Bastirma is a very famous, very expensive cured dried meat in Egypt. It is also very well known in the Middle East and in the Mediterranean region as well. I recently knew that it is also known in Armenia, Russia, and Turkey. It is very flavorful and spicy. It is very common in Egypt to eat it fried with eggs or just as is ... soooo delicious.
Basturma
Some say it originated from Armenia, others say it is Turkish. So there is no definite answer to this question but what I can assure you is that it is super tasty and delicious. My kids go crazy over basturma or pastirma as we call it. A delicacy that you'll need to try at least once in your life. This is my aunt recipe that she has been making for years now.
Basturma Ingredients
Besides the beef we will need a lot of kosher salt to cure the beef. A spice blend is needed to coat the beef with. Usually a mix of spices that then needs to be moistened with water to form a paste.
In my aunt recipe she uses red pepper and garlic only and these two combined makes the paste. If you find that you are not getting a paste consistency you might wanna add a little bit of water.
Which meat cut to use in basturma?
Basturma needs to be made with a lean yet tender beef cut. Many recommend eye of round or beef tenderloin. Others recommended filet mignon so I am waiting for this to go on sale to try it in basturma.
Best temperature to make basturma
My aunt usually makes basturma in winter when the temperature drops decently in Egypt. If you live in a hot and humid environment it is best to make it during winter as well. Another option is to hang it in the fridge, you'll need to empty a shelf in your fridge place a cookie sheet on it to catch any dripping. Pierce the meat about one inch from the top then thread a piece of twine through then wrap it around the shelf just above the one you placed the baking sheet on. Tie a knot to secure the meat in place.
How to make basturma
- With a knife, poke the meat to make some holes/slots all around. Rub the kosher salt all over the meat then place in a glass dish with sides to contain the liquids that will come off your meat.
- Place a heavyweight over, something like a dutch oven or a heavy cast-iron skillet. Refrigerate the meat for 3 days or if your home temperature is not exceeding 65-70F, you can leave it out for 24 hours. Make sure to turn it daily and drain the blood released.
- Wash the meat thoroughly with cold water opening the cuts that you've made previously to wash the salt from inside and pat dry.
- Cover with a cheesecloth and hang it for 3-5 days until the meat becomes very firm. Make sure the air flows around it freely. If you want to hang in the fridge you will need about double that time.
- In your food processor pulse the garlic, salt, bell pepper, paprika, and the fenugreek powder you also may need little cold water until it comes to a moist paste consistency or a thick pancake batter.
- Cover the meat completely with the mixture make sure to go around the ribbon or the twine you are using to hang it from.
- Hang it freely for another month at this point the spice mixture should be dry to the touch.
- Slice thinly and serve on your charcuterie or make Basturma omelet.
A final note: Some people like adding more spices to the mix like cumin, black pepper and allspice as well. But this is not how we make it in Egypt. So feel free to add more or less of these to suite your taste.
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Baturma
Ingredients
For the meat:
- 2 pounds of eye of round beef. Note1
- 1/2 cup of Kosher salt.
For the seasoning:
- 1 medium red bell pepper. Note2
- 2 teaspoon salt.
- 1/2 cup fenugreek fowder. Note3
- 25 garlic cloves, about 3-4 large garlic heads. Note4
- 1/2 cup sweet paprika.
Instructions
- Wash the meat with cold running water then pat dry with a paper towel.
- With a knife, poke the meat to make some holes/slots all around.
- Rub the kosher salt all over the meat then place in a glass dish with sides to contain the liquids that will come off your meat.
- Place a heavyweight over, something like a dutch oven or a heavy cast-iron skillet. Refrigerate the meat for 3 days or if your home temperature is not exceeding 65-70F, you can leave it out for 24 hours. Make sure to turn it daily and drain the blood released.
- After the 24 hours, you will find your slab flattened and got darker.
- Wash the meat thoroughly with cold water opening the cuts that you've made previously to wash the salt from inside and pat dry.
- Cover with a cheesecloth and hang it for 3-5 days until the meat becomes very firm. Make sure the air flows around it freely. If you want to hang in the fridge you will need about double that time.
Make the seasoning mix:
- In your food processor pulse the garlic, salt, bell pepper, paprika, and the fenugreek powder you also may need little cold water until it comes to a moist paste consistency or a thick pancake batter.
- Cover the meat completely with the mixture make sure to go around the ribbon or the twine you are using to hang it from.
- Hang it freely for another month at this point the spice mixture should be dry to the touch.
- Slice thinly and serve on your charcuterie, make Basturma omelet, stuff in phyllo pies or make a Basturma filled savory cookies.
I would like to tell you that Filet Mignon is actually thick cut steak of beef tenderloin (that is usually wrapped in a slice of bacon). It is a finished piece of meat, and not something you would use to make basturma.