Jerky chicken

12 servings
4 days 15 min

How to slow down chicken? Prepare the products. It is the chicken breast fillet that will be needed, and it is better if the meat is unfrozen and freshest, because it will not be subjected to any heat treatment. Pre-wash the fillet and dry with paper towels - extra moisture will prevent the chicken from curling.

Another key to the success of cured meat lies in successfully selected spices - do not be alarmed, they will need quite a lot, but they will definitely not be superfluous. Paprika, red and black ground peppers and ground cumin are wonderfully suitable here (it is sold specifically for basturma, it will give our meat a unique aroma). In any case, you can add or remove something to your taste. Pour the spices into deep piala.

Add salt to the spices - it's not scary that this recipe requires quite a lot of it, we need the meat to go through well, otherwise the taste of the finished dish will not be the same. I want to add that the meat will take salt as much as necessary and will not be salted.

Mix the spices well with salt.

Rub each piece of chicken fillet well with the resulting mixture on all sides, put tightly in a container and put in the refrigerator for 24 hours. You can put oppression on the chicken. I cooked for the first time and did not put it under oppression, but when I cook more (and I will certainly be more than once), I will try to put it to compare the result. This time I will say that all the meat was perfectly salted and soaked in spices, so it is up to you.

During the time spent in the refrigerator, the meat will become dense. Rinse well under running water and dry with paper towels. If you like meat sharper, then I recommend leaving the spices a little.

For more flavour, you can add garlic - pass it through the press or grate it on a fine grater on top of the chicken.

Sprinkle paprika over the top and rub garlic well over each piece of fillet on all sides.

Wrap each piece in gauze. In principle, if you have a cold season and there is an opportunity to hang fillet on a balcony or loggia, then you can not wrap it in gauze - then the crust of meat will turn out to be more dried, and inside it will be soft and tender. Personally, next time I will try to slow down without gauze.

Tie each piece tightly with threads, making a loop on top, by which the meat will be suspended.

Let the fillets go in a cool spot for 3-4 days, you can take a little longer if you like drier meat. It all depends on your taste preferences. I dried the fillets on the loggia, it's pretty cool now. But the fillet is also dried at room temperature, I have come across this option. Personally, it seems to me that in the cold it is safer to do it.

Cured chicken is ready - look how appetizing and fragrant it is, it does not compare with sausage bought in the store, and, frankly, chicken fillet is also much more profitable in this regard.

Slice it thinly and serve it to the table as a snack. Enjoy your meal!