Balyk “Hunter” dry-cured – culinary recipe

Beef carcass parts

Beef is a very healthy and valuable product, rich in proteins, iron, zinc, as well as B vitamins. Beef is kept in a suspended state for some time to improve the taste; aging up to 10 days is allowed. The quality of beef is determined by its color, which ranges from bright red to dark red. The fat should be dry and creamy white in color.

Beef classification.

Beef is divided into 3 grades: highest, first, second grade.

• cut;
• fore shank (knuckle);
• hind shank.

Cut (neck)

The neck part is suitable for stewing, boiling and preparing broths.

Blade part

Meat from the shoulder part has varying degrees of softness depending on its location. Meat from this part is suitable for making soups, chopped cutlets, and goulash. You can also make escalopes from the stripped shoulder muscle, but they will be of poor quality.

Shoulder part

From this part they cook clear broths and seasoning soups, prepare chopped cutlets and roasts.

Dorsal part (thick edge)

The pulp is suitable for cooking chops, cutlets, and baking in large pieces. Ribs for cooking soups.

Sirloin (lumbar part, thin edge)

This cut contains tender and very lean meat. Steaks, roast beef, azu, medallions, goulash, chops, and rolls are prepared from this part.

Brisket

In this bony cut, layers of meat are interspersed with layers of fat and films. The front of the brisket contains the breastbone (sternum) and ribs, and the back contains the cartilaginous ends of the ribs. The whole brisket or half of it can be completely separated from the bones, filled with minced meat and rolled into a roll for boiling; the meat can also be cut into slices for stewing or boiling.

Sirloin (thick fillet)

The butt is the part of the carcass near the pelvis; it has thin layers of fat and a loose fiber structure. This part can be cut into pieces for quick frying, stewing and frying.

Kostrets

The rump is the upper part of the hind thigh. Used for frying in the oven in large pieces, for frying over an open fire, for preparing escalopes, medallions, meatballs, chopped cutlets, beef stroganoff.

Rump (thigh)

This cut is cut into pieces along the contact lines of the three main thigh muscles: the prong, the cut and the thick edge of the flank. The shank is the finely fibrous meat from the inside of the thigh. The thick flank also contains tender meat. The cut is the outer part of the mid-thigh. The muscle fibers of cut meat are thicker and slightly rougher, and their bundles are surrounded by more developed connective tissue. Escalopes are made from a stylus and a thick flank. The cut is suitable for stewing or roasting in the oven.

Pashina

Flank can be rolled and boiled or cut into slices for stewing with vegetables. Flank is also good for cooking chopped veal.

Knuckle

Knuckle or shank meat can be stewed or boiled with or without bones. Also suitable for jellied meat.

shank

The same as the knuckle, only from the back leg.

Smoked pork, beef and lamb products

Smoked meat products are products that have high nutritional value, good taste and a long shelf life. The edible part of these products contains 25-45% water, 10-17% protein, up to 60% fat, and up to 7% minerals.

By type of heat treatment

There are smoked products: raw smoked, boiled-smoked, smoked-baked, boiled, baked and fried.

The raw materials for the production of smoked meat products are mainly bacon pork, as well as meat and fatty pork, beef and lamb of the first fatness category, offal, sugar, curing mixture and spices. High quality smoked products are obtained mainly from the meat of young animals. Meat from exhausted animals, as well as meat that has been stored frozen or re-frozen for a long time, is not allowed for the production of such products.

Depending on the part of the carcass used and the processing method, hams, rolls and a wide range of different smoked meats are produced.

Ham

made from the back and front legs of bacon and pork. Thus, Voronezh ham is obtained from the scapular-shoulder part, Tambov - from the hip part.

Raw smoked hams

They are distinguished by a dense consistency, cherry-red color of muscle tissue, a pronounced smoky smell and a sharp, salty ham taste.

Boiled-smoked hams

They have an elastic juicy consistency, pink-red muscle tissue with a smoky smell and a pleasant ham taste.

Boiled hams

They have a fairly elastic consistency, pink-red muscle tissue and a salty taste.

These types of products, with the exception of raw smoked hams, can be produced with skin, with partial skin remaining, or without skin.

In addition to pork, boiled-smoked hams are made from the back part of lamb carcasses. They are inferior in quality to pork hams.

Rolls

prepared from the front and rear legs and other parts of the carcass with and without skin, the bones are removed from them, and the meat is rolled up in the form of a roll. Rolls are produced in raw smoked, cooked-smoked and boiled form. In addition, they produce smoked-baked roll and neck roll. .

Beef and lamb rolls are also made. They have a dense consistency, sometimes dryish, dark red muscle tissue.

Of the wide range of different smoked meats, the most common are brisket, bacon, or boneless brisket, loin, Moscow ham in casing, smoked sirloin, smoked neck, boiled pork and carbonate, beef tongues, Stolichny and Lyubitelsky bacon.

Smoked brisket

made from the abdominal part of bacon fattened pork carcasses, leaving the skin on. The fat in the brisket contains a layer of muscle tissue. The brisket is given a rectangular shape and the lower part of the ribs is left.

Smoked loin

prepared from the back and lumbar parts of pork carcasses.

Ham neck

smoked is made from the pulp of the neck part of pork carcasses of any fatness. The meat is salted using mixed curing, then soaked and placed in wide natural casings, tied with twine, smoked and dried. The taste of the neck is salty-sharp, the consistency is quite elastic, viscous, the color of the cut product is cherry-red.

Pork balyk

consists of two fillets folded flat with the fat-free side. Folded fillets with a small layer of bacon are placed in the intestinal casing, tied, boiled, smoked, cooled and simultaneously pressed. The taste of the product is slightly salty, pleasant, the consistency is quite dense, with a smoky aroma, the color when cut is light pink.

Buzhenina

made from unsalted hind legs of young pigs. All bones are removed from the hams, the skin and part of the fat are cut off. The ham is rubbed with salt and garlic and baked. On the surface, bacon is sometimes notched in the form of rectangles. After cooling, the boiled pork is wrapped in cellophane or parchment. Baked pork has a gray meat color, soft consistency and the smell of garlic.

What kind of meat is better to take?

So, how to cook balyk? It's actually quite simple. You will see this for yourself.

The neck is ideal for preparing this dish, since cutting it will have layers of fat, the meat will be juicy and tender. You can also take a tenderloin; when cut, it will be smooth with a pearlescent shimmer.

Homemade balyk is an excellent substitute for store-bought sausages, which also has a number of advantages: it is absolutely natural, fresh, prepared to your taste, plus it will cost much less than store-bought.

Balyk

Balyk is a meat delicacy with a delicate pleasant aroma and wonderful taste.
An excellent alternative to mostly counterfeit sausages. Suitable for everyday use and will be a wonderful addition to the holiday table. Initially, the word balyk was the name (it is still called that way) for the dorsal part of the red fish - tasty, tender, practically boneless. It was prepared in a special way: first it was salted, then smoked. Later they began to call this a meat delicacy, also produced from the dorsal part of an animal carcass, which inherited the same method of preparation.

In order to cook balyk, any type of meat is suitable - be it beef, pork or even chicken. But the most delicious and juicy this type of delicacy is obtained from meat that has a fatty layer - pork. Depending on what kind of meat is used for its preparation, its properties, calorie content, taste and benefits of the product will depend.

Pork balyk has 286 kcal, protein content - 5.4 grams, carbohydrates - 0.0 grams, fats - 24.9 grams per hundred grams of product.

Balyk made from meat will retain all its beneficial properties. It will be rich in protein necessary for human life support. Pork balyk contains micro- and macroelements, as well as vitamins B, E, H, PP and choline, which protects cell membranes from destruction. Thanks to choline, meat is very beneficial for the human nervous and skeletal system.

If balyk is made from beef, it will help increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood and also contain a lot of useful vitamins and minerals.

Balyk is not recommended for frequent consumption, as it can cause gastrointestinal upset. Balyk prepared by smoking is processed with smoke, which contains carcinogens. They may remain in the product itself.

Preparation

Balyk can be prepared in any way - drying, smoking and baking in the oven. Traditionally, balyk was prepared smoked or dried.

It is possible to prepare it yourself at home. Preparing balyk is not difficult. Neck tenderloin is ideal for preparing this dish. It has layers of fat, which will make the prepared dish tender and juicy.

Balyk made at home will have a number of advantages compared to those prepared in production. This is confidence in its quality, freshness, added ingredients and method of preparation.

In order to prepare balyk at home, you will need: fresh meat (pork or beef) one kilogram, salt - seven hundred grams, cognac - one hundred grams, spices to taste.

Preparation

Salt and spices are mixed and cognac is added. Everything is mixed until smooth. The resulting mixture is spread on a piece of meat and left in a cold place for fourteen hours (2 – 7 ˚C).

After this, rinse thoroughly with water and wipe dry with a napkin. Balyk prepared in this form is usually still drying. To do this, hang it in a ventilated area for at least a week. The longer the balyk is dried, the better the taste qualities are acquired - drying is optimal for 4 - 6 weeks.

Some people prefer smoked balyk. In this case, after the salting process, the piece of meat is smoked.

When making balyk from chicken or beef, salting the meat will require less time - twelve hours will be enough.

You can also make balyk from veal or chicken fillet.

Balyk recipe

First, mix spices and herbs with salt, add bay leaf and alcohol. Mix all this thoroughly. The result was a homogeneous paste.

Next, the meat needs to be coated on all sides with this mixture and refrigerated for 13-14 hours. This time will be quite enough for it to evenly salt and produce juice.

Next, you need to rinse the balyk with plain water to remove salt and herbs, and dry it with a towel.

The tenderloin, in principle, can already be eaten. However, for a more interesting and rich taste, you need to dry the meat (remove any remaining liquid). To do this, hang the balyk in a ventilated and warm room for four days. The longer it hangs, the denser its texture will be. If you are preparing a treat in the summer, it is better to wrap it in several layers of gauze.

Dried meat acquires a pearlescent color when cut. The texture is elastic. This is how easy it is to prepare balyk. The recipe with photographs presented in our article will help you make such a masterpiece yourself.

By the way, you can cook beef and chicken breast using a similar recipe (12 hours of salting will be enough for it).

Balyk made from asp

Asp is the fish most suitable for balyk and salting. The best balyk comes from asp weighing 1–3 kg, caught in the autumn. Small specimens are not suitable for balyk.

The asp must be cut (plated). Using a strong and sharp knife, carefully cut the back of the fish along the ridge from head to tail, while working, we try not to damage the belly, otherwise all the fat will drain off.

We cut off one side of the ribs from the spine and unfold them into two halves. Carefully remove the insides so as not to damage the bile. The ridge can be cut out if desired, or left. Then remove the gills, wash the fish to remove blood and sprinkle with salt. We use coarse salt, but not iodized salt. Leave the salted fish in a cool place for 8-12 hours (depending on the weight of the fish).

When salting asp in brine, add spices to it (for example, seasoning for fish), it contains all the necessary components. To determine the concentration of salt in a solution (brine), you need to put raw potatoes in there - it should not sink.

Then we wash the asp to remove excess salt and soak it. Soak fish weighing 3 kg for approximately 60 minutes; 1 kg. -120 minutes. In late autumn, asp can be made more lightly salted; in hot periods, we reduce the soaking time. Next, we hang the fish so that the water drains from it and it should dry out a little. Be sure to tie gauze soaked in vinegar (for flies and wasps). Could be the air flow from the fan.

Place a sprig of dill inside the slightly dried asp; you can also put a cut clove of garlic, it is a good preservative. Then for a day we put the asp in the refrigerator or a cool place, wrapped in parchment or cotton cloth. At night, we put up the spacers and hang them out into the wind. For the day we put it back in the refrigerator. We place dry salted fish in the sun for an hour during the day so that the asp becomes covered in fat. Now balyk can be used as food.

Veal balyk

For preparation we will take the following products:

• veal – 1.5 kg;
• table salt - 1 kg;
• paprika - 1 pinch;
• ground ginger – 1 pinch;
• garlic – 2-3 cloves.

The veal must be divided into four equal parts, put the pulp in a bowl or pan and cover with salt. Then it needs to be refrigerated for five to six days. Every day you will need to turn the meat in the morning and evening. After six days, you can take out the pieces and wash them thoroughly, dry them with a towel, and wrap them in gauze. In this form, we put the balyk back into the refrigerator under pressure. He will lie there for another five days, after which the gauze can be removed. Make a hole in each piece to thread the string through and hang it in a well-ventilated area.

After another six days, the meat can be removed and rubbed with garlic and a mixture of seasonings. Again, put the balyk in the refrigerator for seven days, after which it can be eaten.

How to make balyk from dry-cured pork. Pork balyk at home

Pork balyk is dry-cured meat prepared with your own hands at home! A wonderful product in which you can be 100% confident, because you personally controlled the process! On the eve of the upcoming holidays, you will still have the opportunity and time to make this delicacy, which will be perfect for the holiday table as a slice. Here is a classic recipe for making pork balyk. Of course, you will have to “suffer” a little with the balyk, but the final result will exceed all your expectations! The meat turns out very tender, beautiful color and with a wonderful aroma. The balyk is stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in parchment paper. Good luck!

1-1.3 kg. pork neck 0.5 cups salt spices to taste

pork for balyk - “neck”

If you bought meat with a little fat, leave it, the meat will be juicier. I take a large bowl, or even better if you have a rectangular bowl (if your piece of pork is very thick, you can cut it lengthwise to better salt it, but I didn’t do that). I roll the meat in salt on all sides, do this very carefully, you need the meat to be thoroughly salted.

I roll the meat in salt I put the meat in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, it would also be very good to put pressure on it so that the meat releases the juice.

in the refrigerator under pressure. Periodically, the meat needs to be turned over in different directions. When I did this, I lightly sprinkled it with salt again, I was afraid that it wouldn’t be salted, because my piece was 1.3 kg. — it’s thick, I didn’t want to cut it. I kept the meat in the refrigerator for 4 days, if your piece is lighter and thinner, 3 days is enough. Then I take out the meat and pat it thoroughly with a towel so that it becomes dry. Now the meat can be rubbed with garlic, sprinkled with coriander, pepper, paprika - it all depends on your tastes and preferences.

sprinkle with paprika

sprinkle with paprika Next, the meat needs to be wrapped in gauze (several layers) or in any thin breathable cotton fabric, I have some gauze diapers left over from my children. Wrap the package of meat with twine or thick thread (wrap it like sausage in stores), so that you can hang it.

I wrap it in fabric and tie it with twine. My balyk hung for 5 days. You need to hang it in a warm and ventilated place, it’s not summer and I hung it alternately - one day on the radiator, the next day on the window, and in the summer you can hang it on the window. Then I decided to unwrap it and try it - it turned out super tasty, real balyk - raw-dried meat, perfect for a holiday table as a slice, guests will be delighted.

I cut off the balyk from the edge and this is the view from the middle of the piece, it’s already visible

pork balyk Store pork balyk in the refrigerator in parchment paper.

Chicken fillet balyk

Since balyk is not just meat, but a delicacy, there are a lot of recipes from which you can choose something you like. We bring to your attention another recipe, only this time based on chicken fillet.

We will need the following products:

• chicken fillet – 2 pcs.;
• table salt – 0.5 kg;
• Provençal herbs – 2 tsp;
• vodka – 50 ml;
• ground pepper - 1 pinch.

First, mix salt, Provençal herbs, and ground pepper in one bowl. Then pour in vodka and stir it all.

Rinse the fillet first and dry it. Place half of this mixture on the bottom of the pan, and then the meat itself, sprinkle salt on top. The container should be tightly closed and refrigerated for two days. After this time, remove the meat, rinse it thoroughly and dry it with a towel. Here our balyk is ready.

Meat balyk at home. Pork balyk: what is it and how to cook it?

Cooking pork balyk, although it is quite difficult, the result is above all praise. The resulting meat will look worthy on the holiday table, but at the same time it will go great with everyday sandwiches.

What it is?

Pork balyk is often called dry-cured meat. It is a high-quality and natural dish that is much better to cook at home than to try to find in the store. The selected part of the pork is first freed from water, that is, dried. This usually happens with the help of salt. In addition to the fact that this additive will dry out the piece, it will also rid it of its bland taste.

By the way, such balyk can easily be transformed into raw smoked one - if you have a barbecue, the process will take only a few hours, not counting the time spent in the refrigerator.

As a rule, salt marinating is carried out over several days. In this case, the size of the tenderloin will decrease, and liquid will form at the bottom of the container being used, which cannot be removed until the end of the process. While the meat is being salted, it must be turned over periodically. The salted pork is dried, if necessary seasoned with spices with a drop of vegetable oil on top to prevent them from falling off, wrapped in linen and sent to dry.

If possible, it is recommended to hang the piece in the fresh air, but under a roof or other canopy that protects from the sun. However, this does not apply to hot summer days - the meat can become rotten and become prey for insects.

Ingredient Selection

The meat must be of high quality and fresh - this is the main condition for obtaining a tasty balyk. In the most favorable situation, the selected piece from the moment of separation from the carcass is stored for no more than one day - this allows you to increase the shelf life of the balyk itself. As a rule, balyk is prepared from pork tenderloin - a tender piece of good shape and size that accepts salt and spices well. To reduce the time spent, the tenderloin is cut along the grain into several long strips.

In addition to the meat itself, coarse sea or rock salt is used for cooking, which dissolves better in meat juice, various spices, and sometimes alcohol.

Recipes

Classic recipe

Pork balyk can be prepared at home, following the classic recipe. The ingredients you will need are a kilogram of tenderloin, half a glass of sea salt and spices, for example, ground black and red pepper, coriander and paprika. In addition, gauze rags or towels will come in handy. The pork piece is washed and cleared of veins and films. Be sure to dry it with a paper towel. Then half of the salt used is poured into a convenient container with a lid at the bottom.

The meat is placed on the resulting layer, which is then covered with the remaining salt. We must not forget about the need to grate the barrel. The container is closed and put into the refrigerator. You can salt pork in just three days. During this period, it is worth turning the meat from one side to the other from time to time. Three days later, the pork is patted down well using paper towels and rubbed generously with spices.

Meat cutting cards: pork and beef

Meat

– one of the most important products in the diet of the vast majority of people. It saturates most quickly, contains many vitamins and minerals, a large amount of protein, which is essential for our body, which is close in structure to the tissue filling of the human body, therefore meat proteins are absorbed quite well and stimulate metabolism. There are different types of meat. One of the decisive conditions for preparing dishes is the correct choice of meat and part of the carcass.

Ingredient Selection

Only fresh chilled beef tenderloin is suitable for marinating (without freezing or pre-sale preparation), preferably without any fat or with a minimal fat layer, and always without veins.

Bad reviews about a dish are usually associated with the wrong choice of meat. Often, supermarkets sell beef treated with preservatives, which cannot be eaten without heat treatment.

For the alcoholic base of the marinade, high-quality store-bought vodka or ethyl alcohol diluted with water up to 40% is suitable. Poorly purified moonshine will give the meat an unpleasant fusel aroma. Lovers of light tannic notes can marinate beef in cognac.

Attention! The authors of some similar recipes, in addition to cognac and vodka, suggest adding vegetable oil to the marinade. There is no need to do this, otherwise the meat will be too fatty and a musty smell will appear.

Ingredients:

• beef – 0.5 kg;
• vodka (alcohol 40%, cognac) – 250-300 ml;
• salt (preferably sea salt) – 50 grams;
• sugar (preferably cane) – 50 grams;
• black pepper (peas) - half a tablespoon;
• rosemary – 1 sprig.

You will also need a separate plastic bag for freezing.

PORK

Pork is very popular in many cuisines around the world, and excellent dishes are also prepared from this meat. At home and in restaurants, it is baked in the oven, fried on the grill, and served as steaks with various side dishes and sauces. Pork is used to make delicious and rich soups, borscht, pilaf, kharcho, and stewed cabbage. It is also often used for filling pies, pasties and rolls. All this popularity is due to the juiciness of the meat and excellent taste. In the whole carcass there is meat for a slightly dry roll and a fatty, delicious steak. Interestingly, pork fat and lard are less harmful products for the heart and blood vessels than beef. It is known that lean pork tenderloin can contain less fat than chicken (except breast) or beef. However, in order to get the perfect result, you need to select the right part of the carcass. First grade pork includes: back part (or it is also called loin), lumbar and shoulder parts, brisket and ham; to the second grade - neck part, shank and shank.

Meat: Beef

Beef is the meat of bulls, cows and oxen. The quality of meat can depend on the breed of the animal, its fatness, age (not older than 2 years), feed and much more. Good quality beef is not inferior in tenderness to veal. The freshness of meat can be determined by many signs. One of the good indicators of meat quality is the color of the meat. It can be from rich red to dark red, and the fat should be soft and whitish-cream in color. The meat should have a fresh and pleasant smell, tender and marbled structure. It should be elastic and when you press the meat with your finger, the dent should quickly straighten out. You can also determine by the cut piece; the edges of the cut should be slightly damp and not dry. The meat should be shiny in appearance and it should be clear that it is freshly cut. For quick frying, meat with marbled veins and layers of fat is best suited.

Neck or notch

The neck or cut is a piece of meat, a significant part of which is tendons. It is considered inexpensive, but it tastes good. The main cooking methods are boiling and braising, so it makes a good stew and a strong broth. Neck meat is sold minced.

Neck part

This part is also known as the back of the head. It has layers of fat and tendons. This cut of meat can be baked and produces a juicy roast. It is also used for marinating meat and for minced meat. It goes on sale diced or chopped.

Spinal edge of the neck

This piece of meat can be called lean. It is of high quality and is well suited for stewing, marinating meat, roasting and minced meat. Once the bones are removed, it makes excellent steaks.

Shoulder (Shoulder Flesh)

The meat is tasty, has a small amount of fat and is of high quality. It is considered tender, so it is used for preparing beef stroganoff, fried and stewed rolls, as well as for stewing and for steaks. The piece of meat goes on sale with the shoulder blade bone removed.

Thick edge or shoulder blade

This part of the back, which borders the lower back, is finely fibrous, marbled with layers of fat. The piece of meat also has 4-5 ribs. This piece produces especially tender boiled meat, and it is also used for stewing and baking in large pieces, for roast beef with ribs and without ribs for rolls (a piece of meat is rolled up and secured with a thread) with fillings. It is sold with or without ribs.

Thin edge

This piece of meat also contains 4-5 ribs. The meat is very tender and is perfect for roast beef, which is cut into 2-3 ribs thick. When baking in the oven as a whole piece, the meat must be left on the bones and baked at a high temperature, then it will turn out juicy and aromatic. Meat cooked on the grill has an excellent taste.

Ovalok

This cut has very tender meat on the last three ribs. It can be roasted whole without bones or with ribs. Steaks with or without ribs are very tender and can be fried over coals or in a frying pan. In the back lumbar region under the spine there is a piece of tender tenderloin. It can be fried whole or cut into portions. This meat is well suited for fondue and small rolls with gourmet fillings.

Kostrets

The rump has layers of fat. Cut into portions, it is well suited for frying and stewing, and a large piece (1 kg or more) can make excellent roast beef. Boneless meat is cut across the grain, resulting in steaks with excellent taste that can be fried over coals or in a frying pan.

Hip

The thigh is a piece of lean meat with excellent flavor. It can be boiled, fried, stewed. It is used for slow-cooked dishes and for pickling. It is used to prepare excellent roast beef, various (stuffed, stewed, etc.) roasts, fondue, steak, minced meat dishes, tender beef rolls, broths and various soups, or deliciously fried on skewers. The thigh is divided into four cuts: thigh, thigh, rump, cut.

shank

The meat is lean, very tasty, tender and aromatic. It is cut into pieces 4-5 cm thick along with the marrow bone and tendons. This piece of meat contains a lot of gelatin and therefore is well suited for jellied meat, as well as for broths and thick soups with a variety of dressings. The meat, once removed from the bones, tastes great when stewed and makes a delicious, tender stew.

Step by step

1. We wash the beef tenderloin under running water, wipe it with a paper towel, wrap it in cloth and place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for two days.
2. Sprinkle the meat with salt and sugar.
3. Then we send the meat to the refrigerator for another day under load.
4. After a day, drain the juice that has separated and wipe it with dry gauze moistened with vinegar. Then sprinkle with a mixture of ground black pepper and coriander fried in a dry frying pan.
5. We dry the meat in a homemade drying chamber made from a cardboard box. It is very important to make holes to allow air to pass through and a hook to hang the meat from.
6. We place a closed box covered with gauze on a regular central heating radiator for one week.
7. In a week, the meat will dry out twice or maybe even three times.
8. Bon appetit!

Cooking pork balyk, although it is quite difficult, the result is above all praise. The resulting meat will look worthy on the holiday table, but at the same time it will go great with everyday sandwiches.