I used to believe that drying meat at home without a cellar or special equipment was an impossible feat. Every return from an Italian vacation meant stocking up on packs that would last only a few weeks. The anticipation for the next trip was accompanied by a dash to the supermarket – again. So, when I was recommended this recipe, trying it was a culinary necessity. The result? Simply astounding! Even my parents initially couldn’t tell it was homemade; they thought it was store-bought. The most challenging part? Allocating an inviolable shelf in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Shall we begin the drying?
Ingredients:
- 1 kg (about 2.2 pounds) of meat (*)
- 40 grams (about 2 tablespoons) of sea salt
- 30 grams (about 2 tablespoons) of sugar
- 4 grams (about 2 teaspoons) of ground coffee
- 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) of coarsely ground black pepper
- 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) of juniper berries, crushed (**)
- 5-6 bay leaves
*It’s preferable to use beef, not veal, in a long piece along the fibers. The recommended cut is topside, which I understand to be similar to rump.
**If juniper berries and coffee are not available, you can use a spoon of coriander seeds and a mix of peppers (black, white, green, and English) as a substitute. It’s not an equivalent replacement, but it’s equally delicious. The meat turns out spicy and tangy.
Instructions:
Mix the spices, salt, and sugar, then coat the meat on all sides.
Place the meat in a narrow dish (to avoid leaving space on the sides) or an English cake tin.
Cover with plastic wrap, place a board or narrow plate on top to cover the entire surface of the meat, and put a weight on it.
Send this structure to marinate in the fridge for a week (mine stayed for 8 days). Turn the meat every two days and drain the liquid.
In a week, the meat may lose 10-30% of its weight. I started with a piece weighing 1451 grams, and after marinating, it weighed 1293 grams. After a week, remove the meat from the fridge and pat it dry with paper towels. At this stage, you can remove the spices – they’ve played their part in marinating. Visually, it looks more beautiful with them. They will add spiciness if you slice the meat with the spices. So, do as you like. I left them.
Now, if there’s space, simply tie the meat and hang it in the fridge. If there’s no space, lay it on a rack above a plate and place it on the fridge shelf (that’s what I did). Don’t cover the meat – it should dry and firm up. Flip the piece every day or two.
Age it for a minimum of a week, a maximum of three. In my photos, the meat is after 1.5 weeks. By the way, the weight of the finished piece was 998 grams, so the weight loss was 32%. Wrap the finished meat in a dry cloth and then in baking paper; store it in the fridge. The finished meat can be stored for no more than a month, so don’t make too much.
We’ve already finished our meat, and my husband immediately said, “Prepare the next one!” This time, I’ll make sure to stock up on juniper berries in advance.
