Question I have is after you dehydrate how much liquid do you add? Do you always go by weight or just guess.  I got a dehydrator and did a few items. but normally just added what looked good. Ithas always turned out good but just wonerdeing?

Rehydrating meat:
You are usually using lean meat, or draining the fat before rehydration. Because of that, I add a tablespoon of clarified butter for every 250cc of rehydrated meat (pulled pork or ground beef). The way I rehydrate is as follows:
1) Add water to barely cover the meat (best done at lunch for the dinner meal).
2) Heat a tablespoon of clarified butter (oil will work, but butter is better) to a skillet
3) Add the meat, and fry together. If you think meat isn't rehydrated sufficiently, this is the time to add more water, and bring to a boil. Add only small amounts of water: you can always add more, but it takes a long time to boil off if you add too much. 

Frying of rehydrated meat adds a nice texture (especially for pulled pork), and it also allows you to rehydrate well (by adding water if needed).

Clarified butter is the key to success. Make your own. I actually have a DIY video of making clarified butter, I just have to edit. Bottom line is 1 lb butter, over low heat, keep scooping the foam until there is no more foam. 

Rehydrating vegetables - don't add too much water - these are really susceptible to over-rehydration. 

Rehydrating pasta sauces - I find I often don't add enough water. I find the key here is remembering how much you started with. 

Pulled pork recipe:
- In a solid cast-iron, oven-safe pot with lid (preferable a nice dutch oven)
- 3Lb cubed pork loin roast (not shoulder, you need something lower in fat). Brown in a pot. Remove from heat. 


- Saute a sliced onion and 3 cloves sliced garlic in the same pot, deglazing with water to get the burned pork flavour.




- Add back the pork cubes, cover with 500mL chicken broth, add 1Tb liquid smoke


- Place in oven for 3-4 hours at 325F


- Remove, pull apart with forks


- dehydrate for about 8-10 hours at 165F (I generally do it overnight)


-anyone hungry??


- done!!! (actually this one needed to cook for another 5 minutes to get the liquid off. Remember the clarified butter!!!!!!!


Cheers,
Marko


 

Marko
Which MSR stove you using there?  I have the dragon fly stove that I realy like.

PS. Sorry for hijacking the thread. Here's a recipe for pasta sauce: 
1) Saute 1 onion and a pound of sliced mushrooms with two cloves of garllic until very soft. 
2) Add pre-made pasta sauce (like Prego or PC Organics or something like that), simmer for 30 minutes and add salt to taste (pasta sauce should be salty). 
3) Pure the entire mix using an immersion blender. This ensures even dehydration. 
4) Dehydrate (about 8 hours on 165 should do it)

5) Completely separately, dehydrate ground beef.

6) In the field, separately rehydrate the pasta sauce and the ground beef (about 200cc of the beef with 1 sheet of the pasta sauce)
7) Once rehydrated, add 1Tb clarified butter and saute the beef.
8) Add rehydrated pasta sauce to the frying pan, add water as needed. 

Serves 5 or so. 

Marko_Mrko wrote:

3) Pure the entire mix using an immersion blender. This ensures even dehydration. 

I've never tried dehydration before but have been wanting to. In this recipe, wouldn't the blender obliterate the mushrooms? I would think mushrooms are something that would dehydrate well. Could one dehydrate those separately and then add them to the sauce after? 

Could the same not be done with onion and peppers as well?

@ Algonquin tripper:
The blender does obliterate the onions and mushrooms, but you do have a nice taste, as well as increased consistency and the fibre from the shrooms and onion. Rehydrated ground beef adds the texture variation in the sauce. Worth it in my opinion. 

@Russ S: Nice! Where are you going (my brother fishes in Fernie, we have a plan for a week-long float down the Flathead River from Canada to Montana next June. 

Another idea:

Shepherd’s Pie Directions
Ingredients

• Dehydrated ground beef (1 cup)
• Dehydrated corn kernels (1 cup)
• 1 onion
• 2 packs mashed potatoes (I prefer Betty Crocker)
• Milk powder (for mashed potatoes)
• Clarified butter (for mashed potatoes)
• Shepherd's Pie Spice mix (Club House is good)

In the field

• Start rehydrating at lunch
• Make mashed potatoes with milk powder and butter as per directions, set aside
• Saute diced onion in clarified butter (about 1.5Tb) in a 2-3L pot
• Add the beef and corn, then add the spice mix with water as per directions on packet
• Cover with mashed potatos, cook for another 5-10 min.
• Enjoy the awesomeness 

I've considered using dehydrated onions instead of a whole onion, but haven't tried (I love the taste and they keep well, but it would be nice to lower the weight). Has anyone used dehydrated onions? 

M

 

Marko has mad camp cooking skills! 

What do you guys think of dehydrating premade pulled pork. something like Lou's Pulled Pork. http://www.lousbbq.ca/Product.aspx?p=6 

Too much fat to dehydrate?

Marko
My son is working in Grand Junction Co.  We are planning on heading down near Silverton Co. In the Weminuche wilderness to the high alpine lakes. Maybe a 4-5 day backpacking trip.  I'm doing my preplanning now.  But have also been looking at a new pack to shed a few more pounds.  I'm considering the ULA Circuit pack which weighs in at 41 oz