This easy-to-DIY cured beef delivers a power punch of spice.
, by Kate Leahy, Ara Zada, and John Lee. You don’t need a meat grinder, sausage casings, or any other gourmet gewgaws to make basturma; the hardest part of this recipe is probably clearing a shelf in the fridge, or finding a two-week stretch when you’ll be home to occasionally drain, flip, spice, and hang the meat. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s delve a little deeper into this iconic Armenian snack.Basturma has two origin stories, one romantic and one…well, more likely.
Though saddle salami makes for a colorful tale, it’s more probable that basturma hails from the Byzantine city of Caesaria Mazaca in present-day Turkey, where the ancient technique of pastron is said to have been perfected by Armenians in Late Antiquity. In fact, basturma-making was such a popular vocation among medieval Armenians that Basturmajian became a family name that’s still in use today.Basturma is beloved to Armenians.
Traditionally, basturma is aged in a cool, dark place at room temperature, but an uncluttered fridge gets the job done in warmer climates.Leahy et al. recommend using eye of round—a lean, dense cut from the the upper hind leg of the cow. Fattier cuts don’t have the right fibrous texture and won’t dry out properly. Other Armenian cookbooks recommend beef tenderloin; when in doubt, ask your butcher for a lean yet tender cut, and opt for the best-quality beef available.
This recipe is all about the bold, floral flavors of Caucasian spices, but the most prominent one, fenugreek—ideally the Caucasian blue variety, available—loses its tang more quickly than most. Source your spices from a trustworthy source, and make sure they’re less than a year old. Don’t be alarmed if the meat darkens at the edges. Unlike most charcuterie products, which are made with nitrates, basturma will oxidize and change color slightly as it makes contact with the air.Basturma’s soft, melt-on-your-tongue texture is half its allure, so clumsy chunks won’t do. Gearheads with
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