If someone opened up a bag of jerky, and told you it was “really good jerky”, how would you really know if it was indeed good jerky?

It might be like someone eating a McDonald’s Big Mac, and saying, “Boy, this is a really good burger!”, as opposed to having a Double-Double from In-N-Out.

Next time you open up a bag of jerky, here are some guidelines to keep in mind…

• Good jerky should have a lot of surface flavor. As soon as you put a piece into your mouth, it should awaken your senses. You should be able to get enough flavor just off the surface of the jerky, so that you can suck on a piece before ever taking your first chew. This will help soften up the meat making it easier to chew.
• Good jerky should offer some natural meat flavors. If you’re eating beef jerky, you should be able to taste the natural beef flavors. The same goes for turkey, buffalo, venison, etc. If you can’t taste the natural meat flavors, then you’re simply paying for the seasonings. This is especially true for the exotic meats like venison, elk, alligator, et al. Don’t pay the extra price for elk jerky, if all you can taste are just the seasonings.
• Good jerky should satisfy your urge to snack. It’s kinda like with potato chips, where once you eat a chip, you can’t stop eating more. Jerky should have that snacking satisfaction. If you don’t feel inspired to eat more, then it’s just not good jerky.
• Good jerky should be ultra lean. There should be no fat to be seen on good jerky. Moreover, you should not encounter any unchewable wads of tissue, like tendon, gristle, or stringy sinews. It should be pure meat.
• Good jerky should offer some ease in eating. It should not be so tough that you have to work to bite off a chunk, and it shouldn’t tire your jaw muscles. Really chewy jerky can still be good jerky, if it offers enough surface flavor so that you can suck on a piece for several seconds, allowing it to soften up.
• Good jerky should have a chewing texture like real meat. Once you’ve chewed a piece down to a soft mass, it should feel like eating a piece of steak, with that same meaty, fibrous texture. It should not be crumbly, mushy, or gummy.
• Good jerky should taste exactly as it’s primary flavor. That is, if the package says it’s “Teriyaki”, then it ought to taste like real teriyaki, just like you’d get at a japanese restaurant, and it should provide a strong enough flavor. If you love teriyaki beef jerky, and you discover that it doesn’t exactly taste like teriyaki, then it ruins your expectations.

“Good” jerky doesn’t have to be all of these things, it could just have some of these qualities, depending on what you consider to be more important. Overall, good jerky is what you really like the most. But hopefully this guideline will get you thinking about the jerky you’re eating.