kickin’ back on a ranch in the Southwest with the BBQ pit all fired up, ice cold brew in hand. Featuring mild Smoked Spanish Paprika, imported from Spain, sweet peppers have been slow-smoked over oakwood and finely ground to add a seductive depth that no other spice can replicate. If you want to show off, call it Pimenton Dulce Ahumadoand watch the others swoon at your culinary language skills."
Unlike our Fire in the Hole recipe, this is a non-spicy blend that packs flavor without the heat that some chilis bring to the table. By using premium air-dried steak seasoned naturally with sea salt, black pepper and Mother Nature’s spices, we’re keeping it simple while still delivering a delectable protein-rich snack that’s entirely void of junk. All of our products are Keto and Paleo diet friendly and each bag packs 32G of protein with <1g carbs and ZERO sugar."
Nashville Hot Beef Jerky // People’s Choice Jerky, Los Angeles, CA
From a four-generation Angeleno butcher dynasty comes this Jerky inspired by the Hot Chicken houses of Nashville. Whole cuts, marinated, slow-cooked (and we mean sloooow — 5 hours at least), gets transformed into a cure-all, perfect for snacking on or stirring into any dish for a stampede of flavor. The chicken is swapped out for 100% American beef but the fiery cayenne pepper burn and smoky finish remain. From the Music City to the City of Angels, the people agree, this is some choice jerky.
From The Maker:
Thick cuts of 100% American Beef are lacquered with a spicy paste of cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Once infused with the blistering heat, the jerky is slow cooked for a minimum of five hours. The meat soaks up the fiery spice blend which translates into the final dried product leaving an after burn that scorches the senses.
Pure, unadulterated heat that tastes as good as it burns.
Jerky Rimmed Michelada (Meatchelada) Recipe Here
Salsa Fresca Jerky // Baja Jerky// Buena Park, CA
Forget standard gas station jerky and take a trip down the Baja with this stunning mix of sweet and heat. The team at Baja Jerky start off with the key players in pico de gallo using real tomatoes, onions, jalapeños and lime juice then kick it up with a touch of turmeric, tamarind and even avocado powder. The result? The closest jerky can come to transporting you to a roadside taco truck down the coast. No nitrates, gluten, preservatives, or MSG, just healthy protein and an open road to a flavortown down south.
Jerky Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe Here
Grass Fed Beef Jerky // Slant Shack Jerky // Brooklyn, NY
Sure, Jerky and “Mantry” can be a cliché, but when we stumbled across the team at Slant Shack using sustainably raised grass-fed beef for this artisan meat treat, we took notice. Tear into a bag of this dehydrated goodness, while rehydrating with an ice cold brew and seeking refuge from that convenience store stuff.
Conclusion:
Incorporating jerky into your cooking is an easy and delicious way to add flavor and nutrition to your meals. From adding jerky to salads to using it as a topping on your favorite dishes, the possibilities are endless. In this post, we’ve shared some of our favorite jerky products from around America and provided some delicious recipes to help inspire you. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or a newbie in the kitchen, cooking with jerky is a fun way to experiment with different flavors and textures. So think outside the bag and give these recipes a try. By using jerky, you can add protein and spice to your meals and take your cooking to the next level. With these tips and tricks, you’ll be cooking with jerky like a pro in no time!
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