Salted, spiced and smoked mutton, grilled and eaten with mămăligă. It is the Romanian branch of the pastrami family, from Turkish pastırma, and the mutton is cured after the autumn descent from the mountains.
It is a cured, cold-smoked raw meat where the salt penetration and the drying conditions are the safeguards, and cold smoke flavours without cooking, so the cure carries the whole burden.
What goes into it
- mutton, in flat pieces
- coarse salt
- garlic, thyme and paprika
- hardwood smoke
How it is made
Flat pieces of mutton are salted and pressed for several days, then rubbed with garlic and spices and cold-smoked over hardwood for a day or two. They are hung to dry for a week or more and are always grilled before eating. The autumn timing follows the transhumance, when the flocks come down and are thinned.
How long it takes: one to three weeks from salting to grilling
How it is eaten
Grilled over embers with mămăligă, telemea cheese and hot peppers.
History
The Romanian branch of the pastrami family, from Turkish pastırma; mutton is cured after the autumn descent from the mountains.
Frequently asked questions
What is Pastramă de oaie?
Pastramă de oaie is a charcuterie & cured from Romania: salted, spiced and smoked mutton, grilled and eaten with mămăligă. The Romanian branch of the pastrami family, from Turkish pastırma; mutton is cured after the autumn descent from the mountains.
How is Pastramă de oaie made?
Flat pieces of mutton are salted and pressed for several days, then rubbed with garlic and spices and cold-smoked over hardwood for a day or two. They are hung to dry for a week or more and are always grilled before eating. The autumn timing follows the transhumance, when the flocks come down and are thinned. It takes one to three weeks from salting to grilling.
Can I make Pastramă de oaie at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is a cured, cold-smoked raw meat where the salt penetration and the drying conditions are the safeguards, and cold smoke flavours without cooking, so the cure carries the whole burden.
What goes into Pastramă de oaie?
Mutton, in flat pieces, coarse salt, garlic, thyme and paprika, hardwood smoke.
How is Pastramă de oaie eaten?
Grilled over embers with mămăligă, telemea cheese and hot peppers.
