Wild Game Pemmican with Berries
Pemmican is a traditional North American concentrated food made from dried game meat, tallow, and dried fruits, originally made by indigenous peoples. This version combines dehydrated game meat with lingonberries and rendered fat into a calorie-dense expedition food. When properly made, the finished pemmican can be stored for years.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Completely Drying the Meat
8-10 hoursCompletely remove all fat, tendons, and connective tissue from game meat. Cut into very thin strips (2-3 mm) and dehydrate at 70-75 °C for 8-10 hours until the meat is completely brittle and can be crumbled to powder. Ensure a core temperature of at least 70 °C.
Grinding the Meat
15 minutesGrind completely dried meat in a high-powered blender, meat grinder, or mortar to a fine powder (pemmican flour). The powder should have a flour-like consistency. Optionally mix with sea salt.
Rendering Tallow and Mixing
30 minutesMelt game tallow over low heat and strain through a fine sieve to remove impurities. Allow to cool slightly until liquid but no longer hot. Mix meat powder with liquid tallow in a ratio of 1:0.8 to 1:1, fold in dried berries, and mix well.
Forming and Storage
1-2 hours (cooling)Press warm pemmican mixture into parchment-lined molds or shape into bars and allow to cool. Shelf life is up to 6 months at room temperature, several years when vacuum-sealed and stored cool. Keep in a cool, dry, and dark place.
Pro Tip
The key to long-lasting pemmican lies in completely removing all moisture from the meat – it must be dry enough to crumble. Use only high-quality, fully rendered fats without water content, as moisture causes mold.
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