One of my outdoor industry friends recently turned me on to VACA Jerky – the Crispified Beef Jerky. He knows I like to spend a lot of time outdoors, and that I’m a bit of a jerky snob. While you don’t have to be an avid outdoors enthusiast or a jerky snob to appreciate VACA Jerky, if you fit that profile, you certainly won’t be disappointed in their products. For a tasty, high-protein snack on the go, it’s a winner.
VACA (Spanish for cow) takes an approach that I can certainly appreciate with their “Crispified Jerky”. By double dehydrating it, they’ve not only made it crispy and easier to eat, but also turned the flavor up a few notches. I once made a batch at home and left it in the dehydrator too long, which made it crispy. Though the texture was good, it couldn’t match the massive flavor of VACA. So of course I’m sharing my experience here.
The VACA Jerky Process
VACA starts with nicely marbled beef, slices it thin, flavors it, and then dehydrates it for longer than conventional jerky. Rather than go with the leanest cuts, they use that fat to help deliver the intense flavors. And if you like jerky, but don’t like the kind you have to tear apart with your teeth, you’re in for a real treat. VACA Crispified Beef Jerky has a texture closer to crispy bacon than traditional jerky.
VACA offers their jerky in three flavors. They have Classic, Mild, and Spicy options. You can choose from traditional smoky flavoring, smoky with a little bite, and smoky with some heat. My personal favorite is almost always going to be the spiciest version, but the other two pack a lot of flavor as well. Here’s a breakdown of the flavors. I shared at work and home, and took notes, so while the words are mine, they’re based on input from several jerky enthusiasts.
Classic VACA Jerky
This is the choice for anyone wanting a classic smoky flavor, without any heat. Thanks to the crunchy texture, it’s easy to eat – no tearing, no chewing for days. And the flavor comes on strong from the first bite. There is some greasiness to it, but that’s just the marbled fat, which helps deliver the flavor. It doesn’t come across as overly fatty. While no one found it objectionable, a few commented that it could use a little heat. And I tend to agree. It was good, but would not be my first choice.
Mild VACA Jerky
Possibly the best all-round version of VACA Jerky, this one benefits from the addition of some red chili pepper. Providing just a touch of heat to go with the smokiness, it improves the overall experience. Still as crunchy as the Mild, with a light sheen from the fat. You’re going to want to lick your fingers, no way around that. More than one of us observed that the added flavoring wasn’t evenly distributed. Which may have to do with the fat marbling. If a piece had less fat content, the heat may have been milder than in a more marbled piece. The solution was to eat bigger pieces.
Spicy VACA Jerky
Sticking with an ingredients list similar to the Mild version, Spicy gets more red pepper. You can see it on the surface, and it has more heat. I liked this flavor the most, but some people weren’t fans. The heat took a few moments to build, and at least one person mentioned it was nice until they got a few bites in. It went from smoky to spicy as they hit that red pepper.
I think that they were just expecting a milder heat. Chalk it up to trying to share a two-ounce package with several people – the inconsistent distribution of red pepper wouldn’t be an issue if you ate the package yourself, or shared it with one other person. For anyone who prefers very hot and spicy, this is probably more of a teaser. It’s balanced toward flavored heat, not just heat for the sake of being spicy.
Ingredients List and Nutritional Information
All three flavors start with marbled beef combined with Liquid Smoke and Tamari Soy Sauce, and some brown sugar. The Mild includes the red pepper-based chili sauce, along with sugar, garlic, and salt. Spicy seems to be the same as Mild, but with more of the chili sauce to bring that extra heat.
Each two-ounce package is a single serving. Classic and Mild are 200 calories each, while Spicy is 210. Total fat for the first two is 2 grams, while Spicy has 2.5 grams. Classic has the least amount of carbs at 11 grams, with Mild and Spicy both serving up an extra gram, at 12 per serving. Protein follows that pattern a bit, with 35 grams for Classic and Mild, but only 34 for Spicy. If you’re eating jerky, you’re probably not worried about sodium, but it’s 800mg, 910mg, and 900mg, respectively.
Overall thoughts
There are plenty of times when I’ll pack a protein bar as a snack while out and about. They’re cheap and convenient, and reasonably satisfying. But they’re never incredibly flavorful. On the other hand, VACA Jerky hits the spot and is packed with flavor. At $10.99 for a two-ounce package, it’s unlikely to be my everyday snacking choice. But as an occasional treat, it’s going to find a place in my range bag and snack rotation. Check it out at vacajerky.com.
As always, I’d like to thank the folks at VACA Jerky for providing some snacking samples. They’ve got a unique product, and I appreciate the opportunity to share it with my readers.