Basturma - what is it?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Many people have heard such a name as basturma. What is it, in fact, is it? Let's understand this simple question.

Basturma - what kind of "beast" is this?

If you define this dish, you can describe it like this: it is a kind of oriental dish made from large meat (often beef) pieces. They can be both fried and dried. Gourmets must have already had an appetite and salivated! Naturally, this magnificent dish has a wonderful aroma - all thanks to the blends of classic oriental spices. Many years ago, people dried meat directly in the sun, falling asleep with fragrant 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 primordially oriental. True, it is unlikely that it will be possible to find out the identity of the dish more accurately. It is usually attributed to Caucasian or Turkish cuisine, and sometimes Central Asian. In any case, this fact does not detract from the merits of the dish.

Legends of the Oriental dish

Some historians believe that the very name "basturma" comes from the Turkic word "basdirma", which means "meat"Pressed". They say that the Turkic nomads hung pieces of meat (for example, horse meat) on the sides of their saddles. The meat, crushed by the rider's feet and scorched by the hot sun, was ready for consumption in a few days. The finished basturma could hang on the saddles for a long time. Of course, There were no refrigerators at that time, and people dodged as best they could. A few centuries later, dried meat "acquired" a fragrant shell of spices. Thanks 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!

Classic basturma - what is it from the point of view of professional chefs?

The traditional recipe for the dish says that you must use only beef meat. 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 cooking food is the use of young meat. Homemade basturma is three centimeters thick plates. The fillet is first generously rubbed with table s alt, and then placed on a thick s alt 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 marinate right in it. And so, from the first day of pickling, you need to keep the meat plates under pressure for twenty days. After that, the meat must be soaked in ice water. Three days later, when it softens, the most important stage of preparation begins. Basturm needs thickrub with fragrant spices. Everyone has their own recipe for rubbing mixture. Then the pieces of meat are pulled with a rope and hung out in 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 will be able to cook a real traditional dish. However, nowadays there is no need to suffer so much - just visit an oriental restaurant.