[pct-l] Re: home made pemmican

[foshione@dteenergy.com (Elizabeth A. Foshion)]

My recipe varies each time I make if depending on what flavor jerky I
make and what dried fruit and nuts are on hand. The following is one of
my favorite combos.

6 c. shredded homemade jerky (5579 - depends on how much fat, how dry,
etc.)
2 c. dried cranberries, chopped fine (761 - depends on how sweet)
2 c. dried cherries, chopped fine (815 - depends on how sweet)
2 c. finely chopped walnuts (1570)
2 c. rendered suet (3698)
spices

First I make the thinnest possible jerky usually seasoned with soy,
garlic, ginger, and pepper. I use a food processor to chop it as fine as
I can - this can be hard on the machine. The traditional method is to
pound the jerky until the fibers separate. I've wanted to experiment
with running it through a sausage mill, but haven't gotten around to it
yet.

Next I mix in the chopped fruit and the chopped nuts until it looks
homogenous. Then I add any additional spices that catch my fancy. I've
used nutmeg with apricots and pecans; curry powder with apples and
almonds; just mix well and taste. You may need to add a little salt.

Heat the rendered suet until warm and liquid. You don't want it so hot
that you burn your hands, but if it's too cold the fat won't mix as
well. Knead the fat into the meat/fruit/nut mixture. Use less or more
fat as needed to bind the mixture well.

Press into a shallow pan or muffin tins or make into balls - whatever
seems best to you. Let cool completely. Store in a cool dark place. For
long storage, keep well sealed in the freezer.

My very "finicky eater" husband scoffed when I suggested making this,
but now I can't keep up with his appetite for pemmican, and I've got him
making it too.

The cal/oz calculations are rough - I based it on my best guess and USDA
tables - YMMV. More importantly the nutritive bang for your ounce is
very good - nuts are packed with good stuff, plenty of protein from the
jerky, and vitamin C and carbs from the fruit. I get a rough (very
rough) total of 111 calories per ounce. No preservative needed because
of the dryness and fat; light weight; no cooking; endless variation -
everything I want from a trail food.

Elizabeth


Judith wrote:

> Would you share your recipe and calculated cals/oz. with us? judith


--- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---
multipart/alternative
  text/plain (text body -- kept)
  text/html
---