Homemade Pork Balyk

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make pork balyk at home? Gather the ingredients. It's best to use a tender cut of pork - tenderloin, loin, neck, or shoulder. I used pork neck. Trim the membranes and sinew off the piece of meat. Rinse it and pat it dry well with paper towels.

2. Step 2:

   

   Rub it thoroughly with a mixture of salt and sugar.

3. Step 3:

   

   Put the meat in a container, such as a pot or a large bowl. You can sprinkle it lightly with allspice.

4. Step 4:

   

   Cover the meat with a plate smaller in diameter than the pot or bowl.

5. Step 5:

   

   Set up a weight so the meat is always pressed down. In my case a small pumpkin served as the weight. You can use a jar of water. Put the meat in the fridge for three days. Check the pot periodically, draining off the liquid that forms and turning the piece of meat onto its other side.

6. Step 6:

   

   Prepare the seasonings. In a small bowl, mix the pepper blend, khmeli-suneli, and coriander. You can also add favorite spices if you like.

7. Step 7:

   

   Peel the garlic and put it through a press.

8. Step 8:

   

   After three days, take the piece of meat out of the pot. Pat it dry well with paper towels or napkins.

9. Step 9:

   

   Rub the meat with garlic on all sides.

10. Step 10:

    

    Next, rub the piece with the spice mixture, thoroughly, as if working the spices into the meat.

11. Step 11:

    

    Wrap the meat in cheesecloth folded in 2-3 layers, or in a thin, light cloth. Tie it on all sides with thick string or twine.

12. Step 12:

    

    Hang the bundle by the string in a well-ventilated, warm place for 5-9 days (depending on the room's temperature and how well it's ventilated; the optimal temperature for making balyk is considered to be 4 to 15 degrees Celsius). On the second day, check whether the cheesecloth has gotten wet from the juices. If it has, rewrap the balyk in fresh cloth. Also make sure flies and other insects don't land on the cheesecloth.

13. Step 13:

    

    In this recipe, the balyk dried in the attic for 8 days.

14. Step 14:

    

    That was enough to make the meat dry on the outside while staying soft, but not too moist, inside. Cut the balyk into thin slices and serve. Enjoy!