Lawless Jerky: Small Batch, Hand-Crafted Beef Jerky

Lawless Jerky: Small Batch, Hand-Crafted Beef Jerky

byMatt Tolnick

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• Santa Monica, CA
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Take your tastebuds on tour with Lawless Jerky's world of flavors, including Thai Chili, Japanese Curry, and Honey Chipotle BBQ!

• Launched:Apr 4, 2013
• Funding ends:May 9, 2013
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Lawless Jerky: Background

I hope you had a chance to enjoy our Kickstarter video, a very loose Chik-Fil-A parody. Hopefully it was as fun for you to watch as it was for us to make!
My name is Matt. I make beef jerky. I make beef jerky that bursts with unique flavors and that is unrivaled at its price point. I make jerky that has been given top marks from industry critics. But you can't have any; well, you can't have any yet.
Since 2002, I have become increasingly dedicated to perfecting my jerky recipes. Also since 2002, I earned two Bachelor's degrees at a top-10 University, attended UCLA Law School, and passed the California Bar Exam. But practicing law for four years has not made me happy.
As the saying goes: “love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life.” With that mantra and the realization that practicing LAW made me LESS happy, Lawless Jerky was born, and I adopted the inverted scales of justice as its logo. I am happiest when I'm being creative, making entrepreneurial decisions, and bringing smiles to people's faces. Lawless Jerky inspires me in a way that law firm life never did.

Lawless Jerky: Recognized

LawlessJerky.com has been up and running for about a year, during which time I’ve honed my recipes by making jerky for close friends and family. I’ve been told countless times that Lawless Jerky is too special to keep from the public.
The premier jerky review website, BestBeefJerky.org, has rated all Lawless Jerky flavors with either four or five (out of five) stars, with Hawaiian Teriyaki and Thai Chili both garnering the coveted“Best” distinction.
But these testimonialsfrom Lawless Jerky fans say it best:
★ “There’s something unmistakably unique about each bite of LAWLESS JERKY. The American BBQ is sweet and spicy. The Japanese Curry is tangy and packed with flavor. The second it hits your lips, you’re going back for another handful. This stuff can’t last more than a day in my house. The care you put into each batch comes through. I just can’t go back to the store bought stuff.”
Daniel S., Environmental Consultant
NY, NY
★ Whether I want a high-protein snack after the gym or, well, any other time… it is the best jerky and THE best snack. I am constantly torn between sharing this joy with friends or eating it all myself.
Scott L., Department of State
Washington, D.C.
★ Since the kids have Hawaiian grandparents, we went straight for the Hawaiian jerky first. All four of us thought it was great – bold flavor, hearty without being too chewy, and very addictive. I had to take the bag away before they spoiled their dinner. Definitely looking forward to trying the other flavors, but wanted to let you know that first one was a hit!
Isaac G., Mortgage-backed Securities Expert and Author
Petaluma, CA
★ “I first tried LAWLESS JERKY courtesy of a friend’s dad. It was absolutely delicious and I was hooked at once. I love real and fresh jerky, and this is the best I’ve had. Biting into that little piece of meat was on a whole different level than the jerky you can get in stores. You can taste the freshness and the hand developed flavor and texture—it’s something you need to have. It makes the best snack while hiking or skiing, or just sitting around. EAT IT!
Anjum K., Ophthalmology Resident
Denver, CO

Lawless Jerky: Flavor You Can See!

Japanese Curry: Our first perfected flavor, Japanese Curry is artful in its complexity. It is sweet from brown sugar, salty from traditional soy sauce, umami from a proprietary Japanese curry blend, and tender from Asian rice vinegar.

Thai Chili: Rated “BEST” by BestBeefJerky.com, this 5-star jerky brings Sriracha fans the Thai Chili flavor unique to Rooster Sauce. With garlic, chili, ginger, and other healthful spices, Thai Chili is our most popular flavor.

Honey Chipotle BBQ: This flavor offers all the BBQ flavor of American BBQ but none of the heat. Honey Chipotle BBQ is flavored with chipotle peppers, paprika, and garlic; it's sweetened with honey; and it's tang comes from apple cider vinegar.

Hawaiian Teriyaki: Sweet from brown sugar, spiced with ginger, garlic, and onion, tangy from an Asian inspired vinegar, and salty from classic soy sauce, this sesame sprinkled jerky will make you want to hang ten!

Bacon Salt & Pepper: By using crushed bacon bits, this jerky brings a touch of bacon to beef jerky addicts. It’s our take on the standard, old hat “peppered” jerky.

American BBQ is spicy from cayenne, paprika, chili, and black pepper; it's sweet from brown sugar; it's tangy from apple cider vinegar and BBQ sauce; plus a touch of smokiness and salt!

Why Lawless Jerky?

★ Premium Steak: Unlike some major beef jerky brands, Lawless Jerky scours the world for its ultra-lean steak —never using ground or reconstituted beef!—which makes Lawless Jerky a healthy, nutritious snack.
★ Flavorful: Exotic, world-inspired flavors like Thai Chili and Japanese Curry. Superior takes on American staples, like Bacon Salt & Pepper and American BBQ. Lawless Jerky offers some of the most unique flavor experiences of any jerky on the market.
★ Real: No added nitrates/nitrites. No added MSG. No added preservatives (Note: some ingredients, like Kikkoman Soy Sauce, contain preservatives).
★ Long-lasting: Kept sealed and under reasonably normal conditions, Lawless Jerky will last for months, if not longer. But your jerky will be a delicious memory long before then!
★ Convenient: Delicious steak you can put in your pocket.

• Keep some in your office desk for those lunchless workdays.
• Toss some in your pack before conquering the great outdoors.
• Stash some in your briefcase while traveling (TSA-approved!).
• And be sure to leave a bag in your car!

★ Healthy: Lawless Jerky uses spices that are known for their anti-cancer, anti-oxidant properties.
★ Unique: Unlike mass marketed jerky which often disguises the same recipes under numerous private labels, all our recipes are 100% original and are unavailable anywhere else.
★ Bolder: We generously marinate our steak in intense marinades and give the steak the necessary time to fully absorb the marinade, resulting in flavor that lasts through the chew.
★ Buy American: Lawless Jerky is proudly made in California, USA.

Progress to Date and Next Steps

I want to offer Lawless Jerky to the American public…and at prices folks can afford! For this to happen, I need to produce my jerky in a USDA-certified facility. On my own dime, I have boot-strapped my way to perfected recipes. I have found a family-owned and operated facility, and I have worked with them to successfully replicate my processes and recipes.
I am currently designing product labels, which will soon be submitted for government approval. With the help of the Kickstarter community, I will place my first order of jerky, split between Lawless Jerky’s six flavors. After fulfilling my Backers’ rewards, I will shop the remainder to distributors and retailers. As sales beget repeat sales, Lawless Jerky will take flight.

Sweet Rewards

This is your opportunity to get in on the first ever commercially produced batch of Lawless Jerky. No Koozies, t-shirts, stickers, or keychains! Starting at the $10-12 level, you will get your own bag(s) of Lawless Jerky shipped to your door. Each bag will contain three splendid ounces.
The only non-jerky reward will be the "Founder's Polo", a black polo shirt that features white embroidery of our name and logo (shown below). A limited run of these shirts (in men's and women's cuts) will be available as part of the $100 Lawless Jerky Tasting Flight.

Gentleman's Limited Edition "Founder's Polo" (only 100 shirts will be produced)

Ladies' Limited Edition "Founder's Polo" (only 100 shirts will be produced)

Risks and challengesLearn about accountability on Kickstarter

Based on my discussions with other jerky entrepreneurs, the challenge most likely to cause fulfillment delays would be delays in FDA approval of product labels. Since this can take 4-8 weeks, I have already begun the design of the labels and have plans to submit them for approval roughly around the launch of the Kickstarter Project. This way, approval should occur by mid-to-late May, in time for me to fulfill my backers rewards by June 2013.
I've already perfected experimental batches of jerky in collaboration with a licensed facility. So once I have a green light on the labels and the support from Backers, jerky production can begin!

FAQ

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http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/696346955/lawless-jerky-small-batch-hand-crafted-beef-jerky