Meat, Meat and more Meat

This is an excerpt from an actual book we used in class yesterday that I just had to share. It give detailed instructions and recipes for the most traditional Kazakh food. Perhaps after reading you might understand better how pertinent getting my own apartment was for me....

UNIT 1 " Foods and National Cooking"
1. Topic for reading and conversation:
MEAT IN THE KAZAKH MANNER

[Recipe for Besbarmak]
For Broth: 750 g of mutton, 1270 g of flesh [what exactly they mean, i have no idea], 1200 g beef, 1-2 onions, green onions [though i have never ever seen these in an actual recipe], salt and "spice" to taste [of which there is usually none].
For Dough: 375 g of flour, 1/3 of a piala [cup] of meat broth or water, 2 eggs, a teaspoon of salt.
For Gravy: A cup of broth, 1-2 onions

This dish is made from mutton, horse flesh and beef. [Though, when i've seen it there is only one meat at a time. Usually mutton or horse]
The prepared and washed pieces of meat are put in a cauldron or pan with cold and water and brounght to boiling. Then the fire is lessened, scum [which i can only assume is fat] is removed and meat is slow boiled till ready. 30-40 minutes until the end of boiling [usually 5-6 hours in my experience] laurel leaf, an onion, pepper and salt are added to the broth. While the meat is boiling, the dough is kneaded. It is left for 30-40 minutes, then rolled out very thin [1 mm] and cut into squares. In a separate pan onion rings are cut, salt and pepper are added and covered with fat skimmed from the hot broth, and is then stewed.
The squares of rolled dough are dropped into the broth, then once done, laid out on a flat plate and covered with gravy. Then the meat is laid on top of that with the fat-stewed onions."


mmmmmmm, right?

This dish is served at every major occasions, from teachers day to weddings to funerals. Kazakhs love it and are extremely proud of it as their national food.

Here is the next lovely description.....
Disclaimer: This one describes cutting up a horse, if you have squirming issues, pass this one!


"DELICACIES OF HORSE FLESH [which i now have deducted to mean meat]

For making: 5kg of kazy [which i assume is a specific type of meat from the horse, similar to how we name steak cuts after different parts of the cow], 350 g of salt, 10g of black pepper, a head of garlic.
For serving the table: 100g of kazy, 0.25 of an onion, 2 table spoons of green canned peas.

From the carcass of the slaughtered horse the ribs with flesh are cut off and the blood is drained for 5-7 hours. The guts are washed well and kept in salt water for 1-2 hours. The slightly dried up kazy are cut into strips along the ribs. The interrib tissue is cut with a sharp knife removing cartilage without crumbling fat. Then the meat is salted and peppered, finely cut garlic is added and meat is wrapped in a narkin [not exactly sure what this is, i'll find out and post the description] for 2-3 hours. Then the meat is stuffed into guts [intestine lining], the ends of which are tied up. After this the kazy can be dried, boiled and smoked. It is better to dry kazy by warm weather hanging them out for a week in a sunny aired place. It is best to smoke kazy in dew smoke at the temperature of 50-60 C during 12-18 hours and dry them up during 4-6 hours at 12 C. "

and now for something "lighter".....

"SORPA IN THE KAZAKH MANNER

For making: 500 g of mutton, 2.5-3 liters of water, 0.5 tablespoon salt.

Meat is carefully washed in cold water, put in a pan, covered with boiling water and boiled for about 1-1.5 hours [in my experience it's been much, much longer]. When the water begins to boil scum and the surplus of fat should be removed [key word there, SHOULD]. At the end of boiling salt is added. Meat's readiness is simple to determine: if the fork easily pierces the meat is ready. The broth should be strained and then poured in a soup plate of kece [chai cup]. Meat and baursaks [a traditional puffed bread] are added."

This dish is always served alongside Besbarmak, their relationship is as common as pizza and salad is to us.

and I've saved one of the best for last...

"KARTA

For making of karta: 100 g of karta [which include parts of the large intestine], salt, green pepper or dill [which is everywhere] to taste.
The thick part of the rectum is washed without removing fat, then carefully turned inside out, washed once more and tied up on both ends. Karta can also be dried and smoked. To dry it, karta is strewed [I assume: strewn up ] with fine salt and kept in a cool place for 1-2 days, then dried. Karta is smoked during 24 hours, then dried during 2-3 days. After washing it well, karta is boiled for 2 hours on slow fire [low heat]. Before serving the table it is cut in rings and
decorated with green pepper or dill."

These are some of the main entrees Kazakhs make for every occasion. In the south and north there are differences in prevalence and even preparation methods for all of these. I'm glad I stumbled upon these descriptions. I also hope this give more of an idea of the diet and that Kazakh history has retained its influence on its people.