Basturma

[BrentKulman]

I purchased a chunk of Basturma from a Russian deli. They told me that they couldn't slice it and asked me how much I wanted. When I got it home, I wasn't sure what to do with it so I cut off a small chunk (with great difficulty) and nearly broke my jaw trying to eat it.

Having done a little research on the web, I see that it is a cured beef that is related to pastrami.

I still have most of the chunk left. How can I slice it thinly enough to make it edible? Anyone have any ideas what to do with this?

[piazzola]

Its from The Caucasus region including Armenia and Georgia

Just sliced it thinly or shave it

[sazji]

I still have most of the chunk left. How can I slice it thinly enough to make it edible? Anyone have any ideas what to do with this?

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[Hector]

I still have most of the chunk left. How can I slice it thinly enough to make it edible? Anyone have any ideas what to do with this?

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It should definitely be sliced as thin as you can. Then besides eating it as is, you can make a börek with it (pachanga) and kashar cheese. Wrap the two up in an oblong case of phyllo, dip in beaten egg and then in a bit of grated cheese (not too much) and fry.

[zaelic]

In Istanbul I have seen it for sale - near the Egypstian Spice Market, for example - next to heavy wooden cuttiong boards where the seller shaves it into thin slices with a huge heavy knife, rather like shaving parmesan. If it is really hard you could try a wood plane.

I suppose any mild sheep cheese - such as Greek Kasseri or kashkaval - could subsitute for kashar. Yes, the menemem recipe is really a great take on scrambled eggs.

[Nicolai]

The original Basturma is not Beef but Lamb and of Armenian origin.

In both cases, it is a delectable air dried meat with a thick covering of Schaman which is the name for the red paste covering the chunk of meat. The base of the paste is Garlic and red hot peppers.

How you cut it is with a heavy sharp knife as thin and carefull as possible.

How you eat it is simply with flat buttered bread or just raw. Alternatively fry the Basturma with a small knob of butter in a pan and as soon as the flavours hits your nose throw in two sunyside up eggs and you are in for a very nice breakfast.

Enjoy.

[piazzola]

The original Basturma is not Beef but Lamb and of Armenian origin.

In both cases, it is a delectable air dried meat with a thick covering of Schaman which is the name for the red paste covering the chunk of meat. The base of the paste is Garlic and red hot peppers.

Enjoy.

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Ehem! the same finishing is applied to Spanish jamon though paprika is used

BTW the sane basturma name in Georgia is applied to what in Russia are sashliks

these are marinated and glazed with mix pomegranate molasses and the bbq

[Nicolai]

The original Basturma is not Beef but Lamb and of Armenian origin.

In both cases, it is a delectable air dried meat with a thick covering of Schaman which is the name for the red paste covering the chunk of meat. The base of the paste is Garlic and red hot peppers.

Enjoy.

←

Ehem! the same finishing is applied to Spanish jamon though paprika is used

BTW the sane basturma name in Georgia is applied to what in Russia are sashliks

these are marinated and glazed with mix pomegranate molasses and the bbq

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Ehem, Ehem!

- Similar finish is applied all over the world with different name but if you look close, you will see where the variation is.

- Yes the same name Basturma is in Russia - Georgia...etc

- However the original (if there is such a thing) is Armenian according to a set recipe. Change or alter the recipe and anything goes.

[piazzola]

Beats me but nationalistic tendencies apart we are talking about the same word with two different meanings and different recipes even when both countries are next door to each other. I suppose this is the reason why they are countries and not regions.

[Hector]

is there by any chance a technique for drying basturma in your oven?

[Peter B Wolf]

I still have most of the chunk left. How can I slice it thinly enough to make it edible? Anyone have any ideas what to do with this?

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[sazji]

Just take a knife and go at it. When I get it sliced here, they just use a big sharp knife. If you get small pieces, no problem, they taste just as good!

By the way, in Turkish the word is pastirma, which originates in "bastirma," coming from the Turkish word "basmak" which means "to press." The meat is salted and pressed prior to being covered with the "çemen" (pron. "chemen"). The best pastirma in Turkey is considered to come from Kayseri, and though it is made by Turks as well, much of the best was considered to be made by Armenians. (Who have a reputation of being the best cooks...the old saying was, "For a converstation, go to a Turk, for a woman, go to the Greeks, to eat, go to the Armenians."

The çemen also contains fenugreek, which, aside from a stew here in there in some areas, is hardly used in anything else. I see bunches of it for sale in a market held by farmers from the Kastamonu area; most of my friends have no idea what it is.

The common knowledge about the çemen is that it's great but if you eat much of it you end up stinking of pastirma. A half Armenian friend of mine here from France, when young, got interested in that part of her heritage; her father wanted to just be French and wasn't encouraging her. She got involved with an Armenian youth group and one day after some activity, they went to an Armenian restaurant, where she first tasted pastirma. And tasted it, and tasted it, and tasted it.... The next day her father walked into her room, sniffed the air a couple times, and said "You've been eating PASTIRMA!" It doesn't smell nearly so nice in its "recycled" form...

Edited October 31, 2005 by sazji (log)

[FoodMan]

is there by any chance a technique for drying basturma in your oven?

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It is VERY common in Lebanon, brought there by the Armenian population. I make it at home all the time following this recipe. I like to add a lot more cayenne to it though. I think the major flavor component in basterma, at least the Armenian version, is Fenugreek. If it has non then it is not basterma.

I like it raw sliced thin on a baguette with pickles or with eggs like it was mentioned up thread. hmmm...I ran out recently, time to make some more.