Beef air-dried in strips through the Mongolian winter, then crumbled into soups and stews. Mongol cavalry carried pulverised dried beef in saddlebags, which let armies ride for weeks without baggage trains, and herders still dry it in cold sheds.
It is unsalted raw meat preserved by a Mongolian winter — sustained sub-zero cold and very low humidity doing the work of a freeze dryer. Nothing in a temperate kitchen substitutes for that, and without it the same strips simply spoil.
What goes into it
- beef, cut in long strips along the muscle
- cold dry air
How it is made
At the winter slaughter the meat is cut into long thin strips and hung in an unheated shed or ger through the cold months. No salt is used at all: Mongolia’s winter is dry and far below freezing, so the meat freeze-dries rather than rots, and it ends dark, brittle and light enough to crumble in the hand.
How long it takes: the whole winter — two to four months hanging
How it is eaten
Crumbled into soups and noodle stews, where it rehydrates and thickens the broth.
History
Mongol cavalry carried pulverised dried beef in saddlebags, letting armies ride for weeks without baggage trains, and herders still dry it in cold sheds.
Frequently asked questions
What is Borts?
Borts is a charcuterie & cured from Mongolia: beef air-dried in strips through winter, then crumbled into soups and stews. Mongol cavalry carried pulverised dried beef in saddlebags, letting armies ride for weeks without baggage trains, and herders still dry it in cold sheds.
How is Borts made?
At the winter slaughter the meat is cut into long thin strips and hung in an unheated shed or ger through the cold months. No salt is used at all: Mongolia’s winter is dry and far below freezing, so the meat freeze-dries rather than rots, and it ends dark, brittle and light enough to crumble in the hand. It takes the whole winter — two to four months hanging.
Can I make Borts at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is unsalted raw meat preserved by a Mongolian winter — sustained sub-zero cold and very low humidity doing the work of a freeze dryer. Nothing in a temperate kitchen substitutes for that, and without it the same strips simply spoil.
What goes into Borts?
Beef, cut in long strips along the muscle, cold dry air.
How is Borts eaten?
Crumbled into soups and noodle stews, where it rehydrates and thickens the broth.
