edible notables
JERKY JUNKY
A taste of the Wild West
WRITTEN BY HEIDI BETHEL
PHOTO BY ASA GILMORE
Lisa Lekumberry’s family has been in the cattle business since 1909. Their rich history taught them a thing or two about raising Hereford and Angus beef. What once was known as Trimmer Ranch was renamed Ranch No. 1, a nod to the family’s 300-acre property being the state’s first-filed land claim.
Family members also run Trimmer Outpost, a charming store in Genoa, where they host events and sell their bounty, plus other Nevada-made products. One of customers’ favorite selections is the beef jerky. Lekumberry explains that among the many tricks she’s learned since she started making it about seven years ago is that it’s all about meat quality.
“We strive to make our family cattle operation similar to what it was 100 years ago,” she says. “Our beef is grass fed with the round grass hay we grow on the ranch. It’s free of antibiotics and synthetic growth hormones. We also dry age the meat for 21 days in a climate-controlled cooler to break down the enzymes to help tenderize it.”
Jerky dry run
While her family has spent more than a decade working with beef, Lekumberry was starting from scratch with her jerky recipes. She spent some time developing the flavors.
“I experimented a lot with samples I’d give to my friends and family to test,” she says. “I altered different spices and amounts of liquid. I also played with the thickness of the meat until I came up with a product that everyone seemed to like.”
Folks now can enjoy Wild West Original, with a smoky note; Wild West, with black pepper; Sweet and Spicy, made with a pineapple and balsamic vinegar marinade with red pepper; and Teriyaki, soaked in soy sauce and brown sugar. Lekumberry describes the texture as thinly sliced and dried to perfection; it has that chewy consistency with a little bit of moisture that keeps folks coming back for more.
“It truly is addictive,” she says. “We have a lot of people from all over stop by to try and buy our products.”
Heidi Bethel enjoys making the drive to Genoa to enjoy all of its charm. She looks forward to including this jerky, alongside other Nevada products, in some of the holiday baskets she has in the works.
Resources
Trimmer Outpost
2276 Main St., Genoa
775-782-2518, http://www.Trimmeroutpost.com
