Many have heard such a name as basturma. What is it, essentially, that? Let's understand this simple question.
Basturma - what is this "beast"?
If you define this dish, you can describe it like this: this is a kind of oriental dish made from large meat (usually beef) pieces. They can be either fried or dried. Gourmets must have already had an appetite and salivated! Naturally, this magnificent dish has a wonderful aroma - all thanks to mixtures of classic oriental spices. Many years ago, people dried meat directly in the sun, falling asleep with odorous herbs. Pieces of meat could languish in the sun for weeks. Some people think: "Basturma - what is this strange word?" In fact, the name is originally eastern. True, it’s unlikely that it will be more accurate to find out the identity of the dish. Usually it is attributed to Caucasian or Turkish cuisine, and sometimes to Central Asia. In any case, this fact does not detract from the merits of the dish.
Legends of the Oriental Dish
Some historians believe that the name "basturma" comes from the Turkic word "basdirma", which means "pressed meat". It is said that Turkic nomads hung pieces of meat (for example, horse meat) on the sides of their saddles. The meat, crushed by the legs of the rider and scorched by the hot sun, was ready for use within a few days. Ready basturma could hang on saddles for a long time. Of course, there were no refrigerators at that time, and people dodged as soon as they could. Several centuries later, jerky “acquired” a fragrant shell of spices. Due to this, the shelf life of the dish increased significantly. Another plus of this dish is its relatively low calorie content. Do not be afraid to get better!
Classical basturma - what is it from the point of view of professional chefs?
The traditional recipe says that you only need to use beef. Although not everyone follows this advice. Sometimes housewives choose tender lamb meat, exotic roe deer or even deer fillet. One of the basic rules for preparing food is the use of young meat. Homemade basturma is a plate three centimeters thick. The fillet is first rubbed abundantly with table salt, and then put on a thick salt layer in a special tub. A heavy press must be placed on top of the meat. In just a couple of days, the fillet will begin to secrete juice and pickle right in it. And so, from the first day of the pickling, it is necessary to keep the meat plates under pressure for twenty days. After this, the meat must be soaked in ice water. Three days later, when it softens, the most crucial stage of preparation begins. Basturma must be densely grated with fragrant spices. Each person has his own recipe for rubbing. Then the pieces of meat are pulled with a rope and hung on a draft again for twenty days. As you can see, basturma is a real work of art, and only the most patient and talented chef can cook a real traditional dish. However, nowadays there is no need to suffer so much - just visit the oriental restaurant.