Alberta-made Jerky A BETTER WAY TO HIT THE ROAD BY KELLY-ANNE RIESS
F
or thousands of years, people have been making and eating jerky, primarily as a way of preserving meat for the future, or as something to take on a journey. Jerky dates back to Ancient Egypt, long before the refrigerator was invented,
24 Culinaire | May 2022
but likely its history goes much further into the past. Closer to home, in North America, many indigenous groups across the continent utilized smoked fish and bison in their various culinary traditions. Later, early cowboys in the 1820s made and carried jerky with them as a
nutritious, filling, and handy snack that could be eaten when out herding cattle. Fast forward to today and the popularity of the snack has never been greater. This has been a boon for Alberta’s local beef jerky industry that knows how to make a healthier version of the snack lower in sugar and sodium than many of the more commercial offerings, and lower in chemical preservatives. Business has been booming. “This is not your common, toothsome hunk of salty beef,” says Tara Seitz, owner of Uptown Jerky in Grande Prairie, who only adds aromatic vegetables and spices to her jerky. Seitz decided she’d start her company while eating her own homemade jerky, and jokes her product is like if Brad Pitt and charcuterie had a baby. She and many local entrepreneurs, like Greg Pahl, owner of Medicine Hat Meat Traders, use locally sourced, simple ingredients for their jerky. He says Alberta’s lucky to have such an amazing supply of great beef to begin with. Pahl’s business started out as a family-owned, full-service head-to-tail butcher shop. At first, he used only cattle from his ranch for his jerky, but when sales took off, he began sourcing beef from other Albertan ranchers. Medicine Hat Meat Traders’ uniqueness comes from using beef that’s ground, as opposed to being sliced. Formed to create a softer, more flavourful tasting experience, it’s available in eight flavours—original, black pepper, dill pickle, smoky maple, honey garlic, chipotle lime, and habanero. Pahl also invented Caesar Sticks, a beef jerky garnish for Canada’s national cocktail, which are just what they sound like — long, narrow sticks of ground beef, smoked dry. They offer three flavours: classic, dill pickle, and hot. At only 110 calories a serving, some people skip the Caesar and enjoy them as a tasty snack.
