I first tasted this cured, spiced meat in Bourj Hammoud, the bustling Armenian neighbourhood in East Beirut. Thinly sliced raw and piled into doughy baguettes, it is eaten in abundance at Beiruty lunchtimes. It is sometimes lightly fried and served with eggs at breakfast or served with hummous as part of a mezze. I enjoy it simply on its own where its lip-smacking saltiness and funkiness can be savoured most...
Home-curing has an air of the laborious and the difficult. Whilst certainly a labour of love, it is surprisingly hard to fuck up. Vegetarian housemates will not be impressed to find bits of animal hanging next to their rain macs, however your dinner guests however will be impressed with your home-curing skills. So, get salting. The recipe below is a good starting point...
Stage 1: Buy Meat
A lean, cheap cut is best. Ask your butcher for 'Eye of Round' - this is sometimes known as 'Salmon cut' (it looks nothing like a salmon). You want a piece of meat that is about 1-2kg and at least 3 inches thick. Curing is not an exact science so if the meat varies from this do not worry.
Stage 2: Cure
Cut the beef in half lengthwise so each piece is about 1.5 inches thick. Coat both sides generously in salt. Rock salt is the best (not the flakes as shown in the picture) and place in a oven dish in the fridge. Leave for 3 days. Pour away blood and moisture.
Re-salt the beef. Find something heavy (a brick will do) and clean it/wrap it. Place heavy thing on the meat. Leave for 3 more days in the fridge.
Take meat out the fridge. Wash off visible salt and place in a bowl of cold water. Leave overnight. This is a crucial stage that helps to steep out excess salt from the beef.
Stage 4: Dry
Buy some muslin (cheesecloth) and some twine from a DIY shop or online. Remove meat from water and pat dry. Punch through twine (sharp thing from carving set a good option). Wrap meat and tie up at the top to secure the cloth. Hang for 2 weeks somewhere dry - airing cupboard probably the best option.
In a food processor blend the following: 4 tsps paprika, 4 tsps ground fenugreek, 2 tsps cumin, 2 tsps black pepper, half a head of garlic, few tbsp water. Add more water to the mixture once blended to make a spreadable paste. Coat the dried beef in the mixture and re-hang for at least 3 days before use.
END.
Cut thinly to serve. Eat on its own or diced on hummus or yoghurt.