Ingredients
Meat
- 1 kg beef tenderloin or eye of round
- 700–1000 g coarse salt
Chaman paste
- 50 g ground fenugreek
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp granulated garlic
- Water as needed
Instructions
- Cover the meat completely with coarse salt and keep it in the refrigerator for 10–14 days.
- Rinse the meat thoroughly to remove the salt.
- If needed, soak in cold water for 2–3 hours to reduce excess saltiness.
- Pat dry and leave uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator overnight.
- Mix the fenugreek, paprika, cumin, black pepper and granulated garlic with enough water to make a thick paste.
- Coat the meat with a layer of chaman about 3 mm thick.
- Hang or place on a rack in a cool, well-ventilated place, or in the refrigerator, for 2–4 weeks.
- Slice very thinly before serving.
Notes
The flavor becomes deeper after a few days of resting. Store the basturma wrapped in paper in the refrigerator.
Fenugreek is essential here: without it, the chaman will not have the characteristic basturma flavor.