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Meat Cutting
 

Meat Cutting

Jayne Nicholson from the Calgary Exhibiton & Stampede writes:

"The historical aspects involve the cutting and drying of the meat. Sharp stone knives were used to slice the meat into wide, thin slices. Then it was cut into strips and hung over an open fire or in the sun to dry. Once dried, the meat was usually stored with wild mint for use in the winter months. The wild mint served to keep insects away from the dried meat.

The dried meat was also used in the making of pemmican. Once dried, the meat was pounded to a powdery texture and mixed with rendered fat and berries. Advantages of the pemmican are that it is light in weight and very nutritious and can be stored for a relatively long period of time. As with the dried meat, wild mint was used to keep the insects away.

Thus the meat cutting competition to determine who can cut the meat the thinnest as the thinner it is cut, the faster it will dry."

The categories for the Meat Cutting Competition are Ladies Novice (Ages 14 to 17), Ladies Experienced (Ages 18-39), Ladies Very Experienced (Ages 40 and over) and Men’s (Ages 14 and over).
Meat Cutting 2

Making Pemmican

A favourite food to eat in the Indian Village at the Calgary Stampede is pemmican.

Pemmican is made from moose, bison or caribou. To make pemmican you have to dry and smoke the meat by cutting it into wide long strips and hanging it over a fire. Next you pound it into a powdery texture by hitting it with a rock until it becomes crumbly. The meat is then put into a bag and mixed in melted fat.
You can also mix berries like chokecherries or saskatoons with the meat to add more flavour. Pemmican is very good for you because it is very nutritious.

In the past the meat strips were spread out on buffalo hide and was stored with mint because it kept the insects away.

Today at the Stampede pemmican is laid out on a table and served to the visitors.

Faith, Grade 4 student

Traditional Dry Meat Recipe

4 lbs Beef flank
1 Sharp knife
Optional: salt to taste (varies depending on personal preference)

Wash meat in cold water. Cut into 3 portions. Take one portion of the meat and start cutting in half. Stop near the end of the piece. The meat should look like an open book.

Hang on a wooden rack or tripod over a fire, or in the sun to dry.

Indian Village. (2003). Calgary Exhibition & Stampede.

Retrieved March 4, 2006. from http://www.indianvillage.ca/pages/village_recipes.asp [opens in new window]

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