Current Score:
Mad Hunky - 6 Hi Mountain - 4
Last Friday I was strolling through the supermarket, and I spotted some Hi Mountain Jerky Cure and Seasoning...Lightbulb went on! I have some Mad Hunky Jerky Cure and Seasoning, so how about a head to head shootout?
Here we go...
I started with about $45.00 worth of Angus Top Round.
Partially froze and sliced with the grain this time...I kinda prefer that
Here are the combatants...
The Hi Mountain comes as two packets.
Now I gotta tell you that I was measuring this out and then realized I had measured out the wrong stuff...cure instead of seasoning. Then I had to backtrack and refigure to make sure that it was correct. The reason that I point this out is this...it is easy to mess up. How many times are you in the middle of concentrating on something and your wife yells from the other room and completely distracts you? The Hunky is one packet and you just dump it in...it is fool proof! The only suggestion that I have for the Hunky is this...how about having it in a pre-mixed form in bulk. Then you could have directions like "use 2 tablespoons per lb. of meat" or something like that. That way you can do any amount at any time.
This is what the Hi Mountain looked like
Used some of the Wife's wine...Now, the Hi Mountain just wants you to shake it on the meat...I like the use of wine as a carrier liquid, so I dissolved it in a cup of wine just like the Hunky.
Time for a nap
Hunky Jerky (smoked with some Cherry wood)
Hi Mountain getting a little cherry smoke. The Hi Mountain was Hickory, but after taking a nap, it had minimized to such an extent that I thought I should give it a little bit of smoke. It got a small amount of Cherry smoke as well. Both got Lump charcoal.
Hi Mountain Jerky
So, I bagged some samples up...sample A was Mad Hunky, Sample B was Hi Mountain, and I took them to work. Gave them to engineers, top management, machine operators, interns, and Accounting assistants. I asked for their feedback and here is what I got.
Thank you for participating in my jerky taste experiment. The samples were both made with jerky cure and season that I purchased. I wanted to see how the two compared, and want your feedback in the process. They are made from Angus Top Round and a quality red wine as a carrier liquid for the spice and cure. Please give me as much feedback as you can. I simply prepared the jerky by the instructions that came with the spice and cure and you will not hurt my feelings so if you have something you don’t like, please put it down! After all, this will influence how I prepare jerky in the future, and you may get to eat that as well, so you can see that your feedback is very valuable to me.
Sample A (Mad Hunky Jerky Cure and Seasoning)
Taste:
1. Very Good
2.
3. Hint of Red wine shows through
4. Best Flavor
5. Good overall flavor and texture
6. The flavor of this one was good, not as flavorful as B though
7.
8. Tastes like really good roast beef. Good moisture level and “chewiness”
9.
Salt Level:
1. Could use a bit more
2.
3. Perfect
4. Lower salt level on this sample…needs a little more.
5. Could use a little more salt
6. Both samples were good salt-wise, not too much , not too little
7.
8. Good, I really appreciate the salt being lower so you can actually taste the meat.
9.
Smokiness:
1. Perfect.
2.
3. Good smoke flavor
4. I taste more smoke flavor – Very good
5. Excellent
6. Definitely a smokier flavor than the other. Great smoke flavor.
7.
8. Better on the smokiness…no aftertaste like sample B.
9.
Spice:
1. A little mild.
2.
3. Needs more
4. Could use a little more bite
5. Light on spice – Would like a little more
6. Could use more spice, I think.
7.
8. A little mild…but I do like a lot of spice.
9.
Overall Impression
1. Very Good
2. This is Excellent!
3. Good flavor
4. Tastes good, I could eat a lot more.
5. Store Quality Product
6. I thought this one was slightly drier than B, mostly all smoke flavor, not enough spice.
7.
8. I really liked the flavor of this sample. Very well done.
9. I Prefer this as it has fantastic flavor without punching you in the mouth with salt.
Sample B (Hi Mountain)
Taste:
1. Good
2.
3.
4.
5. Good Overall Flavor and Texture
6. I really enjoyed this taste, lots of different flavors but wasn’t overpowering.
7.
8. Good meaty flavor and not too dry, just the right amount of chew.
9.
Salt Level:
1. Could use a bit more
2.
3. Perfect
4. Salt level is higher – I do like saltier jerky
5. Perfect
6. Both samples were good salt-wise, not too much , not too little
7.
8. Good, I really appreciate the salt being lower so you can actually taste the meat
9.
Smokiness:
1. Could use more to improve the taste
2.
3. More smoke flavor than sample A
4. I like a smokier flavor
5. Excellent
6. Good
7.
8. Good initially…a hint of tangy after time in my mouth (after taste?)
9.
Spice:
1. A little mild.
2.
3. Mild
4. Spicier than sample A
5. Would have liked a little more heat
6. 5 Stars
7.
8. Nice and mild…I personally would like more, but I like things pretty spicy.
9.
Overall Impression
1. Good
2. I much prefer Sample A
3. OK
4. Tastes good.
5. Very Tender and not chewy, better than store quality
6. The flavor of this one was more complex & lasting. It was juicy and delicious, this is the perfect jerky!
7. The biggest difference is the salt level, and this makes it appear to have more of a kick.
8. Really very impressive, best homemade jerky I’ve ever eaten.
9. Good Jerky, but overall too salty. That is the thing with Jerky as most just coat it in salt. If you can control that it makes a much better product.
Have you ever made Jerky Before?
1. No, but I have eaten a lot…The texture of both are excellent!
3. Yes
6. HA HA Dana! (this is from Caitlin, our adorable 20 something Summer intern / assistant that is on break from College. She giggled and said yeah, I made jerky with the Elk that I killed with my bare hands as she turned and walked away).
If so, how does this compare to yours?
3. Mine sucks compared to this!
What would you do differently
3. Absolutely nothing.
5. Pieces are a little on the thick side. Spice – I personally prefer bold flavors in my jerky, overall this is some solid stuff. I would buy this if it was available.
8. Add a little more spice (not salt though, because that is spot on).
Of the two, I prefer: Sample A 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 Sample B 5, 6, 7, 8
I am #10, and here are my thoughts. The Hi Mountain is way to salty. The Hickory powder that was in it leaves a tang in your mouth that one tester picked up on. It isnt as clean a taste. Most testers wanted more spice (Rich, this is where you come in). There is no question that both are much better than anything you could buy, as craft jerky is unbeatable, but in my book the Hunky has a better product.
I will continue to add to this as some additional input comes in (tomorrow), and I will bump it so you can see the current score that I have posted at the top of the thread.
Mad Hunky - 6 Hi Mountain - 4
Last Friday I was strolling through the supermarket, and I spotted some Hi Mountain Jerky Cure and Seasoning...Lightbulb went on! I have some Mad Hunky Jerky Cure and Seasoning, so how about a head to head shootout?
Here we go...
I started with about $45.00 worth of Angus Top Round.
Partially froze and sliced with the grain this time...I kinda prefer that
Here are the combatants...
The Hi Mountain comes as two packets.
Now I gotta tell you that I was measuring this out and then realized I had measured out the wrong stuff...cure instead of seasoning. Then I had to backtrack and refigure to make sure that it was correct. The reason that I point this out is this...it is easy to mess up. How many times are you in the middle of concentrating on something and your wife yells from the other room and completely distracts you? The Hunky is one packet and you just dump it in...it is fool proof! The only suggestion that I have for the Hunky is this...how about having it in a pre-mixed form in bulk. Then you could have directions like "use 2 tablespoons per lb. of meat" or something like that. That way you can do any amount at any time.
This is what the Hi Mountain looked like
Used some of the Wife's wine...Now, the Hi Mountain just wants you to shake it on the meat...I like the use of wine as a carrier liquid, so I dissolved it in a cup of wine just like the Hunky.
Time for a nap
Hunky Jerky (smoked with some Cherry wood)
Hi Mountain getting a little cherry smoke. The Hi Mountain was Hickory, but after taking a nap, it had minimized to such an extent that I thought I should give it a little bit of smoke. It got a small amount of Cherry smoke as well. Both got Lump charcoal.
Hi Mountain Jerky
So, I bagged some samples up...sample A was Mad Hunky, Sample B was Hi Mountain, and I took them to work. Gave them to engineers, top management, machine operators, interns, and Accounting assistants. I asked for their feedback and here is what I got.
Thank you for participating in my jerky taste experiment. The samples were both made with jerky cure and season that I purchased. I wanted to see how the two compared, and want your feedback in the process. They are made from Angus Top Round and a quality red wine as a carrier liquid for the spice and cure. Please give me as much feedback as you can. I simply prepared the jerky by the instructions that came with the spice and cure and you will not hurt my feelings so if you have something you don’t like, please put it down! After all, this will influence how I prepare jerky in the future, and you may get to eat that as well, so you can see that your feedback is very valuable to me.
Sample A (Mad Hunky Jerky Cure and Seasoning)
Taste:
1. Very Good
2.
3. Hint of Red wine shows through
4. Best Flavor
5. Good overall flavor and texture
6. The flavor of this one was good, not as flavorful as B though
7.
8. Tastes like really good roast beef. Good moisture level and “chewiness”
9.
Salt Level:
1. Could use a bit more
2.
3. Perfect
4. Lower salt level on this sample…needs a little more.
5. Could use a little more salt
6. Both samples were good salt-wise, not too much , not too little
7.
8. Good, I really appreciate the salt being lower so you can actually taste the meat.
9.
Smokiness:
1. Perfect.
2.
3. Good smoke flavor
4. I taste more smoke flavor – Very good
5. Excellent
6. Definitely a smokier flavor than the other. Great smoke flavor.
7.
8. Better on the smokiness…no aftertaste like sample B.
9.
Spice:
1. A little mild.
2.
3. Needs more
4. Could use a little more bite
5. Light on spice – Would like a little more
6. Could use more spice, I think.
7.
8. A little mild…but I do like a lot of spice.
9.
Overall Impression
1. Very Good
2. This is Excellent!
3. Good flavor
4. Tastes good, I could eat a lot more.
5. Store Quality Product
6. I thought this one was slightly drier than B, mostly all smoke flavor, not enough spice.
7.
8. I really liked the flavor of this sample. Very well done.
9. I Prefer this as it has fantastic flavor without punching you in the mouth with salt.
Sample B (Hi Mountain)
Taste:
1. Good
2.
3.
4.
5. Good Overall Flavor and Texture
6. I really enjoyed this taste, lots of different flavors but wasn’t overpowering.
7.
8. Good meaty flavor and not too dry, just the right amount of chew.
9.
Salt Level:
1. Could use a bit more
2.
3. Perfect
4. Salt level is higher – I do like saltier jerky
5. Perfect
6. Both samples were good salt-wise, not too much , not too little
7.
8. Good, I really appreciate the salt being lower so you can actually taste the meat
9.
Smokiness:
1. Could use more to improve the taste
2.
3. More smoke flavor than sample A
4. I like a smokier flavor
5. Excellent
6. Good
7.
8. Good initially…a hint of tangy after time in my mouth (after taste?)
9.
Spice:
1. A little mild.
2.
3. Mild
4. Spicier than sample A
5. Would have liked a little more heat
6. 5 Stars
7.
8. Nice and mild…I personally would like more, but I like things pretty spicy.
9.
Overall Impression
1. Good
2. I much prefer Sample A
3. OK
4. Tastes good.
5. Very Tender and not chewy, better than store quality
6. The flavor of this one was more complex & lasting. It was juicy and delicious, this is the perfect jerky!
7. The biggest difference is the salt level, and this makes it appear to have more of a kick.
8. Really very impressive, best homemade jerky I’ve ever eaten.
9. Good Jerky, but overall too salty. That is the thing with Jerky as most just coat it in salt. If you can control that it makes a much better product.
Have you ever made Jerky Before?
1. No, but I have eaten a lot…The texture of both are excellent!
3. Yes
6. HA HA Dana! (this is from Caitlin, our adorable 20 something Summer intern / assistant that is on break from College. She giggled and said yeah, I made jerky with the Elk that I killed with my bare hands as she turned and walked away).
If so, how does this compare to yours?
3. Mine sucks compared to this!
What would you do differently
3. Absolutely nothing.
5. Pieces are a little on the thick side. Spice – I personally prefer bold flavors in my jerky, overall this is some solid stuff. I would buy this if it was available.
8. Add a little more spice (not salt though, because that is spot on).
Of the two, I prefer: Sample A 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 Sample B 5, 6, 7, 8
I am #10, and here are my thoughts. The Hi Mountain is way to salty. The Hickory powder that was in it leaves a tang in your mouth that one tester picked up on. It isnt as clean a taste. Most testers wanted more spice (Rich, this is where you come in). There is no question that both are much better than anything you could buy, as craft jerky is unbeatable, but in my book the Hunky has a better product.
I will continue to add to this as some additional input comes in (tomorrow), and I will bump it so you can see the current score that I have posted at the top of the thread.
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