Bricolage Crunchy coconut curry beef chips: On principle, I typically don’t write reviews of snacks at sit-down restaurants (my current working definition of a snack is an item that by itself is not a full meal and can be eaten with one hand on the go - I know it doesn’t work for everything I review here, but that’s the best I’ve been able to come up with). But the crunchy coconut curry beef chips from Park Slope-based Vietnamese gastropub Bricolage are too special not to review. Razor-thin slices of beef come in a fun resealable pack... (read more) 5.0/5.0
exceptional jerky meat brooklyn nyc bricolage crunchy coconut curry beef chips 5.0
Ling Kee Beef Jerky: Around the corner from the East Broadway subway stop on the edge of Manhattan's Chinatown is a small shop called Ling Kee Beef Jerkey (sic). The shop sells pork, chicken, and beef jerky by 1/4, 1/2, or lb sizes, each laid out in stacks under a bright heatlamp. The shop specializes in Malaysian Jerky, which I hadn't had before but remind me a lot of Taiwanese beef jerky, which is nothing like American packaged jerky. Typically, asian jerky is moist, with a glistening, sweet glaze rather th... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional nyc jerky manhattan chinatown malaysian beefjerky meat lingkee beef 4.5
Trader Joe's sweet Sriracha uncured bacon jerky: This distinctive snack has a great crispy exterior and is sliced thin, so it's just chewy enough. The flavor is complex and surprisingly potent; more spicy than sweet, but well balanced. Unfortunately, it's very salty, but it's great in small doses. 4.0/5.0
traderjoes recommended jerky bacon pork meat sriracha spicy 4.0 sweet uncured
4505 Smokehouse BBQ Fried Pork Rinds: From San Francisco-based 4505 BBQ is a line of flavored pork rinds that I've seen both at Whole Foods and Berkeley Bowl. If their Smokehouse BBQ is indicative of the quality of their restaurant, I'm definitely interested. The chicharrones are some of the lightest I've had in any packaged form, and the flavor is smoky in just the right quantity. It has a subtle sweet aftertaste yet is deeply savory at its core. 4.0/5.0
recommended meat pork chicharrones chicharrons 4505 smokehouse bbq fried rinds 4.0 berkeleybowl
Perky Jerky Jamaican style turkey jerky: A wet rather than dry jerky, similar to what you might get with Asian-style jerky. Unexpectedly, the taste reminded me of Chinese sausage since it had a pretty sweet flavor. Spice mix finished with a bit of heat. Good quality turkey meat. 3.5/5.0
jerky turkey perkyjerky jamaican recommended meat 3.5 style
Trader Joe's buffalo jerky: The main reason I purchased this was because I've never had buffalo before. The meat was pretty indistinguishable from beef and was very moist yet slightly chewy, like most good jerky. Flavor-wise, it's smoky and peppery with a spicy aftertaste. High in protein (21% of your daily value). 3.5/5.0
traderjoes buffalo jerky recommended meat spicy peppery 3.5