william wrote:
> Becoming more mysterious, instead of less.
> I can't make pemmican of kidney fat because it sets/freezes/solidifies 
> at 105°F on my cheap thermometer, so the pemmican would no longer be 
> raw if mixed at that temperature.
> It also makes it taste like paraffin candle wax, though my stomach 
> doesn't object.
I don't know how much of a "cooking" effect there would be (nor do I 
care), considering that this temperature is no warmer than a hot summer 
day in many places.  Also, the warm fat begins to cool instantly when 
added to the dried meat.  Indeed, if you wanted to hasten this, I 
suppose you could refrigerate the dried meat first.  One reason why it 
tastes like candle wax is that candle wax is, in fact, mainly stearic 
acid.  Same for crayons, a traditional grade-school treat. You can buy 
bulk stearic acid from chemical supply companies.  It's very cheap.  It 
comes in granules or flakes.
> When mixed with half muscle fat the taste is once more something like 
> cooked beef, and the setting temperature is low enough not to cook the 
> ground jerky.
The more liquid a fat is, the more unsaturated it is.  Kidney fat is 
hard at room temp because it's so saturated.  The more unsaturated a fat 
is, the more prone to oxidation spoilage it is.  For the native 
Americans, the whole point of pemmican was that it was a food that could 
be made in bulk and stored for the winter or for long overland travel in 
the warm seasons, without fear of spoiling.  If you use more muscle fat, 
it might be a good idea to keep the pemmican refrigerated until you eat it.

As others have pointed out, muscle fat is a symptom of obesity.  You 
wouldn't find much of it in wild animals.  Subcutaneous fat, kidney fat, 
hump fat, are a different story.

A reason why cold-water fish are so high in PUFA is that if they 
weren't, the cold water temperatures would cause their bodies to harden.

Todd Moody