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Pemmican Recipe

Pemmican

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Pemmican is one of the oldest energy-dense foods in the world—used for centuries by Indigenous North American peoples as fuel for travel, survival, and trade. This pre-Columbian-inspired version blends venison jerky, rendered duck fat, and dried cranberries into a rich, portable bar that’s shelf-stable, calorie-rich, and nutritionally balanced. It honors traditional preparation while offering a practical way to connect with ancestral food knowledge.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours

Ingredients

  • 1 cup venison jerky homemade or store-bought, ideally without added sugar or seasoning
  • ½ cup dried cranberries unsweetened if possible
  • ⅓ cup rendered duck fat softened but not fully melted
  • Pinch of sea salt optional

Instructions

Bake the Jerky

  • If your jerky isn’t already brittle:
  • Preheat your oven to 200°F (93°C).
  • Place the venison jerky on a baking rack or tray and bake for 3–4 hours, flipping once halfway through.
  • The jerky should be completely dry and crisp—it should break when snapped, not bend.
  • Let cool completely.

Grind the Jerky

  • Using a food processor, mortar and pestle, or sharp knife, grind the jerky into fine bits—like coarse meal or shredded floss.
  • Aim for small, even pieces that will mix easily with the fat.

Chop the Cranberries

  • Finely chop the dried cranberries so they distribute evenly in the mix. You can pulse them in the food processor briefly.

Mix the Pemmican Base

  • In a mixing bowl, combine the ground jerky and chopped cranberries.
  • Add the softened duck fat gradually and knead together with your hands or a spatula until the mixture binds together like thick dough.
  • Add a pinch of salt if desired.

Shape and Set

  • Press the mixture into a parchment-lined dish or mold (or form into individual bars by hand).
  • Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to firm up.
  • Once set, cut into 4 equal bars and wrap individually for storage.

Notes

  • Jerky Texture Matters: For proper shelf-stability and texture, the jerky should be completely brittle before grinding. If it's chewy, moisture may shorten the storage life of your pemmican.
 
  • Duck Fat Flavor: Duck fat adds a rich, savory depth to this recipe and was historically used in regional Indigenous diets. You can substitute with bison tallow or beef tallow if preferred.
 
  • Customize the Ratio: Traditional pemmican is roughly 1:1 by weight of meat to fat. Adjust your ratios slightly depending on how dry your ingredients are—just enough fat to bind the mix into a firm, non-greasy bar.