Cedar Creek Beef Jerky, El Dorado Springs, $8 per bag
Cedar Creek Beef Jerky comes from El Dorado Springs, about a hundred miles south of KC. The jerky comes in five flavors, but if you’re looking to try something outside of the box, check out the Hot-T-Yaki, which is a spicier teriyaki. Look for Cedar Creek jerky in Hy-Vee gas stations around Kansas City.
The Upper Cut KC, KCMO, $9.25 per bag
The Upper Cut KC is a high-end butcher shop in the far northwest-ern wilds of KCMO, north of Liberty. It’s definitely worth the trip (see our burger taste-off, page 51). The beef jerky is the perfect mix of toughness and tenderness, and it’s seasoned and smoked to create a flavor that sticks with you.
Local Pig, KCMO, $6 per bag
The beef jerky at the Local Pig was meant to be a one-off batch, but it became a fixture at the River Market shop. The shop starts with the tougher hind legs of a cow, then puts the meat through a rigorous process that involves freezing, half-thawing, drying, a multi-day marinade and, finally, smoking in an extended low-temperature hot smoke until it’s packed with flavor.
Bichelmeyer Meats, KCK, $20 per half-pound (or sold individually by weight)
Bichelmeyer is a generations-old butcher shop in the Armourdale neighborhood of KCK that provides hand-cut meat from its own ranch. Bichelmeyer’s beef jerky is thick and tender, offering a satisfying chewability and just the right amount of smokiness.
Craft Beer Jerky, KCMO, $7 per bag
Craft Beer Jerky is what it sounds like: Makers Danny Kueser and Chase Schaffter marinate Midwest-grown Black Angus beef in local craft beers like Cinder Block’s Pavers Porter. The alcohol evaporates during the drying process, but the flavor remains
