Pemmican

rockhound

Bronze Member
Apr 9, 2005
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Pemmican has been called natures perfect food. Fur traders,explorers,expeditions,trappers all carried Pemmican as a ready food source. It supplied the body with total nutrition, providing all you need, except water. Four ounces provides a full days nutrition.
You can use bison,elk,moose,antelope,or deer. The pioneers dried the raw meat in the sun,but you can heat it in the oven on low heat until hard.
2-3 pounds of meat,cut in thin strips, dried hard and pulverized into a powder
same amount of beef fat(50/50) ratio ,melted on the stove on low heat to avoid burning
you can also add fruit (cranberries,bluberries,etc.) to make a different tasting treat
pour melted fat in a pan, and stir in meat and or berries
let cool and cut into 2 inch squares(about 4 oz)
pioneers carried their in rawhide pouches, but any type of wrapper or container wiil work
 

The original recipe called for any large wild game animal. If you use domesticated animal
meat you would need to cut back on the fat content about half, as domesticated beef,lamb,goat
or sheep already have fat in their meat. That is part of the reason for adding that much fat content
to the wild game meat.
 

Thanks for the tip Rock. I may give this a try as I don't have a "wild game palette" or however you spell it!
 

Sorry for sounding dumb , but what exactly are you talking about when you say beef fat? Are you talking about raw trimming of fat off of say a steak and then melting that in a pot ? Or are you talking about beef tallow , and where would you get that? I want to make some but am unsure about the beef fat. HELP
Tyler
 

Beef fat is tallon from a butcher shop. But any fat from beef or lamb could work if heated to
a consistancy of gelatin at slow heat without burning.
 

I don't want to contradict anyone, but I seen to recall most references to pemmican I've read over the years was made in a dry powder consistency and carried in small leather pouches. Was there a difference between tribes or something ? I agree that all references stated the very small amount being able to refresh and sustain a person for a days time even in forced march situations.
I personally would prefer a dry transport situation if possible.
 

I know it's good, but with all that fat you wouldn't live long enough to need any water. ;D
 

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