A Field Guide to Jerky: Beef, Bacon, and Salmon

Jerky is the original portable protein. Dried meat that keeps, travels, and tastes like you planned ahead. But somewhere between the convenience store checkout and the gas station impulse buy, jerky got a bad reputation.

It doesn't have to be like that.

Cedar Valley Cuts makes jerky the way it should be made — quality cuts, real seasonings, no fillers or mystery ingredients. Here's a field guide to what they're doing right.

Beef Jerky: The Main Event

Five flavors, each one distinct enough to justify its own bag.

Black Pepper-Garlic — The purist's pick. Simple seasoning on quality beef. If you've never had jerky that tastes like actual meat instead of artificial smoke flavor, start here.

Cowboy Butter — The wild card. Herb-butter flavored beef jerky sounds like something a food blogger made up, but it works. Rich, savory, slightly herby. The one that gets hidden from the family.

Heartland Smokehouse BBQ — Deep smoke, sweet heat, the full BBQ experience in a bag. For people who wish they could smoke brisket on a Tuesday but settle for jerky because they have jobs.

Kickin' Bourbon Lime — Bourbon warmth meets citrus bite. It's the jerky equivalent of a good cocktail. Best paired with an actual bourbon if you're feeling ambitious.

Montreal Seasoned — Classic steak seasoning on dried beef. Tastes like someone took a perfect Montreal-seasoned steak and made it portable. Which is basically what happened.

Bacon Jerky: The Upgrade

Honey-Sriracha Bacon Jerky — Once you try bacon jerky, regular jerky feels like a downgrade. The honey and sriracha balance is precise — sweet enough to pull you in, hot enough to keep you reaching for more. Thicker cut than you'd expect, chewier in the best way.

Fair warning: this one disappears fast. Buy two bags.

Fish Jerky: The Sleeper Hit

Fish jerky sounds weird until you try it. Then it makes perfect sense — high protein, omega-3s, lighter than beef, and genuinely delicious.

Garlic Butter Salmon — Wild-caught salmon with garlic butter seasoning. Rich, flaky, slightly sweet. The protein snack for people who've graduated from gas station slim jims.

Spicy Salmon — Same quality salmon with a kick. Clean heat that builds but doesn't overwhelm. Pairs surprisingly well with beer.

How to Stock Your Jerky Shelf

Don't overthink it. Here's the move:

• The Starter: Black Pepper-Garlic (safe, crowd-pleasing, undeniably good)
• The Adventure: Cowboy Butter (the one that converts skeptics)
• The Wild Card: Honey-Sriracha Bacon (the one people fight over)
• The Flex: Garlic Butter Salmon (the one that surprises everyone)

Keep them in the pantry, the truck, the workshop, the go-bag. Good jerky is the kind of thing you forget you have until you need it — and then you're very glad it's there.

Browse all Larder & Bar provisions for more gear that earns its shelf space.