Dublin Jerky & BBQ – Hellfire Beef Jerky

Hellfire, the title of one of the top 3 Disney villain songs as well as the sulfurous power granted to Harry Dresden by means of being half-possessed by a demonic coin in the Dresden Files series, just sounds pretty dang badass and cool. It also sounds quite spicy. Does this beef jerky live up to the name?

Dublin Jerky & BBQ out of Grandville, MI has been making jerky in-house since 1975 and doesn’t just limit themselves to beef. They have a wide variety of wild game jerkies as well as summer sausages beef sticks and more, including several spicy options. This Hellfire Beef Jerky is their 2nd hottest (next to their spiciest offering called Triple Dog Dare) and has been in their repertoire since the 1980s.

While the proudly state that they don’t use MSG (I personally have no issues with MSG and don’t try to avoid it, but nice to know for those who do) but are a bit coy with the rest of their ingredients listing only “spices” on the label, though their website does indicate that this product relies heavily on habanero for the heat. Dublin Jerky’s jerkies are of the more tender steak-like variety as opposed to the ultra-dry carne seca style from Mesquite Creek. Because of that added moisture Dublin Jerky’s jerkies do need to be refrigerated after opening.

With it’s thicker cut and more steaklike texture the flavor of the beef does come through strongly in this jerky. The heat from the habanero and other spices also make their presence well known. A hot orange colored oil seeps out from this jerky (good to have some napkins on hand) showing it’s infused with the heat and the spicy. This is one of the spiciest beef jerkies I’ve ever tried – it has a true building heat and feels spicier than most habanero based hot sauces that I’ve tried. The flavor of the peppers comes through and is a great compliment to the beef along with the garlic and other spices. This is tasty enough you don’t want to stop eating it but spicy enough that you realize you shouldn’t take down an entire bag at once.

I can easily recommend Dublin Jerky & BBQ’s Hellfire Beef Jerky, especially if you prefer the more tender style of jerky vs the dryer style. It’s a bit messier to eat due to the oils that seep out but it’s very tasty and more than a bit hot.

Ingredients: Beef, Salt, Spices, Sugar, Garlic, Malted Barley Flour, Dextrose, Hydrolyzed Soya/Corn Protein, Black Pepper, White Pepper, Sodium Nitrite

Heat Level: 5/10. This stuff has a solid punch that creeps up the more and more you eat it. Very spicy for a beef jerky.