“Don’t Forget Your Jerky” is becoming not only a northern New Mexico staple for quality beef jerky but a name people are starting to recognize as their choice for a salty, high-protein snack.
Owner and operator Silviano Vigil has been making jerky since he was a teenager living in Cerro, N.M. “I started out making deer jerky,” Vigil said. “At the time, lots of people would hang their jerky by string in their garage. It would take about a week to dry out and I just loved making it and playing around with recipes.”
Current operations are done out of his mother’s restaurant, “Mi Tía’s,” in Cerro. Vigil uses large industrial dehydrators for a process that is fully inspected, using only quality 100% beef
Vigil grew up immersed in the outdoors, hiking every chance he got, exploring Wild Rivers, and fishing by hand. “I eventually learned to use a fishing rod,” Vigil laughed. A 1997 Questa High School graduate, Vigil moved to Albuquerque and pursued a career in nursing, becoming a certified nurse assistant.
While living and working in Albuquerque, Vigil made and sold beef jerky as a side hustle. At one point, he was making more money in a day than his 9-to-5 job. “It was at the time when the keto diet was popular and everyone was trying to eat more protein,” he said.
The business found its identity during a conversation with his father. “One evening I was sitting with my dad and we were talking about a jerky business. All of a sudden my dad stood up and said ‘Don’t forget your jerky.’ At that point that was it. That was going to be the name of the business.”
Vigil moved back to Cerro in 2023 and started operations out of Tía’s. When he isn’t making jerky, he spends his time helping his mother at the restaurant, assisting David Cisneros at the Cerro VFW, and spending time outdoors.
Today, Vigil has well over 100 steady customers and ships jerky all over the U.S. He puts his name and number on every bag so customers can easily call to place an order. His flavor list includes salt and pepper, lemon pepper, green chile, hot cheeto, hot pickle, garlic salt and pepper, plain, and “Christmas” (red and green chile).
“My most popular flavor is green chile parmesan, but I can create a flavor to your liking as long as you buy at least five bags,” Vigil said. His jerky has traveled far, reaching comedian George Lopez and customers in California and even Rome, Italy.
As the business grows, Vigil has partnered with Melanie Chavez, a former pastry chef at Buffalo Thunder. “We work on recipes all the time together,” Vigil said.
Customers can find “Don’t Forget Your Jerky” at Tía’s in Cerro and at the Monte Carlo. It’s also sold at car shows and the Questa Farmers Market. Vigil offers two bag sizes: a 3.0 oz bag for $16 and a larger 6.0-6.3 oz bag for $25.
“I guarantee my jerky for one year. It’s packed to last but most people say they eat it in a few days,” Vigil said. He is excited to continue growing a name known for thin, crispy jerky packed with flavor and no preservatives.
For orders, contact Silviano Vigil at (505) 261-7917 or find the “Don’t Forget Your Jerky” Facebook page.
