Pestrami & Biltong
By: Winters on the way
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Servings: Pestrami makes 2-2.5kg / Biltong makes about 250g
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Winters on the way
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Dec 04, 2009
at 02:06 PM
Two different and delicious dry meat treats.
Ingredients
For the Pastrami:
• 3kg beef leg top
For the Pastrami Cure:
• 250g fine sea salt
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 4 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp coarsely ground coriander seed
For the Biltong:
• 500g lean, long-grained beef offcuts from the forequarter
• 2 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
• 1 tbsp coriander seed, toasted and ground
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns, crushed
• 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 3 tbsp malt vinegar
• 3kg beef leg top
For the Pastrami Cure:
• 250g fine sea salt
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 4 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp coarsely ground coriander seed
For the Biltong:
• 500g lean, long-grained beef offcuts from the forequarter
• 2 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
• 1 tbsp coriander seed, toasted and ground
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns, crushed
• 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 3 tbsp malt vinegar
Directions
• For the Pastrami:
This American deli staple has a unique texture - quite dry, much leaner than many cured meats, and with an almost flaky consistency. It’s fantastic in sandwiches with mustard and pickles. For more information on cold-smoking using homemade equipment (or just your chimney), see The River Cottage Cookbook. Alternatively, browse the internet for suppliers of cold-smoking equipment.
Trim the meat and put it in a large bowl. Cover with lightly salted water and leave to soak for 2 hours. Rinse the meat and dry it well with white kitchen paper.
Mix the cure ingredients together and rub the mixture well into the meat. Put in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for up to 10 days, turning the meat every day. Remove the meat and pat it dry with white kitchen paper.
Hang the meat in a cool, airy place for 2 days.
Cold-smoke the meat at a temperature below 25°C for 6-8 hours. Remove from the smoker and leave hanging in a cool, dry place for 24 hours.
Simmer the meat in unsalted water for 2-3 hours or until tender. Be very careful not to over-cook it.
Allow to cool slightly in the cooking liquid, then drain. Press down with a weight and leave to cool. Refrigerate before slicing. The pastrami will keep for 4-6 weeks in the fridge.
• For the Biltong:
Cut the beef into long steaks about 2-3cm thick. Cut along the grain and remove any sinew or fat.
Mix the salt, sugar, garlic, coriander, pepper, turmeric and chilli. Sprinkle a layer of this mixture into a large pyrex or glass dish, then add the meat. Cover the meat evenly with the remaining spice mix, rubbing it in well. Add the vinegar, sprinkling it evenly over both sides of the meat, then rub it in. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours, turning the meat and rubbing in the mixture again after 2 hours.
Remove the meat from the dish. Shake off any loose seasoning and carefully pat dry with white kitchen paper. Hang each strip of biltong individually from a hook, using a piece of string. Leave it to dry in a warm, dry place for at least four days – longer is fine. It will become harder and drier the longer you leave it.
You can dry biltong completely using a very low oven. Hang the meat from the top shelf with the oven on its lowest setting. If you think it may be too hot, leave the oven door slightly open. Alternatively, if the weather permits - i.e. if it’s hot, dry and sunny with a good flow of air - the biltong can be fully dried outside. When finished, the biltong should be so dry that it will splinter when bent in two.
Store the biltong wrapped in waxed paper. It will keep for 2-3 weeks when semi-dried and for up to 2 years when fully dried.
This American deli staple has a unique texture - quite dry, much leaner than many cured meats, and with an almost flaky consistency. It’s fantastic in sandwiches with mustard and pickles. For more information on cold-smoking using homemade equipment (or just your chimney), see The River Cottage Cookbook. Alternatively, browse the internet for suppliers of cold-smoking equipment.
Trim the meat and put it in a large bowl. Cover with lightly salted water and leave to soak for 2 hours. Rinse the meat and dry it well with white kitchen paper.
Mix the cure ingredients together and rub the mixture well into the meat. Put in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for up to 10 days, turning the meat every day. Remove the meat and pat it dry with white kitchen paper.
Hang the meat in a cool, airy place for 2 days.
Cold-smoke the meat at a temperature below 25°C for 6-8 hours. Remove from the smoker and leave hanging in a cool, dry place for 24 hours.
Simmer the meat in unsalted water for 2-3 hours or until tender. Be very careful not to over-cook it.
Allow to cool slightly in the cooking liquid, then drain. Press down with a weight and leave to cool. Refrigerate before slicing. The pastrami will keep for 4-6 weeks in the fridge.
• For the Biltong:
Cut the beef into long steaks about 2-3cm thick. Cut along the grain and remove any sinew or fat.
Mix the salt, sugar, garlic, coriander, pepper, turmeric and chilli. Sprinkle a layer of this mixture into a large pyrex or glass dish, then add the meat. Cover the meat evenly with the remaining spice mix, rubbing it in well. Add the vinegar, sprinkling it evenly over both sides of the meat, then rub it in. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours, turning the meat and rubbing in the mixture again after 2 hours.
Remove the meat from the dish. Shake off any loose seasoning and carefully pat dry with white kitchen paper. Hang each strip of biltong individually from a hook, using a piece of string. Leave it to dry in a warm, dry place for at least four days – longer is fine. It will become harder and drier the longer you leave it.
You can dry biltong completely using a very low oven. Hang the meat from the top shelf with the oven on its lowest setting. If you think it may be too hot, leave the oven door slightly open. Alternatively, if the weather permits - i.e. if it’s hot, dry and sunny with a good flow of air - the biltong can be fully dried outside. When finished, the biltong should be so dry that it will splinter when bent in two.
Store the biltong wrapped in waxed paper. It will keep for 2-3 weeks when semi-dried and for up to 2 years when fully dried.
