Prepping Tip: Hamburger Rocks (Literally)

Prepping Tip: Hamburger Rocks

Get Ready to Rock On, Prepper!

Beef. It’s healthy and hearty. It’s protein. It flat-out tastes good. We have a saying in our house… “Meat Good!”

And face it; it’s what’s for nightly dinner on many American tables. But beef may not be as readily available during a shortage or emergency.

Did you know that you can store it? Now I’m not just talking about plain old jerky. I’m talking about hamburger rocks. The dehydrated, cooked hamburger that, when rehydrated and cooked into sloppy joes, tacos, spaghetti, lasagna, or what have you, is hard to distinguish from fresh ground beef.

I’m going to tell you how to make Hamburger Rocks!

You’ll need a one-quart jar and lid for every six pounds of beef you will process. Yes, you can get six pounds of meat into a quart jar. Next, you’ll need to grind your beef in a meat grinder. I like to use a pot roast or a rump roast.

  • First, grind your beef.
  • Then, fry your beef in a cast-iron skillet and transfer it to a colander to rinse under hot water, removing as much fat as you can. Fat is what goes rancid.
  • Wipe out your skillet, put it back on the heat, and return the meat to the skillet. Your goal here is to dry the meat a little. You’ll see the steam leaving. Now is a good time to lower the heat to avoid burning the meat.
  • Now place the beef on a cookie sheet or two and dry it in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir the rocks every so often to help them dry. This should take no more than an hour or two.
  • These are now “hamburger rocks” and can be stored for the short term in zipper-lock-style plastic bags or jars, trying to remove as much air as possible.
  • For long-term storage, can them by heating the jar in a 250-degree Fahrenheit oven while you simmer the lids.
  • Place the still-hot hamburger rocks into the hot jar, and seal the lid. You’ll hear a satisfying “pop” as the lid cools, indicating a good seal.

Rehydrate and Enjoy

To rehydrate your hamburger rocks, place 1 cup of “rocks” in 2 cups of boiling water and let them soak. Now, use them as you would regular ground beef. If you are like me, you are as surprised about this process as I was. Who would have thought!?