Air-dried delicacies in Astana
The slowest and most honest method there is: the meat is neither cooked nor smoked, it simply dries for weeks at a low temperature. Moisture leaves gradually and the flavour turns dense and concentrated. You cannot hurry this — you can only ruin it.
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Go to the catalogue →How we dry it
We take a whole muscle cut, salt it dry and press it. Then it goes into a chamber held at steady humidity and around 12 degrees. The meat loses up to 40% of its weight, which is why a kilo of the finished product takes nearly two kilos of raw meat.
How long depends on the cut: bresaola needs about 30 days, a large basturma up to 60. We do not cut that short to move stock faster — under-dried meat gives itself away immediately, with a sour note and a soft slice.
Choosing it and serving it
A good air-dried product is evenly dark right through, with no pale raw core in the middle. The slice should be springy and translucent against the light, not crumbly.
Slice it thin and let it sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes — cold keeps the flavour shut. Basturma goes well with hard cheese and dry red wine; bresaola with rocket, parmesan and a drop of olive oil.
Keeping it
In the fridge at 2–6 degrees, wrapped in parchment rather than cling film: under film the meat suffocates and turns damp. Eat sliced meat within two or three days; a whole piece keeps far longer.