Hello,

I'm a relative newbie (about a month) to making pemmican and have been
reading about it here and in other places, and have a few questions:

1.  Originally, I was under the impression that "suet" was just another
word for beef fat, but now I know that true suet is actually kidney
fat.  Up until now I've using plain old beef fat scraps from the
butcher.  I've been able to render a nice, golden fat oil from that and
my pemmican has been tasting pretty good.  Are there other people who
use this type of fat?  Will my pemmican be noticeably better if I in
fact go to the trouble of getting real suet from the butcher?

2.  Regarding the extra rendered fat leftovers, so far I've been storing
it in a sealed tupperware container at room temperature.  Is this OK?
How long can I expect it to last that way?  And will suet last longer
than regular fat, or the same?

3.  For meat, I've been using what my butcher calls "sandwich steak"
sliced between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick.  Is there anyone else using
this?  I find it very convenient - I simply cut it into small strips -
the prep time for jerky is pretty quick that way.  Is there anything
that would be noticeably better?

Lastly, I have a little tip which may help others - I've read various
accounts of how people store their pemmican.  I've started using 2-ounce
plastic "soufflee" cups with snap-on lids.  They can be found at Sam's
Club, but also probably at some restaurant supply stores - they're not
really a grocery store or Wal-mart type item.  Actually, before I knew
Sam's had them, I "charmed" the manager at my local Boston Market into
selling me a bunch (they use them for gravy)!  Anyway, they're perfect
for storing pemmican - keeps it nicely sealed and they're extremely
convenient for individual portions, or transporting, etc . . .

Thanks in advance for the help,
Chuck