Ottoman's Basturma
Ottoman’s Basturma is my playful quizzical name for this highly seasoned, air-dried cured beef. While researching different kinds of cured meats and styles, I came across Basturma, also called Bastirama or Pastirma. Hmm...I thought to myself, with names like this, there must be a bloggable story behind this cured meat. Why did I call this Ottomans Basturma? The Air-dried beef was universally consumed and loved by the former Ottoman Empire, so I thought it fitting to call it Ottomans Basturma. This cured meat has an ancient beginning. Before there was Prosciutto, Pancetta, and Bresaola, there was Basturma. Name any cured meat, and I am sure Basturma predates them all!!!! Here is an interesting tidbit (at least I think so) about the region (What was known as the Ottoman Empire). The area had many different versions of Basturma, and although some of the names were different, the recipes and techniques were very similar. Even the Jewish people call it pastirma or pastrómeh in Yiddish.