Yellowstone TV Show Canned Stews Review: Premium Price, Disappointing Quality
Yellowstone canned products have garnered attention for their premium pricing despite questionable quality. At $268 per can, these 15-ounce varieties include Cowboy Beef Stew, Beef and Barbecue Baked Beans, and Spicy Pork Stew. The first two options proved particularly disappointing, with tough, flavorless meat described as "petrified" and requiring significant effort to consume.
The nutritional content across these products raises concerns, particularly regarding sodium and sugar levels. The inconsistent serving size information between products appears potentially misleading, with the same-sized cans listing different serving quantities. Only the Spicy Pork Stew offered any substantial flavor, though even this was minimal compared to its premium price point.
Key Takeaways
Yellowstone canned products command a high price point of $268 per can despite quality and flavor issues.
Inconsistent serving size labeling across identical-sized cans may obscure actual nutritional impact.
The products contain high sodium levels with the meat quality being consistently tough and flavorless across varieties.
A Closer Look at Yellowstone Canned Goods
Products Under Review
The Wolf Pit episode examined three Yellowstone brand canned products, each weighing 15 ounces and priced at $2.68 per can:
Cowboy Beef Stew - Contains what appears to be processed meat with modified food starch rather than pure beef cuts. The product has 400 calories, 20g fat, and 1200mg sodium per can.
Beef and Barbecue Baked Beans - Features smoke flavoring and uses beef with salt rather than the modified mixture found in the stew. The can provides 630 calories, 980mg sodium, and 56g sugars when consumed entirely.
Spicy Pork Stew - Contains a simpler ingredient list for the meat component. Each can delivers 370 calories, 13g fat, and 1310mg sodium.
The beef components in both the stew and beans were noted for their tough, dry texture and lack of flavor. Only the spicy pork stew offered some taste, though primarily from the spicy elements rather than the meat itself.
Cost and Nutritional Evaluation
The products demonstrate inconsistent serving size information across packaging. The beef stew presents options for half or whole can servings, while the barbecue beans list 3.5 servings per can despite identical 15-ounce sizing. This approach potentially masks the true nutritional impact when consuming the entire container.
A complete nutritional breakdown reveals concerning numbers:
Product Calories Sodium (mg) Sugars (g) Protein (g) Cowboy Beef Stew 400 1200 2 23 BBQ Baked Beans 630 980 56 28 Spicy Pork Stew 370 1310 1 27
The high sodium content across all products and substantial sugar content in the beans present potential health concerns. The presentation quality also proved disappointing, with the beef stew creating splatter during microwave heating and the pork stew having an unappealing appearance.
Cowboy Beef Stew Review
Ingredient Evaluation
The Yellowstone Cowboy Beef Stew comes in a 15-ounce can priced at $2.68. Upon examining the ingredient list, there are concerns about the beef quality. The presence of modified food starch mixed with the beef suggests it may be a processed meat product rather than pure beef cuts. This differs notably from other products in the same line that list simpler beef ingredients (just "beef and salt"). The ingredient formulation raises questions about quality and processing methods.
Nutritional Profile
The complete 15-ounce can contains:
Calories: 400
Total Fat: 20g
Saturated Fat: 9g
Trans Fat: 3g
Cholesterol: 80mg
Sodium: 1,200mg
Carbohydrates: 43g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 2g
Protein: 23g
The sodium content is particularly high at 1,200mg per can, representing over 50% of the recommended daily sodium intake for most adults. The nutritional labeling presents serving size inconsistencies compared to other products in the same line.
Preparation Method and Observations
The stew was heated in a microwave for 1.5 minutes on high setting. During heating, the product splattered considerably inside the microwave, suggesting high moisture content or uneven heating properties. The visual appearance before heating resembled typical canned beef stew products. After heating, the texture appeared somewhat inconsistent with varying chunk sizes.
Flavor and Texture Assessment
The stew demonstrated significant textural issues. The meat pieces were extremely tough, dry, and difficult to chew, with a notably firm consistency that would be challenging for many consumers. The vegetables were excessively soft, creating an unbalanced texture throughout the product.
The most significant drawback was the remarkable lack of flavor throughout. Despite containing considerable sodium, the taste profile was bland and underdeveloped. The meat lacked any rich beef flavor or satisfying fat content that would typically enhance a stew product. The broth component was equally underwhelming, lacking depth or savory qualities expected from a beef stew.
Beef and Barbecue Baked Beans Review
Comparative Ingredient Analysis
The Yellowstone beef and barbecue baked beans product shows some concerning inconsistencies when compared to other products in the same line. While examining the ingredient list, it's notable that the beef in these beans contains only "beef and salt" as ingredients. This stands in stark contrast to the beef stew from the same brand, which lists beef with modified food starch and sodium phosphate additives.
This inconsistency raises questions about ingredient quality standards across the product line. The addition of "smoke flavor" to the beans rather than using naturally smoked ingredients suggests corners may have been cut in the production process.
Product Beef Ingredients Artificial Additives Beef & BBQ Beans Beef, salt Smoke flavor added Beef Stew Beef, modified food starch, sodium phosphate Various
Nutritional Information Presentation Issues
The manufacturer appears to use inconsistent serving size designations across similarly sized products. Both the beef stew and beef and barbecue beans come in identical 15-ounce cans. However, the serving information is presented differently in what could be considered a misleading manner.
The beef and barbecue beans can lists 3.5 servings per container, while the beef stew offers nutritional information for both half-can and whole-can servings. This inconsistency makes direct nutritional comparison difficult for consumers.
Per half-cup serving, the beans contain 180 calories, 2g total fat, 280mg sodium, and 16g sugars. However, when calculated for the entire can (a more realistic consumption amount for many), these numbers balloon to 630 calories, 7g fat, 980mg sodium, and 56g sugars.
Complete Nutritional Content Evaluation
When analyzed on a full-can basis, the beef and barbecue beans present concerning nutritional values that could impact health-conscious consumers.
Full Can Nutritional Profile:
Calories: 630
Total Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 1.8g
Cholesterol: 18mg
Sodium: 980mg (41% of daily recommended value)
Total Carbohydrates: 116g
Fiber: 10.5g
Sugars: 56g
Protein: 28g
The high sodium and sugar content is particularly noteworthy, as these levels could be problematic for individuals with certain health conditions including hypertension or diabetes.
Cooking Experience and Taste Assessment
The preparation process for the beef and barbecue beans is straightforward, requiring 1.5-2 minutes in the microwave. However, the actual cooking time needed was 3 minutes to properly heat the product.
The visual appearance of the beef pieces was unappealing, with small, dark fragments mixed throughout the beans. The texture of the meat proved disappointing, exhibiting the same dry, chewy characteristics found in the beef stew product. Despite containing significant amounts of sodium and sugar, the beans themselves lacked robust flavor.
The overall taste profile was notably bland, with testers indicating that common store-brand pork and beans offered superior flavor. The combination of texture issues with the meat and lack of expected barbecue flavor made this product difficult to recommend.
Spicy Pork Stew Review
Simple Ingredient List
The Yellowstone Spicy Pork Stew features a pleasantly straightforward ingredient list compared to other products in the same line. The simplicity of the meat ingredients raises questions about consistency across the product range. While this stew contains straightforward pork components, other products in the same line incorporate modified food starch and sodium phosphate in their meat ingredients. This inconsistency is puzzling, as it demonstrates the company could use simpler formulations across all products but chooses not to do so for certain items.
Confusing Portion Information
The labeling on the Spicy Pork Stew can presents contradictory serving information that makes nutritional planning difficult. The can simultaneously lists "one serving per container," "serving size one container," and "per one cup" designations. This inconsistent approach to portion sizing differs from other products in the same line, which divide identical 15-ounce cans into multiple servings, potentially obscuring the total nutritional impact of consuming the entire container.
Nutritional Profile (Full Can)
The complete 15-ounce can of Spicy Pork Stew contains the following nutritional values:
Nutrient Amount Calories 370 Total Fat 13g Saturated Fat 4g Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 75mg Sodium 1,310mg Carbohydrates 36g Fiber 4g Sugars 1g Protein 27g
The sodium content is particularly high at over 1,300mg per can, representing a significant portion of the recommended daily intake for this nutrient.
Preparation Results and Flavor Notes
After microwaving the stew for 1.5 minutes on high and stirring, the product delivered a surprisingly insubstantial appearance. The texture combination included gristly pork pieces and mushy mashed potatoes suspended in broth. Unlike its flavor-deficient counterparts in the same product line, this stew did provide some noticeable spicy flavor, though the heat represented its primary taste characteristic. The broth itself was largely flavorless beyond the mild spiciness, making this the most palatable option among the tested Yellowstone canned products, though still falling short of satisfactory quality standards.
Final Verdict
The Yellowstone canned products failed to meet basic quality standards across all three varieties tested. The Cowboy Beef Stew exhibited extremely tough, dry meat pieces alongside mushy vegetables in a flavorless broth. Despite containing high sodium levels (1200mg per can), the stew lacked any discernible taste.
The Beef and Barbecue Baked Beans presented similar issues with tough, dry beef pieces. The product contained misleading nutritional information, with serving sizes manipulated to mask its high sodium (980mg per serving) and sugar content (16g per serving). A whole can contains a concerning 1,160mg of sodium and 56g of sugar.
The Spicy Pork Stew performed slightly better by offering minimal spicy flavor, but still suffered from gristly meat texture and mushy potatoes. At $268 per can, these products represent extremely poor value for money given their substandard quality and taste.
Product Texture Issues Flavor Rating Sodium Content Cowboy Beef Stew Extremely tough meat, mushy vegetables Virtually none 1200mg BBQ Baked Beans Tough, dry beef Virtually none 1160mg (full can) Spicy Pork Stew Gristly pork, mushy potatoes Slight spiciness 1310mg
None of these products can be recommended due to their combination of high price, poor texture, and minimal flavor satisfaction.
Consumer Price Awareness for Canned Foods
Premium pricing doesn't always reflect premium quality, especially with branded canned goods. Recent testing of Yellowstone-branded canned products revealed concerning quality issues despite their high price tag of $2.68 per 15-ounce can.
The beef stew contained beef with modified food starch and additives rather than simple beef and salt. This suggests processed meat rather than pure beef cuts. Additionally, the meat was notably dry and flavorless, with a tough texture that would be difficult to chew for many consumers.
Nutritional Information Comparison:
Product Calories (whole can) Sodium (mg) Sugar (g) Beef Stew 400 1,200 2 BBQ Beans 630 1,960 56 Spicy Pork Stew 370 1,310 1
Consumers should be aware of misleading serving size labeling. While all cans are the same 15-ounce size, the serving size information varies significantly between products. The beef stew lists options for half-can or whole-can servings, while the barbecue beans list 3.5 servings per can. This inconsistency makes nutritional comparison difficult and potentially masks high sodium and sugar content.
The spicy pork stew demonstrated inconsistent labeling, showing confusion about whether the serving size was one container, one cup, or per container. This lack of attention to labeling matched the quality issues found in the product.
From a taste perspective, only the spicy pork stew offered any notable flavor, though minimal. Both beef products contained similar dry, flavorless meat pieces and lacked expected taste despite high sodium content.
When purchasing canned goods:
Check ingredient lists for simple, natural components
Calculate total nutritional values for realistic portions
Be wary of premium pricing that doesn't match quality
Compare cost per ounce against store brands for better value
Fancy packaging and brand association don't necessarily indicate superior quality. These premium-priced products offered little advantage over standard canned goods available at lower price points.
