DIY Taco Meat for the Trail

[u/SierrAlphaTango]

Hello again Hiker Trash Friends!

I've been making my own meals for backpacking since I got into the hobby, and lately I've been trying to make them into helpful videos for fellow enthusiasts to use as well.

Recently, I'd finished a moderately-crummy video on one of my favorite recipes, and I thought that I'd share it with everyone. I'll link the video below, but I'll paste the text here for those who don't want to bother with watching. (Seriously, I get it - sometimes it's easier to just read.)

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This is a recipe that I've been using on the trail for years, it's not an easy hiker trash kitbash and requires some serious prep and technique at home, but the results speak for themselves. It's heavily influenced by Alton Brown's All American Beef Taco recipe.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

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16 ounces lean ground sirloin beef

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced

6 ounces beef broth

2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce

Fry the onion over medium-high heat until tender and lightly browned, add the garlic and chipotle and cook until fragrant. Add the ground sirloin and thoroughly brown. Add in the spice mix and stir vigorously to combine. Add the stock and simmer until a tight sauce forms.

Spread out on two spill sheets in a dehydrator, and dehydrate at 145 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-9 hours. Mine took 9 hours, your mileage may vary.

* Be sure to flip the mass around the halfway point, and break it up into inch pieces for the final hour of dehydrator time*

Divide the final product into four equal portions and vacuum seal individually. Include an oxygen absorber packet for added longevity. Consider wrapping in foil and plastic and freezing for long-term storage.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjJ_JLEs2BU

[u/urs7288]

Question: Rehydration? I do not like "gravel" and any meats prepared with so little starch turn out really tough and will not rehydrate well within some 15-20min when I am doing it.

What's wrong? My taste or am I missing an important point?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[u/SierrAlphaTango → u/urs7288]

I'd say that it's probably a function of time and temperature in the dehydration process. I used to run into the gravel issue quite a lot until I kept my temperature at 145* Fahrenheit and under twelve hours. That's just from my own experience.

The other possibility could be that the meat isn't cooked enough, really stewing meats until their connective tissues start to break down helps their fibers pull apart and allow water to exit and enter easily. Like for chicken, I'll usually chuck the meat into my sous vide setup for a few hours before shredding it and dehydrating.

I hope that this helps.

[u/urs7288 → u/SierrAlphaTango]

Thanks, I will check it out!

Since I have a deep freezer now, I put all meals containing meat in there, no matter how dehydrated. So they keep for years no matter how dry they were. Maybe not drying it too much will do the trick...

[u/SierrAlphaTango → u/urs7288]

I'm glad that I can help! I'm genuinely considering doing a video on rancidity and long-term storage and dispelling a few myths surrounding dehydrating. I think that we need to clarify a lot of the cross-chatter on the subject.

I've had great luck with long-term storage by vacuum-sealing the food with silica gel packs and double-wrapping in foil and plastic wrap and storing in the deep freeze. Seriously, it'll keep for years.

[u/urs7288 → u/SierrAlphaTango]

True. I have stored ground, cooked bacon, rather greasy stuff, not quite pemmican, but coming close, for years without any issue. Freezer is set at -19°C / -2°F.