How to make dried meat. Homemade jerky: a meat delicacy recipe. Homemade dried pork

Dried meat is a delicacy beloved by many, characterized by a spicy aroma, a unique pleasant taste. This product has many names - basturma, jamon, prosciutto, polendvitsa, speck. Making jerky at home is easy. Both beef and pork, as well as lamb, elk, chicken, and turkey are suitable for preparation.


Homemade basturma surpasses even foods such as fish and seafood in terms of nutritional value. On average, drying in a well-ventilated area or dryer takes from three to seven to ten days. Subsequent storage in the refrigerator allows you to increase the shelf life to one month.

Jerky: Basic Cooking Techniques

Homemade jerky is an exclusively natural product that does not contain any chemicals or flavoring additives. The pieces are freed from moisture through proper processing and drying. To prepare the delicacy, two methods are used - the dry method and soaking in a saline solution (brine).

Dry method

Peculiarities. Using the dry method, making jerky from pork or beef is quite simple. You can experiment with spices, seasonings, enhance the aroma and degree of salting of the pieces. It is better to use fresh tenderloin without fat and veins.

What to prepare:


  • beef or pork - 1 kg;

  • ground black pepper - two to three tablespoons;

  • burning red ground pepper- one teaspoon;

  • sea ​​salt (coarse) - 0.7-1 kg;

  • ground paprika - three teaspoons;

  • chopped dried garlic - one teaspoon;

  • cognac - two tablespoons;

  • Provencal herbs- one tablespoon (more is possible);

  • ground coriander - optional.

How to do


  1. Trim the meat from fat, rinse, cut a large piece into a couple of pieces.

  2. Dry with a paper towel.

  3. Prepare the pickling mixture. Mix coarse sea ​​salt with black pepper, add cognac for softness. Pour half the mixture into the bottom of a wide container.

  4. Place the pieces and cover them completely with the remaining mixture.

  5. Tighten the container cling film or cover tightly.

  6. Refrigerate beef for 24 hours, pork for 72 hours. Periodically drain the liquid and add salt.

  7. Dry the meat, coat with the aromatic mixture of the remaining ingredients. You can add any herbs you want (rosemary, thyme, basil).

  8. Wrap the workpieces in several layers of gauze and tie with thread.

  9. Hang in the refrigerator or on the balcony (at a temperature of 4°C and above).

  10. Dry beef for ten to 14 days, pork for about three weeks.

If it is not possible to arrange cold drying in a well-ventilated area, hanging the meat, you can simply put it on the refrigerator shelf. But you will have to turn the piece over several times every day.

Soaking in brine

Peculiarities. In order for home-dried pork, lamb or beef to be tender and aromatic, you will have to spend about two weeks preparing it. You need to not only soak the pieces in brine, but also salt them well and dry them in a cool room. It is better not to buy frozen foods; you only need to buy fresh meat from trusted sellers.

What to prepare:


  • meat tenderloin - 1 kg;

  • sea ​​salt - 170-200 g;

  • filtered water - 1-1.5 l;

  • ground black pepper - one teaspoon;

  • hot ground red pepper - one teaspoon;

  • dried garlic - one and a half teaspoons;

  • mustard powder - half a tablespoon;

  • ground paprika - two teaspoons;

  • other spices to taste.

How to do

  1. Cut off the veins from the pieces, wash them and dry them.

  2. Prepare brine - concentrated saline solution. Boil water, cool until warm, gradually add salt one tablespoon at a time and dissolve it. As soon as the crystals stop dissolving, the brine can be used for pickling.

  3. Dip the meat pieces into the salty solution and wait until the liquid cools. Place in the refrigerator for a day.

  4. Remove the meat that has changed color and place it on a slightly inclined cutting board. Press on top with pressure.

  5. A couple of hours while the liquid is draining, cook aromatic mixture. Mix all seasonings, adding additional spices to taste.

  6. Roll the piece in the mixture and rub it in with your fingers. Wrap the workpiece in gauze and tie it with twine.

  7. Hang beef in the refrigerator for 12-14 days, pork for at least 20.

According to reviews, you can dry the pieces not in the refrigerator, but on the balcony or on the summer veranda. However, the temperature in the ventilated room should not be high; this method is not suitable for hot summers.

Appetizing variations

A tasty, aromatic and satisfying meat product can be served as a separate dish with cold beer, strong alcohol, or added to salads, or combined with cold cuts. The recipes below will help you prepare extraordinary appetizing product using ancient methods and modern kitchen appliances.

In Armenian

Peculiarities. To prepare dried meat at home according to the recipe of Armenian chefs, you will need a minimum of products. Armenian basturma will be distinguished from other appetizers by its indescribable delicate aroma spices and excellent taste. It is better to buy pork for drying by choosing long strips along the back (langet).

What to prepare:


  • splint - 0.8-1 kg;

  • salt - a heaped tablespoon;

  • garlic - five cloves;

  • sugar - two tablespoons;

  • spices (laurel, ginger, fenugreek, pepper, marjoram) - to taste;

  • dry pomegranate seeds;

  • homemade red wine - one bottle.

How to do

  1. Cut the meat into pieces about 40 cm long, about 10 cm wide, and no more than 5-6 cm thick.

  2. Prepare a special marinade. Stir herbs and spices, pomegranate seeds, sugar, salt into homemade red wine.

  3. Pour the marinade over the meat strips and press them under pressure.

  4. Soak for about a week in the refrigerator.

  5. Remove the pieces, let the liquid drain, place them between two wooden cutting boards, and press down with pressure. Leave for 12 hours.

  6. Spread the dry meat with spices diluted with wine to the consistency of a thick puree. Repeat the procedure for three more days.

  7. Send the pieces wrapped in gauze to a cool, dry place to dry and dry for about ten days.

Cut ready Armenian basturma Using a very sharp knife, cut into thin, translucent slices. It should be removed from the gauze immediately before eating.

In Belarusian

Peculiarities. To prepare delicious polendvitsa with your own hands (this is what dried meat is called in Belarusian), you do not need to use any preservatives other than salt. It can be stored for a long time without fear of spoiling. For drying, it is better to choose cuts from the lumbar or dorsal part of the pork carcass.

What to prepare:


  • tenderloin, loin or carbonate - 7 kg;

  • coarse salt - 350 g;

  • ground red and black pepper - to taste;

  • garlic - two heads;

  • ready-made seasoning - two packages;

  • cumin seeds, coriander seeds.

How to do

  1. Cut the carbonate into pieces, trim off the fat, rinse and dry.

  2. Holding the pieces over a bowl, sprinkle them with salt, then rub the grains in with your fingers. It is better to wear gloves if there are wounds on your hands.

  3. Place the pieces in a basin, pan, cover with a lid, a towel, and press with pressure. Put it in the refrigerator or put it on the balcony.

  4. Keep under load for five days, turning the meat daily and draining the water.

  5. Remove and dry the pieces.

  6. Mix all the seasonings, crushed garlic, coat the polendvitsa with the pulp.

  7. Place in a bowl again, cover with a towel, and put in the refrigerator for a day.

  8. Now wrap it in pieces of gauze, tie it with twine, and hang it from the ceiling on the veranda or loggia.

  9. Wait seven to ten days, making sure that the room temperature does not rise above 17-18°C.

  10. Store in gauze on the refrigerator shelf.

Some housewives are interested in whether it is possible to use nitrite salt for sprinkling. It is better not to experiment with such additives, buy a product that does not contain impurities, iodine, or fluorine.

In the oven

Peculiarities. This recipe jerky at home is suitable for those who do not like to wait a long time for tasting. The entire cooking process can take only five to six hours. You can try oven dried meat immediately after it has cooled.

What to prepare:


  • veal or beef - 0.9-1 kg;

  • Worcestershire or soy sauce - a third of a glass;

  • coriander or dried cilantro - two teaspoons;

  • ground red and black pepper - one teaspoon each;

  • dried garlic - one teaspoon;

  • salt - to taste;

  • liquid smoke - optional.

How to do

  1. Mix all the spices and grind until smooth in a mortar.

  2. Cut the beef into slices 0.5 cm thick. If it is frozen, first defrost it naturally.

  3. Transfer the slices to a dish, mix with the sauce, add salt, and add spices.

  4. Marinate for at least 40 minutes.

  5. Place a baking sheet on the bottom of the oven. Hang the pieces on a wire rack, allowing the marinade to drain.

  6. In convection mode, cook beef for about an hour at 80°C.

  7. Reduce temperature to 50°C and cook for another two to three hours until dry.

Even an inexperienced housewife can dry meat at home in this way. You can change the composition of spices, increase or decrease the amount of salt and ground pepper to taste. It is better to serve the appetizer with mild alcoholic drinks.

In a slow cooker

Peculiarities. You can also dry homemade basturma in your kitchen “helper” - a slow cooker. Pork and turkey will do, but it’s easier to cook chicken jerky in a smart appliance. The only drawback of this method is that even a large multi-cooker bowl cannot accommodate many pieces.

What to prepare:


  • chicken breast or fillet without skin - 0.8 kg;

  • sugar - 60 g;

  • salt - 50 g;

  • garlic - two cloves;

  • vegetable oil;

  • aromatic herbs;

  • spices.

How to do

  1. Wash the fillet, dry it, coat with a mixture of sugar and salt on all sides.

  2. Transfer to a glass bowl and refrigerate for three days.

  3. Rinse the chicken. Mix herbs and spices with garlic gruel and vegetable oil in a bowl, rub the fillet with this mixture.

  4. Wrap in gauze and hang dry for a couple of days.

  5. Place the pieces in a baking bag, wrap, and make three or four punctures with a toothpick.

  6. Cook in a slow cooker in the “Stew” mode for at least 60 minutes.

From spices to give chicken basturma For a spicy aroma, you can use cloves, all types of ground pepper, fenugreek, Provençal herbs, thyme, sumac.

You can dry meat at home in any way, but it is better to first try basturma at a party to feel the taste and aroma of this delicacy. If you like the ratio of salt, seasonings and spices, repeating the recipe will not be difficult.

Meat has always been, is and will be the main product in the diet of a healthy person, since it is the main supplier of protein to our body.

Against the backdrop of a great variety of different meat products, dried meat is of particular value. This is an exclusively natural product in which the necessary nutrients accumulated in the most natural form.

Jerky is free from excess moisture due to proper drying. There are no “chemicals” or any artificial flavors in it.

Dried meat is a universally recognized delicacy. Everyone has heard the sonorous names of various meat products from beef, pork, lamb, and poultry. This is jamon, prosciutto, basturma and many others. In fact, such meat unconditionally surpasses in taste properties, nutritional value and the usefulness of any protein products, including fish and other seafood.

Its only drawback is the use of a significant amount of table salt during drying. Because of this, dried meat products are harmful to people suffering from obesity, kidney disease, and heart disease.

In general, moderation is needed when consuming jerky; it has no other disadvantages.

Variety of jerky

There are a lot of recipes for making jerky. Since ancient times, this technology has been used by different peoples for salting and drying a wide variety of meats.

The technique of nomadic eastern peoples is well known, when pieces raw meat were placed under the horse's saddle. The meat, under the influence of heat, shaking, the weight of the rider, and the salty sweat of the animal, was compressed, losing excess moisture. Received meat product could be stored in warm weather for a long time.

Farmers quickly adopted this effective technology from the nomads. They began to cook the meat by salting it and then hanging it out to dry in the fresh air. This technique made it possible to save everything useful material contained in fresh meat: protein, vitamins, amino acids, microelements.

One of the most famous dried meat delicacies in the gastronomic world is, of course, jamon. This is a purely Spanish “story”. Jamon is made from the meat of several specially bred breeds of pigs. The animals' hind legs, that is, hams, are used. Jamon translated from Spanish is “ham”.

There are two main types of this delicacy. Regular serrano jamon is made from white pigs. The much more expensive Jamon Iberico is cured from acorn-fed black pigs.

Almost all provinces of Spain produce their own jamon, except the coastal ones. They even have their own quality mark, like wines.

The process of preparing jamon itself is quite long and labor-intensive. Pork legs are salted for several days, depending on the weight. Then it is dried for six months to three years. It is important at what temperature it is kept. Jamon acquires its characteristic taste and aroma during ripening in cellars at temperatures up to 10 degrees Celsius.

It is customary to cut jamon using a special stand, jamonera, into very thin strips (slices). This art is even specially taught. In Spain, someone who has mastered all the intricacies of the profession is called a cortador.

Sliced ​​jamon can potentially be stored indefinitely at home. The main thing is not to forget to lubricate the cut with olive oil. In practice, such breathtakingly tasty delicacies do not last long in storage.

If jamon is ham in Spanish, then prosciutto is ham in Italian. This word in Italy refers to ham made from the highest quality ham, with the addition of only one ingredient - sea salt.

The most famous prosciutto is made in the area around Parma. For this purpose, pigs are specially fed corn, fruits, and parmesan whey. Pork hams are dry salted and then dried for 10–12 months. As a result, the meat acquires a dry, firm consistency with an exceptional aroma.

IN Italian cuisine Prosciutto is usually eaten cold and added to any dishes only at the very end of their preparation. The most common recipe with prosciutto is bruschetta with ham and other ingredients. It is also traditional to serve this meat with slices of melon, figs, and pears.


The recipe for prosciutto has long been borrowed from the cuisines of the Balkan countries. Eg, National dish Republic of Montenegro is called pršut.

They know a lot about Italy and dry-cured veal. The finished tenderloin is called bresaola. The meat is covered with a layer of salt and ground black pepper and kept for two weeks. The veal is then hung out to mature in the open air for five weeks. The final stage– ripening in the cellar at lower temperatures for another two to three weeks. Dried meat slowly loses moisture, acquiring a bright red color, an excellent salty-sweet taste and a light spicy aroma.


When serving, bresaola is cut into thin layers. They fit well with her olive oil, fresh ground pepper, lemon. In restaurants it is served in the form of carpaccio with mushroom sauce and parmesan.

Basturma

This is another variation on the theme of beef tenderloin, popular in the countries of Asia Minor and the Middle East.

The tenderloin is salted and pressed to a characteristic shape, removing excess moisture. Then the meat is dipped in a special dough-like mixture of fenugreek (chaman), garlic, red and black pepper. The finished meat “cylinders” are dried. When serving, basturma is cut into thin slices and eaten as cold snack.

This is a wonderful meat delicacy from Tyrol. It is prepared from the thigh of a pig, removing the skin, some of the fat, and removing the bone. Then the meat is salted for a month with a variety of spices: juniper berries, garlic, pepper, bay leaf.

An important technique in the production technology of sinter is intermediate smoking for ten days using wood (beech, juniper). Final maturation takes about another six months.

The result is a very versatile item. Pink-red speck has a good balance of meat and fat, aromatic, spicy taste. This is extremely good option dried meat for beer or wine.


It is also served with cheese or used as a ready-made meat ingredient for vegetables, salads and appetizers made from them

How to dry meat with your own hands

How to cook flavorful beef

You will need:

  • beef – about 10 kg;
  • for this amount of meat – 2 liters of water;
  • half a kilo of salt;
  • currant leaves;
  • allspice;
  • Bay leaf;
  • ginger root;
  • cinnamon.

Cooking method:

  1. Clean the washed beef from tendons and films. Cut all available meat into 5cm thick slices.
  2. Prepare the brine. Peel the ginger root and cut into small cubes. Wash and dry currant leaves. Boil water, add salt, mix thoroughly. Place currant leaves, ginger, cinnamon sticks and all other spices in water. Boil the brine for 10 minutes.
  3. Then lower the layers of meat, in order, into the bubbling brine, hold for 3 minutes. Then set aside to cool. Dry for 10 days at a temperature of about 20 degrees in a dark and dry room with good ventilation.

How to make lamb in the oriental way

You will need:

  • lamb – about 10 kg;
  • 2 liters of water;
  • 100 g ground fenugreek;
  • allspice;
  • Bay leaf;
  • cinnamon;
  • ginger.

Cooking method:

  1. Clean the washed meat from tendons, films, excess fat, cut into layers 5 cm thick.
  2. To boil water. Add salt, mix well. Add finely chopped ginger root, fenugreek seeds, and other spices. Boil the brine for about 10 minutes. Soak the meat in the brine for 3 minutes, then set aside.
  3. Cooled meat should be properly dried in a dark, dry place that is well ventilated. The lamb will be ready for consumption after 10 days of drying at a temperature of about 20 degrees.

Recipe for dried meat from Alla Kovalchuk

You will need:

  • two turkey fillets;
  • 250 g sea salt;
  • 50 g cognac;
  • Bay leaf;
  • black, red pepper;
  • paprika;
  • turmeric;
  • curry;
  • dry garlic;
  • sugar;
  • oregano.

Cooking method:

  1. Mix half a teaspoon of all spices, add salt and cognac. Mix everything and rub the poultry meat with the mixture.
  2. Place it on a pre-prepared “bed” of salt, put a few bay leaves on top, and sprinkle with salt. Marinate the turkey in the refrigerator overnight.
  3. Clean the prepared meat from salt and spices and dry with paper towels. Wrap the turkey in cheesecloth and hang it on the refrigerator rack for two days.

How to properly dry chicken meat

You will need:

  • chicken carcasses – 10 kg;
  • salt – 100 g;
  • ground black, red pepper.

Cooking method:

  1. Dry the washed chicken carcasses, remove the skin, separate the fillets, and cut them into slices. Make a dressing from salt and two types of pepper. Rub the pieces with the mixture and set aside for 10 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 50 degrees Celsius. Place the slices on a wire rack and place in the oven. Leave the door ajar. Dry for 12 hours. You can make jerky in the dryer.

In addition to the widespread beef, pork, lamb, and poultry, other types of meat are also dried. Traditionally, this technology is used to prepare venison, rabbits, geese, bear meat, sokhatina, and wild poultry.

In ancient times, drying was one of the most effective ways creating meat reserves. If a successful hunter brought large prey (for example, deer or elk), they tried to process a significant part of the carcass so that the meat did not spoil and was stored as long as possible. If the technological conditions were strictly observed, the process was safe and provided quite decent taste qualities finished product.

The modern housewife does not need to solve everyday problems familiar to her distant predecessors. Today, jerky is considered a delicious delicacy, which is easy to prepare even for a beginner who is not too experienced in culinary wisdom. Our article is addressed to those who want to learn how to properly dry meat.

Selection of raw materials and precautions

You can dry beef, horse meat, goat meat, lamb and even pork, as well as poultry (chicken, duck, turkey) and various game. For preparations of this kind, only low-fat raw materials are suitable, preferably taken from adult animals. To dry meat, choose dense muscle tissue (for example, tenderloin); From poultry carcasses, breasts are most often used for processing. Some experts are skeptical about the possibility of drying pork. The fact is that the density of pig meat is lower and the fat content is higher than, for example, beef or horse meat, which does not have the best effect on the fermentation process itself. In addition, pork is much more often infected with worm eggs, which can survive in the finished delicacy.

To avoid health problems, you need to understand the following. During the drying process, the meat is not subjected to heat treatment. The only protection against dangerous diseases in this case is salt, which inhibits the vital activity of pathogens. Of course, products sold by official sellers undergo sanitary checks, but this does not mean that the possibility of pathogenic organisms in them is completely excluded. If you decide to dry the meat yourself, scrupulously follow all the technology requirements (especially salting times) and do not purchase raw materials from random suppliers.

If you decide to dry the meat yourself, scrupulously follow all the technology requirements (especially salting times) and do not purchase raw materials from random suppliers

Preparing meat and methods of salting it

Meat intended for harvesting must be washed well, dried and cut into not very thick pieces (strips) that do not contain films or layers of fat (400-800 g each). There are three main recipes for drying meat at home.

Wet method

The meat is kept in brine and then dried. We offer a detailed recipe:

Dry method

Combined method

Meat drying process

After you have salted the meat using one of the three methods suggested above, proceed to drying. The first stage is coating the salted pieces with spices. The spice mixture is prepared to taste. It may include different kinds ground peppers (necessarily hot red pepper - a natural preservative), sweet paprika, coriander, star anise or mustard seeds, cumin, cloves, cumin, juniper berries, dried garlic and any spicy herbs. Seasonings are evenly ground and the mixture is rubbed onto pieces of meat.

The raw materials are wrapped in gauze (each piece separately) and placed in a clean, dry container. The meat should lie in the refrigerator for at least 1 week, then it is taken out and rubbed again with a mixture of spices. Each piece is wrapped in clean gauze and tied with strong thread so that it can be hung.

Pieces of meat are packed in clean gauze and tied with a strong thread so that they can be hung (drying meat while hanging is correct)

To create optimal fermentation conditions, raw materials must be kept in a dry, cool and well-ventilated place at an optimal temperature of 4 to 25 ℃ (up to 40 ℃ is acceptable). Important: you should not dry the meat in the sun.

For poultry, the process is completed in a few days (maximum a week), but to completely cure strips of beef or horse meat, it will take from 2 weeks to 1 month. During the cold season, it is best to hang meat on a balcony or ventilated loggia. You can even spread a small amount of raw materials on the kitchen window (with the window always open), but so that the pieces do not touch each other.

In the photo you see hanging pieces of dried meat (without gauze or other fabric, just rolled in spices)

Those who often dry meat themselves make portable dryers that have special slats or grates for hanging raw materials. During the warm season, you should not keep the product outdoors: it may deteriorate from the heat or be damaged by flies. In the summer, it is better to cook meat directly in the refrigerator, hanging small pieces between shelves or placing them directly on wire racks (in which case they will have to be turned frequently).

How to dry meat in an electric dryer

To dry meat, you can use an oven and dryer. With an electric dryer, organizing the process is easier. In this case, the raw material is immediately cut into slices no more than 1 cm thick. The pieces are kept for about 1 hour in a marinade prepared from vegetable oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, mustard and spices (the ingredients are mixed in arbitrary proportions, as you like). The meat is then placed on dryer trays and processed at maximum convection at a temperature of 60 ℃ for 6-8 hours (the slices must be turned over in the middle of the process). The finished product is quite soft, but, according to experts, the taste is much inferior to air-dried meat.

We invite you to watch a video in which the owner tells how he makes jerky at home (drying small pieces of pork and turkey) using an electric dryer.

Storing jerky

Storing dried meat requires maximum protection from moisture. Therefore it is best to place finished product into a tightly sealed container.

Jerky can be frozen. It will last 10-12 months in a sealed bag.

Pieces can be wrapped in parchment or transferred paper napkins, which will absorb the condensation that appears. In this form, the meat can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. If you seal the product in airtight bags and then put it in the freezer, it will retain its flavor and aroma and will remain usable for a year.

Drying meat is not difficult, but preserving it is important. Storage requires maximum protection from moisture. Therefore, it is best to place the finished product in a tightly sealed container.

Our article is specifically about drying meat at home. In this sense, pork is not the best suitable product(ham, for example, cannot be made at home): it is more often than other types of meat, contaminated with “all sorts of nasty things.” This means that very careful salting is required to minimize risks. In addition, pork is much softer and fattier than the meat of other animals and rots more quickly. It turns out that it is unsafe to process it without heating and without a very large amount of salt.
Do you know why religions that originally originated in hot countries are against eating pork? This is an ancient sanitary norm that turned out to be so important that it degenerated into a religious dogma. The point is not that pigs cannot be raised in the desert (they live and breed anywhere). It is important that their meat immediately begins to deteriorate in the heat, which is fraught with severe poisoning.

We hope that our tips on how to dry meat will be useful to you. Please share your experience in the comments.

Video

We offer you to watch a video on the topic of the article.

Text: Emma Murga

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It is advisable to make dried meat in the cold season, when it is cool outside and indoors. This kind of meat is easy to prepare, but the cooking process is quite lengthy and requires some time so as not to try it ahead of time.

Dried meat is prepared at home without any additives. harmful additives. The only preservative is salt, and it does not kill microorganisms, but only stops their development. This means that you can become infected with worms or salmonella that the animal suffered from. Therefore, meat for drying must be taken fresh and 100% from a healthy animal, in stores where it is checked, and not in spontaneous markets.

An important component for a tasty final product is properly prepared brine.

How to prepare brine for meat.

We prepare a strong brine from rock salt (by no means extra, the result will not be the same) with the addition bay leaf, allspice, cloves. For brine you will need 4 or 4.5 tbsp per 1 liter of water. spoons with a heap of salt. Boil it for 1-2 minutes, then set it aside and cool. The brine should be such that the raw material is fresh egg floated (a blunt end with a diameter of 2.5 cm was visible). When the brine has cooled to room temperature, throw away the spices and put the liquid itself in the refrigerator. To salt meat, the brine must be very cold.

Some housewives use only sea salt for salting, citing the fact that it does not dissolve well in water, which means that the meat will absorb less of it than ordinary table salt.

For salting we use ceramic or glassware, iron cookware oxidizes, and this is harmful to both the health and quality of the corned beef.

Salting meat for drying.

First, we prepare the meat for salting: wash it and dry it, cut off the films and fat layer from pork and beef.

IN cold brine lower the pulp fresh meat.

There should be brine, the more, the better. The meat should float freely in it. We cover the meat with a lid and put it in a cold place for 1-3 days, depending on the size of the pieces of meat; if the pieces are large, then it will take more time for salting. Don't forget to turn it in the pan several times a day.

How to dry meat.

After 1-3 days, take the meat out of the brine, dry it and put it under pressure on an inclined surface for 1 hour so that the brine flows out, then dip it in a towel to remove all the liquid. If the piece of meat is thick, cut it lengthwise into 2 or several strips, so it will dry out faster. Then we rub the meat with dry ground spices, and also roll it on all sides. Spices can be different (black pepper, allspice and chili, coriander, cumin, cloves) at the discretion of the housewife, but among them there must be ground red pepper, which has preservative properties. It is better to take spices whole, not ground, and grind them before use in a special mill or grind them in a mortar, so they will not lose their aroma.

Wrap the meat with spices in clean gauze, parchment or bandage, put it in a bowl, cover with a lid and keep in the refrigerator on the bottom or middle shelf for 1 week.

Then we take the meat out of the pan, remove the gauze in which the meat was, rub it again with spices, wrap it in clean gauze or other material and tie it with thread, making loops by which we hang it in a well-ventilated place.

Such a place could be a cool kitchen in which we hang meat from the ceiling. You can dry it on the balcony, with the window slightly open, if it is late autumn or winter. The ideal option is a cool, dry place with a draft. If there is no ventilated cool room, then you need to keep the meat in a draft for at least a few days, and then keep it in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf for at least 1-2 weeks, maximum a month, turning it constantly. jerk chicken and the turkey is ready faster - after a few days of drying, while pork and beef will require the entire specified period. It should be noted that the meat will decrease in size and weight during drying: 1.5 kg of fresh meat will yield 800-900 g of dried meat.

Keep this delicious preparation You can use meat for as long as you like in the refrigerator.

Home-made dried meat, moderately spicy and salty, is a real delicacy. We cut it into thin transparent slices and serve it as an appetizer with an aperitif, cognac, dry red wine or beer during a home feast or outdoors.

See also video: Homemade jerky - recipe.

Cooking jerky.

Dried meat is a universal product, the preparation of which is worth mastering for every tourist, hunter and fisherman. Initially, drying served solely to preserve uneaten parts of the carcass. Today it can be a great way to prepare food for traveling or creating deli meat worthy of any holiday table.

Methods for drying meat

The best way to make dry meat that retains maximum beneficial and taste properties is sublimation. During this process, the product is quickly frozen at very low temperatures and reduced pressure. Under such conditions, ice crystals transform into a gaseous state, bypassing the liquid phase.

Sublimates have practically no weight and are stored for a long time. However, it is impossible to make such a preparation at home, because it requires special equipment.

At home, you can make your own jerky or dried meat. Both options allow you to preserve the product for a while and use it as needed. The difference is that drying only removes some of the moisture, so the shelf life of jerky is limited. Various delicacies are usually prepared in this way - basturma, biltong, jamon, etc.

Dried meat cannot be called a delicacy; it is usually used to quickly restore strength when it is not possible to cook something, or as an additive to other dishes. But it can be stored indefinitely. In addition, like freeze-dried meat, it is very light and takes up little space, which makes it an optimal food option for tourists.

What do you need for cooking?

To dry meat at home, you do not need any special meat dryer. You can get different types of such a product by preparing them in regular oven or in an electric dryer. And if you have time, patience and a well-ventilated room without flies, you can achieve excellent results without any equipment at all.

Having figured out how to dry meat, you need to understand what the product itself should be. Beef and lamb are suitable, sometimes chicken is used. There are many dry-cured pork delicacies on sale. But it is better not to dry pork at home, since it is more susceptible to colonization by microorganisms than other varieties. The product must be fresh, of high quality, without bones, films, cartilage, veins and pieces of fat.

To prepare the dried version, you don’t need to use anything else. Although salt, pepper, and various herbs are often added for taste. For a dried product, you will definitely need herbs and spices, which work not only as taste improvers, but also as preservatives. Fenugreek, coriander, and chili are often used for this.

Jerky

Almost all nations have recipes for preparing such meat with their own hands. Today, the most popular are basturma (Turkic origin) and biltong (African origin).

Basturma

To treat yourself to basturma, take fresh beef tenderloin and stock up on chaman (fenugreek seeds). Rinse the beef, dry it, roll it thoroughly in salt. Leave in the refrigerator for 7-10 days, turning over daily and adding dry salt to the exposed areas. When the tenderloin becomes dry and hard to the touch, rinse it and let it sit overnight. cold water and put under a press for a day.

Meanwhile, pour 600 g of ground fenugreek seeds with warm water until you obtain the consistency of thick sour cream. Leave it overnight. Squeeze 300 g of garlic into the mixture, add 150 g of ground chili and paprika. Mix well, add water if necessary. Remove the beef from the press and coat completely with paste in a layer no thinner than 0.5 cm.

There is no single answer to the question of how to properly dry meat prepared in this way. You can lightly hold it in the oven to let the paste dry, and then hang it in a cool place. You can hang it right away, keeping in mind that the paste may run and drip a little at first.

In any case, bare areas will need to be sealed. Therefore, do not throw away the paste remaining after the initial coating of the delicacy. Basturma will be ready after 2-4 weeks, when the paste hardens and the meat inside becomes dark.

Biltong

This option is quicker and easier to prepare. Mix 2 tbsp. l. salt, 1 tbsp. l. ground coriander, 1 tsp. sugar and ground black pepper. Wash 1 kg of meat, dry it, cut along the grain into strips no more than 1 cm thick. Lightly beat them, sprinkle with 6% vinegar, sprinkle with the mixture on all sides, put in a stainless container, set pressure and place in the cold for 12 hours.

Dilute 6% vinegar with clean water in a ratio of 1:6. Place the meat in the solution for 5 minutes, thoroughly rinse each piece in it and hang it in a well-ventilated place for about a day.

Don't overdry! Biltong is a dry-cured product, and in a brittle state it will no longer be as tasty. But the error cannot be corrected.

Cut the finished pieces into thin strips across the grain and enjoy.

The classic recipe for basturma involves the use of beef. You can improvise with biltong. The inhabitants of Africa made such a dish from any available meat, even elephant. IN modern conditions Both beef jerky and lamb jerky will be equally tasty.

Dried meat

The question of how to make dried meat is even simpler. There are 2 main ways:

The first recipe involves drying the product in plates. Slice fresh meat across the grain into very thin slices. The value depends on further use. If dried beef or lamb is needed for storage and subsequent cooking, the slices can be of any size.

If you plan to snack on the dried meat itself without cooking it, it is better to make the pieces smaller so that it is convenient to take them into your mouth and chew them whole. Before drying the slices, you can keep them for a day in a brine made to your taste.

The second recipe is more suitable for preparing a long-term storage product. Grind fresh meat in a meat grinder, spread it in a thin layer on an oven tray or dryer tray and cook until it becomes croutons. If desired, the minced meat can be salted and peppered. During drying, it is worth loosening it from time to time for more uniform evaporation of moisture.

Whatever drying option you choose, remember that there are certain rules for preparing and storing the product that must be followed.

Basic Rules

The basic rules for preparing jerky and dried meat include the following:


Different types of prepared meat have their own storage characteristics. For example, dried food after processing must be laid out on clean paper in one layer and left for a day. This will allow any remaining moisture to evaporate. When dried meat is kept in the dark, without access to moisture, it can remain suitable for consumption for as long as desired at any temperature.

How to store dried meat depends, among other things, on the method of preparation. For example, basturma, covered with a layer of spices, can simply be wrapped in parchment. Biltong will continue to dry out in such conditions. Therefore, it is better to put it in a glass container and close it tightly.

The main thing is to keep the jerky in a cool place. If stored at room temperature, it should be eaten within 2 weeks. And at the slightest suspicion of a change in taste or smell, it is better to refuse to use it or subject it to additional heat treatment.