© Dawn Kish

DANIEL'S REALLY GOOD FRESH JERKEY

The secret to really good jerky is freshness — at least according to Daniel Hernandez of Daniel's Really Good Fresh Jerky. The Argentinian transplant to the Arizona desert uses traditional recipes to produce his famed alligator jerky, ahi jerky, elk jerky and more.

How'd you end up in Western Arizona?
It's a long history. My uncle moved to the United States soon after I was born, and he was in the meat business. I moved here in the 1990s, and before my uncle retired and went back to Argentina, he gave me his recipes.

What's so special about your jerky?
It's the flavor. I make it a little more Argentine-style. And the people like it because it's fresh. Usually, when you go to the supermarket, they import most of the jerky from Argentina and Brazil. They process the meat, and by the time the customer gets it, it isn't as fresh. My jerky is never older than two weeks. We make only what we need; we don't make extra.

What kinds of jerky do you sell?
We make beef, turkey, pork, buffalo, venison, ahi tuna and alligator. We also sell chocolate, fudge, honey, candy and a thousand different kinds of hot sauce. We sell enough kinds for people to have whatever they want: tequila mango, pineapple, Trinidad scorpion … all the flavors you can imagine.

— Molly J. Smith

Daniel's Really Good Jerky is located at 1124 S. California Avenue in Parker and 1240 S. Main Street in Quartzsite. For more information, call 928-669-0026 or visit www.reallygoodfreshjerky.com.

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