Canadian National Dishes

Refrigerator-Kept Pemmican

Pemmican is a concentrated food traditionally made from dried, pounded meat and rendered fat, often with dried berries. It has deep Indigenous histories and particular importance in Métis foodways on the Prairies. Ingredients, proportions, methods and meanings vary among Indigenous peoples, families and communities. This small-batch home version uses commercially prepared, fully cooked dried beef and must be kept refrigerated; it is not a shelf-stable preservation recipe.

Canadian National Dishes
Share
A plate of pemmican pieces and a bowl of dried berries occupy the left side of a wide table, leaving open space to the right.
A contemporary home-prepared pemmican portion, kept chilled until serving.
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 0 minutes
Total 80 minutes
Calories About 290 kcal per piece
Ingredients ↓
Overview

Refrigerator-Kept Pemmican

Historical and community sources describe pemmican as dried, pounded meat combined with rendered fat and sometimes berries. Métis histories document its role as a portable, energy-dense food on Prairie travel and trade routes. Other Indigenous peoples and families have their own food traditions and perspectives. This recipe is a modern, small-batch adaptation using ready-to-eat dried beef, dried berries and rendered beef tallow. It does not represent a specific Nation or family recipe, and its proportions are not a universal formula. The home-prepared mixture is refrigerated and is not claimed to keep at room temperature.

Practical

Practical

  • Choose plain, fully cooked dried beef with a short ingredient list; lower-sodium options help keep the mixture balanced.
  • Pulse the meat into small crumbs, not a smooth paste, so the finished pieces retain texture.
  • Chop the berries finely and distribute them through the meat before adding the tallow.
  • Melt the tallow gently, just until liquid. If it smokes, let it cool before using.
  • Press the mixture firmly into an even layer so it chills into pieces that hold together.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Pemmican

  • 190 g plain, fully cooked dried beef or unsweetened beef jerky, preferably a lower-sodium product
  • 60 g dried Saskatoon berries or unsweetened dried blueberries, finely chopped
  • 150 g rendered beef tallow
Directions

Directions

Method

  1. Prepare the containerLine a small loaf pan or shallow container with parchment, leaving enough overhang to lift out the mixture after chilling.

  2. Break down the dried beefPulse the fully cooked dried beef in a food processor until it forms fine crumbs with a few small flakes. Stop before it becomes a paste. Finely chop the dried berries.

  3. Combine the dry ingredientsMix the beef crumbs and berries in a heatproof bowl, breaking up clumps so the berries are evenly distributed.

  4. Melt the tallowWarm the tallow in a small saucepan over low heat or in a heatproof bowl until just liquid. Remove it from the heat; do not let it smoke.

  5. Mix and pressPour the warm tallow over the beef and berries. Stir until evenly coated, then press firmly into the lined container in an even layer.

  6. Chill and portionCover and refrigerate at 4°C or below for about 60 minutes, until firm enough to cut. Lift out, cut into 8 pieces of about 50 g each, and return promptly to refrigeration.

Practical

Practical

Serving

Serving: Serve a small piece on its own or crumble it into a hot soup or stew just before eating. This contemporary mixture should be served from refrigeration and not carried or stored at room temperature.

Make-ahead

Storage: Keep covered in the refrigerator at 4°C or below. As a conservative guide for this handled home preparation, use within 2–3 days. Discard if it has been left out for more than 2 hours. Do not rely on historical storage descriptions as a safety guarantee for this version.

Storage and reheating

Variations: Historical and contemporary versions differ in meat, fat, berries and proportions. This recipe uses ready-to-eat dried beef and tallow for a manageable home adaptation. Changing the ratio or using fresh, raw or home-dried meat changes the preparation and is outside this recipe.

Control points

Control points

  • The mixture looks greasy or separatedThe tallow may have been too hot or the ingredients unevenly mixed. Stir while warm, press firmly and chill.
  • The pieces crumble when cutThe mixture may not have been pressed firmly or chilled long enough. Repack it and chill until fully firm.
  • The mixture is too saltyUse a lower-sodium plain dried beef next time; the salt level mainly depends on the product.
  • The mixture feels too hard when coldLet one serving stand briefly for immediate eating, then return the rest to refrigeration.
  • The tallow begins to smokeRemove it from heat and let it cool. Do not pour smoking fat over the dried meat.
Nutrition

Nutrition

  • Serving sizeOne piece, about 50 g
  • CaloriesAbout 290 kcal
  • CarbohydrateAbout 9 g
  • ProteinAbout 8 g
  • FatAbout 25 g
  • FibreAbout 1 g
  • SodiumAbout 430 mg

Rounded ingredient-based estimate per piece using generic dried-beef, dried-berry and beef-tallow values. Commercial dried beef varies substantially in sodium, fat and added ingredients; the product label may produce a different result. This is not a laboratory analysis, product-label declaration or exact Canadian Nutrient File match.

The three base ingredients do not inherently contain a priority allergen, but commercial dried beef can include soy, wheat, milk or other ingredients and may have cross-contact. Read product labels. Use only ready-to-eat fully cooked dried beef; this recipe does not explain how to dehydrate raw meat. Wash hands, utensils and surfaces, and follow the package's storage directions. Keep the finished mixture refrigerated at 4°C or below; it is not shelf-stable.

FAQ

FAQ

Is this pemmican shelf-stable?

No. This is a modern home-prepared mixture and must be kept refrigerated. Do not use it as unrefrigerated trail food.

Does this recipe represent all Indigenous pemmican traditions?

No. Pemmican has varied histories, recipes and meanings among Indigenous peoples, families and communities. This is one contemporary home adaptation.

Can I make the dried meat from raw beef for this recipe?

That is outside this recipe. Home drying raw meat needs a validated food-safety process; use commercially prepared, fully cooked dried beef instead.

Finish

Finish

  • Crumble a piece into hot soup or stew for a hearty addition.
  • Keep the remaining portions covered and refrigerated.