Homemade food is better than store bought, no matter what anyone says. Homemade dried meat is a delicacy that cannot be replaced by any other store bought appetizer. As long as you prepare it right, of course. Here's how:
Homemade Dried Elena Fillet
Required products: Pork tenderloin or beef 2.2 lb (1 kg); sea salt; garlic; black pepper, paprika, savory herb, oregano (optional); 3 tbsp of vinegar; water (enough to cover the meat)
How to prepare it: The pork tenderloin or beef, is well cleaned from any fat and it is leveled out. Put them in a container and add plenty of salt. Leave them for 24 hours. Then wash them and put them for an hour or an hour and a half in water with vinegar, which should cover the meat. When they have been left in it long enough, they are washed and placed in a ventilated place. After an hour, spread them generously with the crushed garlic.
Mix the black pepper, paprika and savory herb (and other spices if you like) in a bag (the ratio is according to your taste) and mix everything well. Then they are poured onto a newspaper and the pieces of meat are rolled in the spices, then shaken well to remove the excess spices. A hole is made in the fillet and a string is passed through it. It needs to be hung in a ventilated and safe (from cats and other animals) place.
After 1-2 weeks they are ready (depending on how soft you like them). Once they are taken down, they are placed in bags and stored in the freezer. Remove them from the freezer 15-20 minutes before consumption.
Another way to prepare homemade dried fillet
The beef is placed in sea salt for 24 hours, after which it is cleaned from it - it is best to wash the meat. Then boil the meat in boiling water for 2-3-4 minutes (until the meat turns white) and take it out. Leave it to drain a bit and roll it in the spices of your choice (savory herb, paprika, black pepper and cumin). When the spices completely cover the meat, it is wrapped in paper and placed in the refrigerator to dry. The advantage of this method is that the meat is ready to eat much faster, especially if it is cut into narrower pieces.
If you do not want to use spices, this is the recipe for you:
Required products: Beef from skinnier animals is used.
How to prepare: The beef is cut into larger pieces, which are boiled in salted water until they soften halfway. Take them out, leave them to drain, place them in trays and dry them 2-3 times in a low heated oven, until they're completely dry.
The dried meat is stored in a dry place in cloth bags. Before cooking, soak it in water. No salt is added to the dishes prepared with it.
Also check out these recipes for dried meat, homemade sausage and pastrami.
