Introduction: CURED DRY MEAT (BRESAOLA OR BASTURMA STYLE) DELICIOUS, EASY, SAFE AND ON a BUDGET

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The cured meat in my recipe tastes similar to Italian bresaola and Turkey, Greek, Armenian basturma or pastirma.

Despite the different names and a slight difference in flavor the cured meat has it’s own unique easy recognizable flavor. Bresaola and basturma resemble in taste and the main difference is the basturma is covered in spices and bresaola is not.

I love cured dry meat for it’s unique salty and spicy taste. It is versatile in use: omelets, pizza, toppings, sandwiches, tapas, potato salads, pasta, a snack with cheese and wine or beer or just to have a slice of it to break cravings for a salty food. The cured meat can be stored in your refrigerator for a long time.

I love this meat and many people do too but it is expensive ☹ In a store a pack with several slices is about $7 or on Amazon $28.00 for 7oz. Right now, this price for many people is way beyond their daily budget. So, I would like to share the recipe of how to make your own bresaola or basturma and you would not believe that it made at home when you taste it.

Step 1:

Ok, lets start making it 😊

INGEREDIENTS:

- Pork 2 LB (about 2 -2.5” high)

- Salt 10.5 oz or 2 3/8 cups

- Garlic 3 cloves

- Ground black or white pepper 1 teaspoon

- Balsamic vinegar 16.9 oz – 1 bottle

- Dried rosemary (optional) 1 teaspoon

- Aluminium foil

- Parchment or wax paper

For this recipe, I always buy a piece of boneless pork loin. The meat should not be too lean, since without veins of fat it will turn out too tough. But I don’t take too much fat pieces either, I need a “middle ground”. It is better to choose a piece long, with a not very large transverse diameter, so it will be more convenient to cut the meat later.

Step 2: Salt and 3 Days in Refrigerator

Pick a container a bit larger that your piece of pork.

Place salt into container.

Wash the meat. After washing, place pork into container and generously, throughout cover it with salt.

Cover the container with a foil or a lid and place it into refrigerator for three days (3 days).

Attention! The next day check on the meat. The meat will give out quite a lot of fluids. If your piece of pork not covered completely in fluids then turn the piece upside down to let uncovered side be soaked in salty fluids as well.

Step 3: Preparing Brine (Vinegar, Garlic, Pepper and Rosemary)

Exactly in 3 days take out your meat from a refrigerator and rinse under running water to take execces of salt then keep in a strainer to let it dry out.

Begin preparing the brine. The brine gives taste as well as color to the meat.

Pour balsamic vinegar into a bowl, add 3 cloves of garlic squeezed through a garlic press, 1 teaspoon of ground pepper and 1 teaspoon dried rosemary.

Please the meat a dish of a suitable size and water it well with our brine from all sides. Do not refrigerate.

In the brine, keep the meat for 30 min total.

Periodically turning it around to let every side of the meat to be soaked and absorb the brine.

Step 4: Covering the Meat With Parchment or Wax Paper

Take your meat from the brine, dry it out with a piece of paper towel and put it on a sheet of wax or parchment paper.

Wrap tight the meat in wax or parchment to give the piece a convenient shape for cutting when it is ready (about 2-2.5 inches) You can use a culinary thread (I have run out of thread, so I used a piece of scotch tape) to keep paper closed.

Step 5: Final - Keeping 30 Days in a Refrigeratior

Put your meat in the refrigerator (refrigerator door shelve is a perfect place) for 30 days.

Attention!

In the early days, every second day, check the condition of the paper, if paper that cover the meat is wet, take the meat out of the refrigerator, dry it out with a piece of paper towel and cover it with a new piece of parchment or wax paper and place back into refrigerator. After 3-5 days, the wax paper will be no longer wet. Once the paper is dry you do not need to check on your meet anymore, maybe once a week just in case to check that it is still there :)

After a month, it is ready - Bon Appetit!

Step 6: Options and Notes

OPTIONS:

In step 2 - If you do not like rosemary – use any of your choice dry herbs (for example cilantro, basil, juniper berries, paprika, oregano, parsley, dill) or just do not add any spices except pepper.

In step 3 – If you would like your cured meat be covered in spices (like basturma or pastirma style). You can mix in a ball your favorite meat spices plus paprika. In this case, take your meat from the brine, dry it out a little. Cover the whole piece of your meat in a mix of spices and put it on a sheet of wax or parchment paper. Wrap tight the meat in wax or parchment to give the piece a convenient shape for cutting when it is ready (about 2-2.5 inches) You can use a culinary thread (I have run out of thread, so I used a piece of scotch) to keep paper closed. Proceed to the Step 4.

NOTES:

This is a proven recipe, I’ve made this cured meat many times.

So, it is safe and lasts long just follow the instructions.

Thank you!

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