Kings County

Here’s the Beef

If your experience with beef jerky is limited to road trips and convenience store varieties, don’t hold that against today’s Grommet. The spicy, meaty strips of smoke-cured beef we’re featuring are in a whole different league.

Kings County Jerky Co. uses only pasture-raised, grass-fed beef from local farms in New Jersey and New York, and it seasons the beef with natural ingredients. The Brooklyn company even toasts and grinds its own spices. No artificial flavors or preservatives allowed.

The guys behind the company are Chris Woehrle and Robert Stout, two friends who started experimenting with beef jerky, won “crowd favorite” in a regional culinary contest, and later graduated from a balcony smoker to a commercial kitchen as word spread about their delectable strips of spicy, sweet and savory beef.

I tried (devoured) all three flavors -- the peppery Classic, spicy-sweet Korean BBQ and tangy Orange-Ginger. They’re phenomenal. Put it this way: If the over-processed jerky from convenience stores belongs with, say, a Mountain Dew, then this artisanal jerky deserves a craft micro brew. Just as your tastes have grown up, so has beef jerky. Kings County is a royal treat.

— Christopher

• Each flavor comes in 2 oz packages.
• Classic: Grass-fed beef marinated in a savory mix of smoky Spanish paprika, clove, onion, garlic, cracked pepper and a tinge of dark molasses.
• Korean BBQ: Red chile paste, toasted sesame and garlic work their magic in this robust blend of fiery Korean BBQ flavors.      
• Orange Ginger:  A zesty, fragrant blend of fresh ginger, orange, Sichuan pepper and star anise.