Meat Shredz Review - The Best Shelf Stable Meat For Backpacking?

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Looking for the best shelf stable meat for backpacking?  We have a solution!

Last fall we came across Meat Shredz, a California company that makes dried pulled pork that can be eaten right out of the bag or added to any type of meal with no cooking needed.  We contacted Steve Song, the owner, and he sent us a few samples to try.  Recently we put them to the test on a winter camping trip.

 What are Meat Shredz?

Meat Shredz touts their product as a "premium shredded dried pulled pork product" that "with any small amount of steam, sauce, or soup, you get delicious tender pulled meat instantly."  The pork shreds stay fresh for up to one year in a sealed package without refrigeration.  After opening, the meat stays fresh for a couple days if you store it in a cool place.  In the refrigerator, it can stay fresh for up to one month after opening.

Pork Shredz is made from premium lean cuts.  It is marinated overnight, slow cooked, and then shredded before being dehydrated.  This process makes it soft and tender.  Meat Shredz is low in fat and does not contain any MSG, preservatives or hormones.  One resealable package weights only 2.2 ounces and contains four servings of pork.  The entire package contains 280 calories, 8g of fat, and 32g of protein.

There are many different ways to eat Pork Shredz, which makes it particularly appealing for backcountry use.  You can eat it straight from the package for a quick shot of protein, or add it to simple meals like ramen noodles for extra taste and nutrition.  The flavor is very universal and hikers can add it to their freeze-dried food or create their own meals if they have a hard time digesting freeze dried food.  Meat Shredz also lends itself well to home use:  add it on salads, quesadillas, or for quick prep pulled pork sliders.

Testing Meat Shredz

The first time we tried Meat Shredz, we ate it straight from the package and also added it to egg drop soup.  The meat was indeed as advertised - very flavorful and extremely tender.  It added extra flavor to the egg drop soup and I can imagine it would be great in a noodle dish as well.  The flavor is not overdone or overly salty and would lend itself well to a variety of backpacking dishes.

Recently we took Meat Shredz on an overnight snowshoeing trip.  We added the pork to Peak Refuel dehydrated meals for dinner.  The results were great - extra flavor and protein to keep us fueled for digging our winter shelter and for snowshoeing!  The Shredz packages are great for backpacking as they are compact and resealable.

Bottom Line

We would recommend Meat Shredz for adding flavor and nutrition to soups, noodles, and freeze-dried meals.  The packages are ideal for backpacking and will take up little room in your pack.  The shelf stable nature is unique, we haven't come across a product like this before!  If you want meat in the backcountry your options are generally pretty limited (jerky, freeze dried meals, or foil packets of chicken or fish).  Meat Shredz products are a perfect way to bring pork into the backcountry. The only potential downside we could find is that the packages won't keep forever after you open them without refrigeration (although the meat is dried so the risk to spoilage should be pretty low).  This shouldn't be too big of a deal for most hikers as the package size is small enough that it can be consumed in 1-2 days.  When using as meal additive, the size is appropriate for 1-3 meals for a solo hiker or 1-2 meals for a larger group.

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