How to make pork basturma at home

Basturma is a slicing of thin transparent strips of meat that are wrapped in fragrant and exotic spices. The product is considered a traditional dish of Caucasian, Central Asian and Turkish cuisine. If you cook pork basturma at home, you will get an excellent and rich treat for any festive table.

The first mention of jerky is dated to the first century BC (94-95). In those days, meat was salted and dried to preserve for a long time. Today, basturma is an expensive meat delicacy and is rarely found on the shelves of ordinary shops.

At home, basturma is prepared from pork, beef, lamb and even chicken. In the article we will consider the classic recipe pork making.

Calorie content

In the manufacture of basturmas use low temperature, due to which all useful substances are preserved. "Compressed meat" is rich in vitamins PP, A, C, group B and amino acids (substances that form protein in the human body). It contains some trace elements and macroelements (potassium, iron, zinc, calcium, sodium and phosphorus).

The product is useful for IDA (iron deficiency anemia), helps to overcome fatigue. Due to its low fat content, basturma is popular in a healthy diet. Seasonings that cover the treat: hot pepper, garlic and cumin, stimulate, have antibacterial, antitumor and anti-inflammatory properties.

Table 1. Energy composition (per 100 g of product)

A classic recipe for classic basturma

“Compressed meat” from pork, cooked according to the classical or Armenian recipe, turns out to be juicy and tender. Basturma is a slow-cooking dish and requires a long exposure for complete cooking and drying.

• Remove the film and fat from the meat. If you want the delicacy to be ready in the shortest possible time, make pieces of approximately 600 grams.
• Mix black ground pepper, salt (preferably large), break laurel sheets. This mixture should be enough for the whole piece of pork, lubricate it thoroughly.
• Pour one part of the finished mixture to the bottom of the elongated container. Roll the tenderloin in a mixture (salt, pepper, bay leaf), place it well and fill it with the second part of the spices. We cover the container with a lid and put it in the refrigerator for three days. It is important not to forget about meat and turn it over several times during the day.
• After 3 days, we remove the tenderloin from the refrigerator and wash off the salt with water. Then we dab well with paper towels. We wrap in a cotton cloth and put in the refrigerator for 12 hours to completely dry out.
• While pork settles in the refrigerator, we prepare three mixtures to give the dish an original piquancy.
• The first mixture - basil, rosemary and ground coriander, mix thoroughly.
• The second mixture is paprika (sweet varieties of capsicum), red hot pepper.If you do not like spicy, take less red pepper, but do not forget that the piquancy of the dish is in its burning crust.
• The third mixture - seasoning “Adjika” is mixed with a small amount of water to make a marinade of a thick consistency in the form of a gel. Take into account that marinade is also islandy.
• We carefully dry dry meat in turn in different cooked mixtures.
• Wrap a piece of gauze or a cotton cloth well. Tighten tightly with threads. We hang for drying in a ventilated place.
• In a week, and preferably two, home-made pork basturma will be ready. Be sure to keep the gauze or fabric completely dry; if it is wet, replace it.

Before using the delicacy, remove the crust from the mixture, and then cut into thin transparent slices.

How to choose the right spices and seasonings

There are simply no certain seasonings for pork basturma. Each cook has his own recipe for rubbing meat. For example, a mixture of spices according to the Armenian recipe - “Chaman” is very popular.

The mixture "Chaman" is prepared a day before use.

Boil 0.5 liters of water and as soon as it boils, add 3 pieces of bay leaf, 2-3 pieces of allspice. Boil water for several more minutes with spices.

Cool the broth, strain, and pour into a container with seasonings already prepared:

• Ground fenugreek chaman - 5 tbsp. l
• Sugar - 1 tbsp. l
• Salt - ½ tbsp. l
• Allspice black pepper - 1 tbsp. l
• Paprika (a mixture of sweet peppers) - 3 tbsp. l
• Ground cumin (zira) - 1 tbsp. l
• Coriander - ½ tbsp. l
• Dried garlic - 2 tbsp. l
• Ground chili pepper - 1 tbsp. l

The Chaman is infused for 24 hours in a cool place, after which you can carefully rub the pork tenderloin. This recipe may not be liked for only one reason - intolerance to the smell of garlic.

To withstand two weeks the strong smell of garlic in the refrigerator, not everyone is ready, so you can not add it to the composition. Two days before the basturma is ready, remove the “Chaman” and replace it with fresh, but with the addition of garlic.

Useful Tips

1. The tenderloin should not be thicker than 3 cm. Choose the length of the piece yourself.
2. If you use wine for cooking, then the ratio should be 1: 1. It will take 1 kg of tenderloin per 1 liter of alcoholic grape drink. Pour the meat so that it is completely covered with wine.
3. Pickle, in which you pickle fresh meat, must be salty.
4. Usually basturma is spicy, but at home you can use the amount of seasoning to your liking.
5. Thoroughly coat all sections of pork with mixes.
6. The tenderloin is kept from 3 to 7 days under pressure. Cargo for the press take about 12 kilograms.
7. Do not forget to check the meat before buying, it must be fresh to avoid the multiplication of parasites, because the product remains raw.
8. The process of drying should take place in dry and warm weather. The right time is spring or summer.
9. The shelf life of treats is increased up to six months when properly stored in the refrigerator.
10. "Compressed meat" is served as an independent snack or as an additional component for sandwiches.

It takes a lot of time to prepare basturma, but the result is worth it. The delicacy turns out to be much tastier than the store version. In addition, many manufacturers are not very conscientious about manufacturing; they remove it in the shortest possible time to add extra weight. Chemical additives and not always high-quality raw materials are also used.

In the manufacture of jerky, a large number of spices are used, so the product is not recommended for people with allergies to seasonings. The use of basturma is contraindicated if there are problems with the liver and kidneys, as well as in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (ulcer, gastritis).