Pemmican is one of the most important foods that you’ve probably never heard of. Pemmican dates back several millennia as being made and consumed by the indigenous peoples of North America, eventually adopted by settlers & travelers that traversed the early terrain.
In its most basic form, pemmican is dried and pulverized beef or bison that is bound together with the rendered fat of the animal. The drying process along with the tallow gives this nutrient dense food extraordinary preservation qualities. Packed in dried hides that would also be coated in tallow, it could last months in extreme conditions without being refrigerated.
History shows it may have had its origins in the Northern regions of the continent where winter conditions were longer and harder, but pemmican also made its way to the South (what is now Texas and northern Mexico) by way of the fur trade and other expeditions led by Spanish and European settlers. Pemmican was so greatly valued along these trade routes that it was said to be in some cases, as good as gold and was easily accepted in trade. By weight it was worth more than the furs and hides being traded. In the early 1800s, a war even broke out between northern trade companies for their attempts to prohibit export of the vital foodstuff to other colonies. Pemmican went on to be featured as a ration by explorers and the militaries of various countries up until the 1920s.
Today, it still has some popularity in certain parts of the U.S. between traditional indigenous communities, outdoor enthusiasts, and niche diets. If you’ve seen my previous blog on how to make your own tallow, this is a great use case for it besides cooking and frying.
I make my pemmican with pre-made dried and shredded carne asada, nuts, and dried berries. The texture is a little different (reminded me of a chewy & crunchy toffee) but the flavor is great and it’s a very filling snack for the size. I’ve shared my recipe below but you can mix and match the nuts or berries. The key is to finely grind all of the ingredients which will help everything bind better. It's also crucial that the ingredients are dried out sufficiently so that the pemmican has a longer shelf life, especially if kept at room temperature.
Pemmican with Dates, Cranberries, and Pecans
Yields about a dozen pucks
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 2-3 hours
Inactive time: 12 hours
Total time: 16 hours
1 cup dried beef or jerky, finely ground
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1/4 cup dried dates, finely chopped
1/4 cup cran-raisins, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons almond flour
3 Tablespoons honey
2-3 Tablespoons tallow, hot
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Note: A tip for chopping the dried fruit is to smear a little tallow on the blade to keep the fruit from sticking, also sprinkle 1 tablespoon almond flour onto the fruit while chopping to prevent it from clumping together.
1. Spread the beef, fruits, and nuts onto a sheet tray and place them in the oven. Turn the oven to low, around 170 degrees. Allow the ingredients to dehydrate even further, for around 2-3 hours. Allow to cool for several hours or overnight uncovered.
2. Place the beef, fruits and nuts along with the remaining almond flour into a food processor or grinder and pulse until finely chopped.
3. Add the honey and salt. Add some of the tallow and pulse again. Move the mixture to a bowl. Continue to stir in tallow while mixing until everything binds and holds together. The goal is to not add more tallow than it takes to hold the mixture together when compressed.
4. Shape and press the mixture into bars or small puck. Use any shape you want. I find a small muffin tin works great for making little 2-3 bits pucks.
5. You can vacuum seal it as well, and they are great for the freezer. Store in a cool dry area or in the fridge.
