Mutton Pastrami

Ștefan Baciu, 25.09.2016, 14:12

According to Romanian tradition, in early autumn, when harvesting of wine grapes (vintage) is in full swing, people usually eat mutton pastrami and drink grape juice, known as “must, in Romanian. “Must and pastrami are usually associated with the return of sheep from the mountains to their owners in villages, a significant part of the transhumance process, which gets celebrated by the locals by eating various types of sheep cheese, mutton dishes, and drinking “must.

Mutton pastrami is usually made from the meat of old sheep and young rams. Pastrami can also be made from beef, pork and chicken, but the beginning of autumn is associated with mutton pastrami. The pastrami is dried, smoked and well spiced, and the best pastrami is made from low-fat mutton.

To prepare pastrami you will need 2 or 3 kilograms of mutton, several heads of garlic, crushed pepper, salt, chili powder and paprika, dried thyme and white wine. Debone the meat and slice it into thin strips. Crush the garlic cloves into a paste, and mix in the spices and seasonings. Cover the meat well in the paste, pile the strips into a vessel, then cover in white wine. Traditionally, the meat is left to marinate in this mixture for several days in a cool, dry place. In villages it was left like this in house cellars, but nowadays the fridge is used most often for this purpose. When the time is up, the meat is taken out of its marinade and left in the open air to dry well. Only then is it grilled, and if you plan on conserving it for later, the pastrami has to be smoked. If you dont have a grill handy, then slice the meat into thin strips and deep fry it or cook it in the oven. Serve with polenta, with cheese and pickles on the side, and a glass of fresh “must.

Mutton pastrami can also be used in meat and potato stew, or in meat and bean pods stew. You will need equal amounts of meat and pods and two or three tomatoes, two bell peppers and three onions. Finely chop the onions and simmer in oil, then add the tomatoes cut into small cubes and the peppers sliced into strips, and cook slowly. In a separate recipient boil the pods in salted water, then mix with the simmer vegetables and the pastrami sliced into strips. Leave to simmer, and if the pastrami has not been previously spiced, add ground pepper and chilly at the end.

Serve hot! Enjoy!