{"product_id":"elk-jerky-hickory-smoked","title":"Elk Jerky — Hickory Smoked","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe richest thing we make. Elk is deeper and earthier than beef without being heavy — and hickory smoke is the one that suits it best.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat elk tastes like\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMore of everything beef gives you. Denser, earthier, with a longer finish. It's the wild game meat people describe as tasting the way beef ought to taste — familiar in structure but with considerably more going on.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNot gamey, though. That reputation belongs to badly handled deer, not to elk from a proper operation. Grass-fed and handled well, elk is clean and rich rather than strong.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy hickory\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHickory is the assertive smoke — heavier than apple or maple, and it needs a meat that can stand up to it. Elk can. On a lighter meat the smoke takes over; here it sits alongside the flavor rather than covering it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThe flat one\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChopped and formed into a flat strip rather than a round casing. More surface for the smoke to reach, and a slower eat than a stick. If you want something to work on, this is the format.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhere the elk comes from\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMade with grass-fed, pasture-raised elk from Pāmu Farms of New Zealand — one of the most respected farming operations in the world. Pāmu has been farming New Zealand land since 1886 and runs over 100 farms under formal animal welfare and environmental stewardship commitments, protecting more than 10,000 hectares for biodiversity alongside its livestock operations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGrass-fed shows up directly in the flavor: cleaner and less mineral-heavy than elk finished on grain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWho it's for\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnyone who finds beef jerky boring.\u003c\/strong\u003e This is the upgrade, not a novelty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePeople who like their smoke assertive.\u003c\/strong\u003e Hickory is not subtle here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWild game regulars.\u003c\/strong\u003e Elk is the benchmark — if you're going to judge us on one product, judge us on this.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy it's blended\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLike every wild game meat we carry, this is blended with other meats. There's a regulatory reason as well as a practical one — elk isn't covered by mandatory USDA inspection the way beef and pork are, so blending is what brings the whole product under the federal stamp. It also fixes a real problem: elk is extremely lean, and on its own it makes a dry, tough jerky. The blend is what makes it good and what makes it inspected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow it's made\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHardwood smoked in small batches at Zick's Specialty Meats in Michigan, a family smokehouse running the same recipes for over forty years. No MSG. No fillers. USDA inspected every production day. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/ingredients-explained\"\u003eSee exactly what's in it →\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePrefer a stick? The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/elk-jerky-peppered\"\u003epeppered elk stick\u003c\/a\u003e is the same meat in a pocket format. See the full \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/elk-jerky\"\u003eelk range\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ranch Hand Provisions","offers":[{"title":"1","offer_id":43336136786129,"sku":"ELK-HICK-1","price":2.25,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10","offer_id":43336136818897,"sku":"ELK-HICK-10","price":20.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"24","offer_id":43336136851665,"sku":"ELK-HICK-24","price":45.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0679\/0361\/9281\/files\/HickoryElkJerkySingle.jpg?v=1790563585","url":"https:\/\/digitaltownsmarket.com\/products\/elk-jerky-hickory-smoked","provider":"Digital Towns Market ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}