According to some scientific sources, the history of the origin of basturma is a little over two thousand years old and is associated with Turkic nomadic tribes. But it is also known that the Mongoloid race of people existed in the Americas: the indigenous population of these continents was not connected with Ancient China or the Kingdom of the Great Mughals. It is unlikely that the Incas or Mayans exchanged recipes for cooking jerky for military campaigns with the ancient peoples who inhabited the Caucasus, Altai, the Middle East and even Australia.
If it were not for the Spanish hamon, one could agree with the version that the invention of basturma belongs to the Turkic peoples, which gradually settled on all continents. But the Spaniards, most likely, belong to the European race, and America was discovered by Columbus, thanks in large part to stocks of jerky and special bread in barrels that brave sailors loaded onto ships before the long voyage into the unknown.
Therefore, we can assume that each nation had its own basturma, and it appeared, most likely, simultaneously with the earliest civilizations, when a person needed to preserve the meat obtained during the hunt for huge animals.
This is a saying, as they say, and the story of the most refined and desired dish on holiday tables these days is ahead.
Pork and other meat basturma - main features of the technology
Most Turkic peoples profess Islam, which prohibits the use of pork, the Great Mughals preferred horse meat, and some peoples did not eat beef in order to preserve the livestock of animals that provide valuable milk. Therefore, we will talk about dried meat in general. Everyone will choose for himself his appearance, according to his faith, although pork, according to statistics, is the second most consumed in the world, due to its ease in cooking, taste and nutritional properties.
Discover the secrets of cooking delicacies of all time
The taste, cooking technology and duration of ripening of raw meat depends on the type of meat, its composition, density, structure of muscle fibers. Pork has the most delicate and juicy texture due to the large amount of fat, in comparison with beef and horse meat, so it ripens faster when salted and dried. It follows that the technology for preparing basturma from beef and horse meat implies only a longer process of exposure in saline or dry salt mixture.
The choice of raw materials for basturma
It should be noted that even the most fatty parts of pork basturma does not contain cholesterol. Salt completely destroys fat cells, which are its main source, but at the same time higher humidity is preserved in pork compared with beef and other types of meat. Another advantage of pork: almost any muscle parts of pork carcass are suitable for curing and smoking, while only tenderloin, rumps, rump - those parts of the animal that were subjected to the least physical activity, are selected from beef.
Pay attention to the freshness of the meat, the degree of ripening. After slaughter, the meat must be stored at 0 + 4 ° C for at least three days to begin the fermentation process. At this time, useful acids are formed in the protein tissue that improve the quality and benefits of the product. Color, elasticity should correspond to the external characteristics of each type of meat. Chilled meat is suitable for curing. Frozen pork or beef lose their inherent smell and taste, and for the preparation of basturma these factors are almost crucial.
Inventory preparation
Crockery, as well as kitchen tools and appliances must also meet the highest sanitary requirements, which will increase the shelf life of the finished product. Treat the containers with antiseptic agents, scald them with boiling water and dry before starting work.
Eliminate plastic and polymer containers for salting and storage, even if it is written on them that they do not contain non-food components. The smell of plastic will still be transmitted to the meat and spoil the aroma of pork basturma. Give preference to ceramic, enameled dishes (without cracks and damage to enamel), their stainless steel tanks.
Meat salting methods
For the drying of meat products at home, the dry and brine method is often used. Also suitable for the preparation of pork is a mixed method and the introduction of a salting solution by injection. If a whole pork ham is taken for salting, then an injection method is more convenient for accelerating salting. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the choice of salting method will have to be done independently, having familiarized yourself with the technology of each method.
Dry way:
The essence of dry meat salting is dehydration: salt draws moisture from the intercellular tissues, thereby preventing the growth of bacteria that need a moist environment.
Attention! Salt is a preservative, but it does not kill pathogens.
Salt is mixed with spices. The meat is rubbed with a curing mixture and tightly placed under oppression in the prepared container, trying not to leave free space between pieces. In the process of salting, the released meat juice is selected to prevent the propagation of pathogenic microorganisms in a humid environment. In the process of salting, the meat is turned upside down for uniform salting out; the very wet salt mixture is changed.
For dry salting, not more than 10 g of spicy mixtures per 1 kg of meat are used: cumin, juniper, coriander, pepper, garlic, anise, cardamom, bay leaf or other seasonings of your choice. Professionals recommend adding 2% sugar to the curing mixture, also depending on the volume of raw materials. Sugar enhances the effects of salt, softens the taste of meat, giving it a more pleasant shade.
1 kg of pork is salted for 15-20 days. After this, corned beef is washed and soaked for 24 hours in warm purified water. Water is often changed.
The next stage is air drying. To do this, the meat is suspended in a cool and well-ventilated area. It is necessary to exclude the presence of nearby products with a sharp specific smell, chemical household products.
In a city apartment, such conditions can be provided in the refrigerator, and in the cool season on the balcony, with air humidity not more than 75%. In the open air, meat is placed under a net to protect the product from insects. If possible, then after drying the pork basturma is better to smoke. Smoking improves the taste of the product, increases its shelf life.
In a city apartment, try to salt meat in small portions, weighing no more than 2 kg. Large pieces of pork will be difficult to ensure proper care during the drying and drying process.
In the curing mixture, to preserve the natural color of the meat, nitrite salt is added - 5 mg / 1 kg of meat. Despite the "notoriety" of these salts, such a minimum dose will not harm health. For comparison: in a salad of raw cabbage, the content of this salt, without the introduction of appropriate fertilizers when growing vegetables, can reach 4 mg / 100 g of product.
Mineral salts are easily excreted from the body with water, with sufficient and daily use. Poisoning with a dried meat product prepared without the addition of sodium nitrite is fraught with more serious and serious complications. Food supplement E-250 is approved for use in the food industry, including for the production of meat products. The nitrite salt is mixed with edible salt.
Brine method:
For the wet salting method, the same ingredients are used, but they are dissolved in water, and seasonings are brewed or infused. Meat is completely covered with the prepared brine and is also kept in a cool place, in a clean and tightly closed container. Before laying meat, it is recommended to boil and cool the solution. For brine, use only purified water.
The advantage of the brine method is a more uniform distribution of salt in the meat. Wet salting allows you to salt the meat much faster, since the salt solution penetrates the muscle tissue more easily. The brine method allows you to adjust the salt concentration to obtain a slightly salted, moderately salty and salty product. The minimum salt concentration per liter of liquid is 12%, the maximum amount is 28%.
The disadvantage of this method is a significant loss of protein, as it dissolves into brine. The meat in the process of salting significantly swells, but also dried for a long time. The shelf life of the product prepared by the brine method is significantly reduced.
As for the list of spicy mixtures used for cooking pork basturma, this list depends entirely on personal preferences, the characteristics of one or another national cuisine with its national traditions.
Try cooking jerky in many ways.
* In the proposed recipes, the calculation of spices and seasonings is given per 1 kg of meat.
1. Armenian pork basturma
For the original Armenian basturma recipe, use beef. But, as it turned out, Armenian spices and red wine for pork basturma are also a very good option for cooking meat delicacy.
Products:
Tenderloin
Dry red wine 1.15 L
Chile, ground
Sumac
Salt 270 g
Garlic
Chaman (Hay Fenugreek)
Walnut grass
Flour 200-250 g
Cooking:
First make the marinade. In 1 liter of wine, put 180 g of salt and spices. In the original recipe, the addition of sugar and sodium nitrite is not provided, so proceed as you wish. Keep in mind that sugar is present in wine. If you plan to cook meat weighing more than two kilograms, then add sodium nitrite to the salt, as described above, in basic technological principles. Spices should be no more than 10% by weight of the meat product, and choose the ratio to your liking.
Put the meat in a suitable container in volume, fill it with boiled and cooled marinade, set the oppression. Soak in the refrigerator for seven days. The container must be hermetically sealed. Then get the meat, dry it. Can be hung or wiped with a napkin.
Prepare the dough from flour or a chaman by combining a powder of a chaman or flour with a small amount of spices, the remaining salt and 150 ml of wine. Cover the meat with the prepared mixture, a layer of 2-3 mm. Hang the meat in a cool, dry place; can be placed on the top shelf of the refrigerator, but do not forget to regularly turn it over. After 10 days, the pork basturma will be ready.
If you don’t get sumy, replace it with dried pomegranate skin (to taste - very similar!).
For housewives who are not familiar with Caucasian cuisine, a little help: a chaman or fenugreek is a part of many Caucasian and Asian seasonings, has a specific smell and taste, reminiscent of hazelnut. For Armenian basturma in the original recipe, this yellowish powder is used in large quantities: it is added to the marinade, and then a thick spicy mixture is prepared based on it, reminiscent of batter - for coating the meat before drying. If there is not enough seasoning, or do not like its peculiar taste and smell, replace with flour to get the desired consistency.
2. Italian style pork basturma
It is difficult to reproduce the recipe and cooking technology of Parma ham exactly. This is a very time-consuming and lengthy process, in addition, requiring the use of special meat raw materials - ham from a pig, who lived on milk, fruit (most likely only in Parma), breathing the air of the Mediterranean coast.
From the above conditions, on the Central Russian Plain, you can get only a piglet and spices from a supermarket. But for this ham, the weight of the pig should be 160 kg, the age should be 10 months, and the temptation to try pork basturma in Italian is so great that you should think about how to cook it to feel, at least approximately, famous throughout the world, taste.
If you are ready to patiently wait for the ripening of meat within 10-12 months, get down to business.
Raw Material:
Ham (with skin) - at least 10 kg
Spices: pepper, cloves, nutmeg, coriander and mustard - only 10%
A mixture of sea (13%) and nitrite salt (4%) per 1 kg of meat
Sugar, cane 2%
Apple cider vinegar (6%), or dry wine - 200 ml / 1 liter of water
Cooking:
The whole process of cooking ham should occur at 0 + 4 ° C, from soaking to salting and drying. Therefore, first prepare such a place. The basement is ideal, but for the ham you need to prepare a special frame with a protective net. Humidity of the room for drying - 70 -75%. Place salt in the frame or box where the ham will be cooked. It will need to be changed periodically, as it gets wet. A good option is a drying cabinet.
Choose a ham with pale pink pulp and small layers of fat. Keep in mind that when finished, the weight of the pig’s leg should be reduced by 40%. Soak your foot in water with the addition of fruit vinegar or dry homemade wine. Water should completely cover the meat. Pre-soaking meat in the original recipe is not provided, but this technique will maximize bring the taste of pork to that which is grown in a favorable climate. After soaking, the meat must be dried. Hang the ham by installing a drip tray. Scrape the pig skin thoroughly with a knife, but try not to damage it.
Dry curing mixture of sugar, salts and spices, divide into 3 parts. Rub the meat thoroughly with half the prepared mixture, especially at the cut points. Place the ham in a vacuum bag and refrigerate for 2 weeks. After 14-15 days, repeat the rubbing procedure, previously removing the allocated juice, wiping the meat with a napkin. Use the second half of the mixture. Seal the bag again for the same period.
After a month, print the ham, and soak in clean cold water for 5-6 hours. Hang and dry again in a cool place. Rub the remaining part of the curing mixture and dry in a prepared place, maintaining the required temperature and humidity. Do not forget to monitor the sanitary conditions.
3. Pork basturma - a simple recipe
The technology for making pork basturma is almost no different from the home-made production of dried sausages. Having picked up a suitable recipe for jerky, you can enjoy meat delicacy all the time.
Highlight a shelf in the refrigerator for aging and storing basturma, making other delicacies. Prepare a hermetically sealed container with a support grid for draining the liquid.
Raw Material:
Pork neck 2 kg
A mixture of ground spices (10%):
Clove
Pepper (allspice, black, chili)
Bay leaf
Nutmeg
Sugar 2%
Salt 14%
Sodium nitrite 0.8 g
Cooking:
Wipe the washed meat with a napkin. Put in a clean dish, sprinkle with curing mixture, set the oppression and, tightly covering the lid, put in the refrigerator. After 48 hours, remove the oppression. Transfer the meat to a sterile gauze cloth. Once again, treat the surface with a curing mixture. Wrap in gauze and put in a container on a grid.Add salt to the bottom of the container, which will absorb excess moisture. Close the lid tightly. Store in the refrigerator for 15-20 days. Periodically check the basturma, turn over, change the gauze bandage and salt at the bottom.
4. Pork basturma - brine method
Ingredients:
1.5 kg tenderloin
For brine:
Bay leaf
Pepper
Nutmeg
Clove
Coriander
Garlic
Salt 180 g
Sugar 60 g
Water 2.5-3.0 L
Cooking Technology:
Put all the spices in water, bring to a boil. Cool and strain the brine. Put the meat in a prepared pan, pour brine. Leave for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Then remove it and transfer it to a gauze napkin soaked with mustard. Wrap and put under oppression for a day, at room temperature. Then remove the gauze bandage, hang the meat in the refrigerator for two weeks.
5. Pork basturma in cognac marinade
We reveal the secret: strong alcoholic drinks very quickly soak meat, make it tender and aromatic, if, of course, good cognac is chosen for the marinade. But, perhaps, a good herbal or fruit tincture is suitable for this purpose.
Check this recipe for sure!
Products:
Lean pork 2.5 kg
Sea salt 700 g
Pepper (red and black, ground) 150 g
Sage 100 g
Cognac (or homemade cognac tincture) 0.5 L
Sugar to taste
Cooking:
Wash pork flesh, remove grease and film. Put the curing mixture in the container, pour cognac. The resulting mixture grate the meat well. Put it in the same container, and try to have the meat wrapped in salt. Do not be afraid to get too salty product: sea salt will draw out moisture as much as necessary, and the meat does not absorb excess sea salt. Close the container and refrigerate for a day. Then remove the meat, rinse with running water. Dry with a napkin, hang in the refrigerator for another day. Everything, you can treat your friends!
6. Pork basturma - smoked meat products
Composition:
6 kg tenderloin
Curing mixture (according to the recipe number 5)
Walnut oil with mustard seeds and spices (for coating)
Cooking:
If possible, be sure to try cooking smoked jerky. Ideally, you need a household smokehouse, but in the country you can build a device from improvised materials. The main condition: it is necessary to ensure the intake of smoke from fruit sawdust for 12 hours in a barrel or crate, where salted and slightly dried meat semi-finished products are suspended. The temperature of the smoke in the container with meat is 28-30 ° C. After smoking, cool the meat, cover with oil to form a beautiful shiny crust. Store in a cool, dry place, wrapped in paper.
Pork Basturma - Useful Tips
The most convenient time of year for cooking basturma and other raw smoked products is late autumn, winter and early spring. If the refrigerator is small, during this period you can adjust the balcony for curing meat.
Procurement of dry-cured delicacies for the future will significantly save the family budget in preparation for the holidays.
