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Pastramă de oaie
Pastramă de oaie: Romanian garlic-cured mutton, rested in the fridge and grilled
Autumn, when the flocks come down from the summer pastures of Moldavia and Wallachia, used to be pastramă season: slabs of mutton were rubbed with salt, garlic and spice, pressed, then dried in the sun and wind for days before being grilled over embers. Sun-drying raw meat at home is risky, so this is a safer version: the meat cures for 1 to 2 days in the fridge, dries uncovered on a rack in the fridge for a few hours, and is then grilled until cooked through. You still get the deep, garlicky, slightly gamey taste and the salty, caramelised edges. It is served hot with mămăligă, pickles and a glass of must-like grape juice in October. The traditional sun-dried, uncooked kind is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. The common mistake is cutting the slabs too thick: keep them to 1.5 cm so the cure gets in and they cook through evenly. Chef's tip: lamb shoulder works if you cannot find mutton; it is milder, so add an extra clove of garlic.
- Total time
- 1470 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the cure
- 2 ⅝ lb boneless mutton or lamb leg or shouldertrimmed of thick fat, cut into slabs 1.5 cm thick
- 1 oz coarse salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 10 cloves garliccrushed to a paste
- 2 tsp black peppercoarsely ground
- 2 tsp coriander seedscrushed
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 3 bay leavescrumbled
To grill and serve
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 10 ½ oz mixed pickles (murături) (optional)
- 6 portions hot mămăligă (optional)
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Score the 2 ⅝ lb boneless mutton or lamb leg or shoulder slabs lightly on both sides in a criss-cross, 3 mm deep.
5 minStep 2: Mix the 1 oz coarse salt, 1 tsp sugar, 10 cloves garlic, 2 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, 1 tsp dried thyme and 3 bay leaves, and rub it firmly into every surface and cut of the meat.
5 minStep 3: Stack the slabs in a non-metallic dish, cover, set a plate with a weight on top and cure in the fridge (below 5 °C) for 24 hours, or up to 48 hours for a stronger flavour. Turn the slabs every 12 hours and spoon over the liquid that gathers.
1440 minStep 4: Rinse the slabs briefly in cold water to remove excess salt, then pat completely dry with kitchen paper.
5 minStep 5: Lay them on a rack over a tray and leave uncovered in the fridge for 3–4 hours, until the surface feels dry and slightly tacky; this replaces the traditional sun-drying.
240 minStep 6: Heat a griddle pan or barbecue to high. Brush the slabs with 2 tbsp sunflower oil.
5 minStep 7: Grill for 4–5 minutes on each side, until deeply browned and crisp at the edges and a thermometer in the thickest slab reads at least 160°F. Cut into one to check: it should be cooked through and the juices clear.
10 minStep 8: Rest for 3 minutes, slice across the grain and serve hot with 10 ½ oz mixed pickles (murături) and 6 portions hot mămăligă. Grilled leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 days.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pastramă de oaie take?
- About 1470 minutes in total: 1440 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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