pastırma — Turkey

Pastırma is a cured beef charcuterie: a lean cut, most often eye round or tenderloin, is salted, pressed under weight to remove moisture, then coated in a thick paste of ground fenugreek, garlic and paprika before a final period of air-drying. The result is a firm, deep red slice with a spiced crust, eaten cold and thinly cut rather than cooked through. This preparation is reported from Turkey, from Anatolian cuisine, where it has long been made in regions with dry, cool air suited to curing meat outdoors or in ventilated rooms. Related products under other names are also described in the cuisines of countries that once belonged to the Ottoman world, where similar cured, spiced beef is prepared and shared as part of everyday charcuterie. To prepare it, the meat is trimmed of fat and sinew, then buried in coarse salt for several days so it releases liquid and firms up. It is rinsed, dried, and pressed flat under boards and weights to squeeze out any remaining moisture and give the characteristic flat shape, before hanging to air-dry in a cool, airy place. Once partly dried, the meat is coated with çemen, a thick paste of ground fenugreek seed, crushed garlic, paprika and a little water, which forms a dark red crust as it dries further. The meat then continues to air-dry until firm enough to slice paper-thin. What sets this cured beef apart from other charcuterie is the çemen crust itself: the fenugreek paste gives pastırma its distinctive dark color, pungent aroma and slightly bitter edge, in contrast to meats cured with only salt and spices on the surface. Slices are usually served cold as part of a meze spread, laid over warm bread or eggs, or added in thin strips to sandwiches, with the crust eaten along with the meat.