Pemmican | Métis Cooking Series

Let's make pemmican! In the Season 2 finale of the Métis Cooking Series, Holly Tennant (BCMANR Region 2 Captain of the Hunt) shares this family recipe passed down from her auntie. Alongside B.C. Métis artist Jordan Waunch, Holly reflects on how this staple was prepared in her family and many other Métis families across generations. Full recipe below: Pemmican Full Recipe Ingredients 4lb shoulder roast (deer, moose, caribou or duck meat) 6 cups fresh cranberries, blueberries or seasonal berries 2-½ cups tallow (melted) ¾ cup brown sugar 1 tsp mustard powder 1 tsp salt ½ tsp pepper Instructions 1. Slice the roast against the grain into thin slices, approximately ¼ inch thick. 2. Dehydrate the meat. Originally, this could be done by the sun if it was hot enough, or on racks over a smoking fire, drying over several days. It is simplest today to use a commercially bought food dehydrator. Start at 155 degrees Fahrenheit. It will take at least a day to get all the moisture out. 3. The berries are also dried using a commercial dehydrator at 135 degrees Fahrenheit. The berries can also be laid out in the sunshine for at least a day, depending on the sun. It will take at least a day to get all the moisture out. All moisture must be removed for the final pemmican product to be stored at room temperature. 4. Once dried, the meat is turned into powder using a blender. Repeat for berries. 5. Melt the tallow over low heat. Use a cheesecloth to strain out any solid pieces remaining from rendering the fat. 6. In a bowl, mix together meat, berries, brown sugar, mustard powder, salt, and pepper. Then mix in the hot tallow. 7. Finally, the mixture is pressed by hand into small cakes. Put them aside to let them dry and harden. Keep them in an airtight container in the freezer. This recipe is part of the Métis Cooking Series Season 2, brought to you by MNBC's Ministry Ministry of Food Security with support from MNBC's Ministry of Sport and Active Living. 🎥 Video production and editing by Dylan Eyers (founder of ‪@EatWildDylan‬) and Dave Gu 📚 Resources: 🌱 Learn more about the work done by MNBC's Ministry of Food Security: https://www.mnbc.ca/work-programs/min... 🎨 Check out Holly Tennant's art: https://hollytennant.com/ 🦌 Learn more about EatWild: https://eatwild.ca/ 🌲 Learn more about BCMANR Captains of the Hunt: https://www.mnbc.ca/node/2104