Beef basturma according to a classic Armenian recipe

Step-by-step preparation

Cooking time: 27 day 30 mins

1. STEP 1

   

   Rinse the meat under running cold water and dry with a towel. Using a fork, make punctures on all sides of the balyk to improve the outflow of excess liquid while salting the meat. Place the meat in a deep bowl, after pouring salt on the bottom. Having placed the meat in a bowl, fill it with salt to the top. In our case, we needed about 2 kg of salt.

2. STEP 2

   

   Cover the dish with a lid or cling film and place it in the refrigerator for three days. After the expiration date, take out the meat and rinse it of salt under cold running water. Dry again with a clean towel or napkins.

3. STEP 3

   

   To give it the desired shape (optional), place the meat under an improvised press for a day. We used a board and cans of water. After a day, the balyk acquired a flattened shape and can now be hung on a hook.

4. STEP 4

   

   Now let's prepare the coating. In a deep bowl, mix all the dry ingredients indicated for it, and grate the garlic on a fine grater or crush it. We need flour to make the mixture sticky. We add enough water to the mixture to form a paste-like substance that will be convenient to coat the balyk. All we have to do is apply the resulting paste in a dense layer on the balyk so that there is not a single spot left that is not covered.

5. STEP 5

   

   This operation is conveniently performed with a silicone spatula. You need to coat it quickly so that the spices do not dry out ahead of time. If the spices have dried out, add a little water and continue the operation. The final touch: with a hand moistened in water, smooth the paste over the entire area of ​​the balyk to smooth out unevenness and fill small voids.

6. STEP 6

   

   We place the balyk in the refrigerator for 25-30 days, hanging it on a hook. We adapted the refrigerator door for this. After the expiration date, we remove the balyk from the hook, cut it into thin slices and eat it ourselves, and treat it to friends, guests, and neighbors. Bon Appetit everyone!