We’ve all got a crazy uncle! Growing up in my house, it was Uncle Tom. He would do things like – how about the time my siblings and I opened a package from him and a snake shot out like a rocket, errrrr more like those peanut-can snakes. Or the time my brother got a grenade that shocks you when you pick it up. That’s right! He sent a replica grenade that electrocutes you when you touch it and you drop it at your feet, now adding terror to the shock. Brilliant! Plenty of stories like those in the fam, but that’s a little taste of the kind of humor Uncle Tom was into.

Crazy antics aside, Tom was an awesome dude. One thing he would do was early December every year we would receive huge bags of the tastiest homemade beef jerky we’d ever gotten our hands on. There would always be a few different flavors: a mild, a sweet and spicy, and, of course, an unnecessarily hot one. I specifically remember one labeled “El Diablo”. Intentional consumption required milk and a sibling witness/peer-pressurer. Although jerky time was serious business in our household, Uncle Tom being Uncle Tom, there was always a gag in there somewhere. Yes, of course. The ol’ accidental mislabeling of the bags, or my personal favorite, correctly labeled mild bags spiked with a handful of lava-hot jerky pieces. Ahh, the memories. Thank you Tom!

Sadly, Uncle Tom passed away in early 2019. We all joined together and laid him to rest and reminisced about the impact he had on our lives. Eventually, we came to terms with our new reality. Uncle Tom wouldn’t be there. No more deeply intellectual, yet equally humorous conversations. No more unexpectedly kind-hearted, comforting, booming, deep voice. No more signature Uncle Tom mustache. No more outrageous gag gifts. No more being terrified of packages. And no more beef jerky.

A few years before Uncle Tom’s passing, my brother taught me how to smoke meats – brisket, pork shoulder, ribs, etc. It didn’t take long for me to accumulate five smokers and set out on a new journey seeking to perfect smoked meats with dreams of opening a bothers BBQ joint of my own one day. But, when Uncle Tom passed, that journey took a turn. I set out to pick up where he left off: creating unbelievably good tasting jerky that you just couldn’t buy…yet. After countless hours of research, several iterations of new equipment, tasting every jerky brand I could get my hands on, constant experimentation and testing of my own recipes, and a lot more, here I am. I’ve modeled my jerky recipes after Uncle Tom’s style – impeccably textured. Not too thick. Not too thin. Not too soft. Not too chewy. Absolutely BURSTING with flavor. And most importantly, made with loving care for those with courage enough to open the package in which it came.

Open it. I dare you!

Ty Helmley (AKA “Crazy Uncle Ty”)
Founder