Pemmican

Among the Native Americans and mountain men, there was a traditional method of preserving meat that was collected and processed during the hunting season, so it would still be available during the winter when meat was hard to come by. It was called pemmican. Think of it as the earliest known energy bar.

Originally, the recipe called for the use of melted suet (hard, crumbly fat that surrounds the internal organs of animals) as a binding agent to hold the ingredients together in a small ball. But for the sake of our modern taste buds, the recipe I'm presenting here replaces melted suet with peanut butter and honey. The use of cayenne is optional, depending upon individual taste.

• 1 cup of jerky
• 1 cup of dried berries
• 1 cup of raw sunflower seeds or any type of crushed nuts
• 2 teaspoons of honey
• 1/4 cup of peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne [optional]

Grind or pound the dried meat until it is reduced to a mealy powder. Crush the dried berries, seeds and nuts and then mix the meat with the mashed dried berries, seeds and nuts. Warm up the honey and peanut butter until they are soft, then blend in cayenne to taste. Pour all the ingredients together and mix. Separate small portions into golfball size batches and allow to cool. After the pemmican has cooled, either freeze or store it in plastic bags in a cool, dry place until you're ready to use it.