Pemmican (Native)
intro
Shelf-stable, high-protein traditional Indigenous staple of dried lean meat, rendered fat, and wild berries, crafted for portable, long-lasting on-the-go nutrition.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep lean meat for drying
Start with 900g of fully trimmed lean beef or bison, removing every trace of visible fat, sinew, and connective tissue (any remaining raw fat will cause spoilage). Slice the meat against the grain into 3mm (1/8 inch) thick uniform strips, pat completely dry with paper towels. Arrange strips in a single layer on dehydrator racks, leaving 1cm gaps between pieces for consistent air flow.
Dehydrate meat to brittleness
Set your dehydrator to 71°C (160°F) and dry the meat strips for 5 to 6 hours, flipping strips once at the 3-hour mark. The meat is fully dried when it snaps cleanly when bent, with no flexible or moist spots remaining—any residual moisture will lead to mold in finished pemmican. Let dried meat cool completely to room temperature for 20 minutes before processing.
Grind dried ingredients finely
Break cooled dried meat into 2-3cm pieces, then add to a high-powered blender or food processor in small batches. Pulse on high for 30-45 seconds per batch until the meat is ground into a coarse, fluffy powder with no large chunks. Add 113g unsweetened dried cranberries to the processor, pulse 10-15 times until berries are finely chopped and evenly mixed with the meat powder, then transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, stirring in 5g (1 tsp) fine sea salt.
Melt rendered tallow gently
Add 225g of rendered beef tallow to a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat over the lowest stovetop setting for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fully melted and liquid, reaching a temperature of 49°C (120°F). Do not overheat or boil the tallow, as this can damage its shelf-stable properties; remove the pan from heat immediately once fully melted.
Mix tallow and dry blend
Slowly pour the warm melted tallow over the ground meat and berry mixture in the mixing bowl, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes until every particle of dry mix is evenly coated with fat, with no dry powder pockets remaining. The mixture should hold together when squeezed firmly in your hand, without excess fat pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Press mixture to set
Line a 20cm (8 inch) square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving 5cm overhang on two sides for easy removal. Transfer the pemmican mixture to the pan, pressing firmly and evenly with the back of a dry measuring cup to create a compact 2.5cm (1 inch) thick uniform layer, with no trapped air gaps. Cover the pan loosely with parchment, and let it set in a cool, dark place (15-18°C / 60-65°F) for 2 hours until fully firm.
Portion and store pemmican
Once fully set, lift the pemmican block out of the pan using the parchment overhang, place on a wooden cutting board, and cut into 70g (2.5oz) rectangular bars, roughly 5cm x 10cm (2in x 4in) each (8 total servings). Wrap individual bars tightly in parchment paper or beeswax wrap, and store in an airtight container in a cool, dark cabinet for up to 1 year without refrigeration.
Tips
2.For authentic traditional flavor, swap dried cranberries for unsweetened dried wild blueberries, chokecherries, or serviceberries; avoid sweetened dried fruit, as added sugar introduces excess moisture that drastically reduces shelf life.
3.If you do not have a dehydrator, dry meat in a conventional oven set to 71°C (160°F) with the door propped open 2-3cm with a wooden spoon to allow moisture to escape, checking for brittleness starting at the 5 hour mark.
OMG this pemmican recipe is an absolute game changer for our backcountry camping trips! I made a double batch last weekend for our 4-day hike in the Rockies and it kept us full for hours without weighing our packs down. My teen son who turns his nose up at every 'healthy' trail snack even asked for extra pieces. Took the full 8 hours but totally worth the low-effort prep once you get the drying step down.
Brought this to our annual tribal heritage potluck last week and got so many compliments! It tasted just like the pemmican my great grandma used to make when I was little, I almost cried on the first bite. Knocked off one star only because I struggled to get the tallow to mix evenly the first go around, definitely going to sift my dried berry powder finer next time.
SO good for weekday meal prep when I’m running between classes and my part time job! I portioned these into 2 oz bite sized pieces and keep a stash in my backpack for when I don’t have time to hit the dining hall. I added a little dried cranberry and wild rice like the recipe note suggested and *chef’s kiss*. No weird preservatives, way cheaper than the store bought pemmican I used to order online.
Taste was great but 8 hours cook/dry time is no joke! I thought I could cut corners by drying the meat on a higher oven temp and ended up burning half the batch, oops. Ended up salvaging the unburnt bits and mixed them with dried blueberries and tallow, turned out fine but next time I’ll block off a whole Saturday to do this right when I don’t have ranch chores pulling me away.
Made this with my scout troop last meeting to teach them traditional Indigenous food ways and practical survival skills! The kids went nuts for it, even the picky eaters asked for seconds. We talked about how Native communities invented pemmican as a nutrient-dense travel food hundreds of years ago, it was such a fun, educational activity. Will absolutely be making this every year now.
Game changer for my keto bulk! Zero added sugars, crazy high protein and good fat content, no weird processed ingredients. I keep a couple pieces in my gym bag for post-workout fuel when I don’t have time to chug a protein shake right after lifting. Way more satisfying than those chalky protein bars I used to eat, 10/10.
First time making pemmican ever, and I was so nervous I’d mess it up! I foraged wild chokecherries near my house to use instead of store bought dried berries, and the flavor came out so deep and delicious. My only issue was rendering the suet took way longer than I expected, I had to run to the hardware store mid-process for a finer strainer. Will absolutely make this again once I stock up on more suet from my local butcher.