Quick & Kosher Shopping
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Jamie Talks with Gabi Harkham of Holy Cow! Kosher
By: JAMIE GELLER
Beef jerky is such a specialty product, did you just wake up one day and say, “you know, I’m going into the kosher Beef jerky business?”
I grew up in Australia eating the South African version of beef jerky called “biltong.” When I first came to L.A., I was surprised kosher jerky wasn’t available even though people were asking for it. Not long after, I met Gilead Mooseek, my business partner, who has been a shochet for almost a decade now. Gilead was testing and perfecting the jerky for a year until we believed we were ready to take it to the next level.
I can’t think of any other brands of kosher beef jerky out there, is yours the first on the market?
Before we launched our company, we could not find any USDA-approved kosher beef jerky. There were always butchers or restaurants that made their own in-house batches from time to time.
From the beginning, we made sure to do everything on a bigger scale, like using a USDA-approved facility and partnering with the OU (Orthodox Union), which is the world's largest and most recognized kosher certification authority.
Wow, this sounds like a real labor of love. How exactly is jerky made? Does it take a long time?
You’re right, Jerky has to be made with love!
Seriously, though, as we developed our products, one of our team members, Andrew Levine, was constantly in touch with expert nutritionists. We spent a lot of time trying to find the healthiest organic kosher ingredients available so that we wouldn’t have to use preservatives.
In terms of the process, the meat is cut into slices, which are then marinated in unique recipes that we’ve created for each flavor. Afterwards, the marinated meat is smoked and dried. It's exciting to see the finished product when it first comes out, those big fresh sheets of tasty jerky ... that’s what I call “jerky heaven.”
Mmm, sounds delish. Can jerky be made from different cuts? What is the best cut of meat to use in beef jerky?
Gilead is a butcher and has researched many different cuts of meat for jerky. There’s a specific, premium cut that really brings out the tenderness and flavor, but I'm not sure he'd want me to reveal his trade secrets!
Everyone is so health conscious these days, is beef jerky a high-fat snack?
It's actually 97% fat free! A lot of diets have beef or turkey jerky as a preferred snack. Besides being low in fat, it's also high in protein. Our hickory flavor has zero carbs! And, our turkey jerky is fat free!!!
What about storage? We see the packages on store shelves but what about after you open the package, does jerky need to be refrigerated or can it be stored at room temperature? Can you freeze it?
I think this is the most common question people ask us. The great thing about jerky is it doesn't have to be refrigerated. Store it at room temperature and keep it out of direct sunlight. Since jerky has a long shelf life, you don't have to freeze it. But, once the packet is opened and comes in contact with oxygen, it should be consumed within 2 to 3 days. This is why Beef jerky is such a great snack for the outdoors, camps, hiking, road trips, etc.
Jerky isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think kosher cuisine, how are kosher consumers reacting? Is kosher jerky the next kosher sushi?
You know, we met a lot of people at KosherFest last year that were trying beef jerky for the first time. Some people thought they were not really into this kind of “meat thing” because they associated it with raw meat. But, as soon as they tasted it, they were surprised at how tender and tasty it actually is. So, our biggest challenge is getting people to try it for the first time. But once they eat it, they’re hooked. We're also grateful for online feedback we’ve received from across the country. We get customers practically introducing and selling the product to their local stores for us!
- JAMIE GELLER is a best selling author (Quick and Kosher Recipes from the Bride Who Knew Nothing, 2007), an internationally syndicated food and lifestyle columnist, an award-winning television producer, a motivational speaker, and the host of popular Internet cooking shows "Quick & Kosher" and "Simply Kosher." - Read more...
