Jerky Blog - Page 2 of 2 - 25 Snack: The Italian Jerky

3 Feb

Italian meat supply chain

Italian supply chain

Where do the raw materials we use to make our dried meat come from? I am from the Italian Supply Chain. Born, raised, slaughtered and dissected in Italy.

All our meats come from a cooperative of breeders who all raise the same type of animal, follow the same breeding regulations, use the same feed, and deliver to the same slaughterhouse.

In this cooperative the cost of the pigs is in fact a revenue attributed to the contributing member who has an indirect benefit in terms of profitability as well as guaranteeing the withdrawal of the pigs from the market. It manages to give sustainability to the cost of slaughter thanks to the integration of the different production phases (farmer-butcher-distributor) in a competitive context favorable to the concentration of large production numbers, thus intervening on the weaknesses of a pulverized agricultural system, encouraging the points of strength of agri-food, quality and distinctiveness, of meat production.

The absence of antibiotics is guaranteed in our supply chain. The welfare of the animal is guaranteed throughout its life. The birth, growth and slaughter are structured so that the animal does not feel pain and lives in pleasant environments. During transport, water and food are guaranteed.

We have chosen to use only female pork loins, offspring of Duroc males and Landrace or Large White females. The same supply chain as Parma or San Daniele ham.

Why?

We have therefore chosen to use only 100% Italian meat for:

support small farmers in the Italian supply chain
have a raw material of reliable and constant quality
participate in a responsible supply chain towards animals and the environment
have the guarantee of animal welfare and the absence of antibiotics
It is our philosophy. It is the Italian supply chain.

31 Jan

25snack

Charqui: the dried meat in Sudamerica

Today we will tell you the story of Charqui. When the Conquistadores arrived in South America, they changed the tradition of dried meat. From cold drying of the Incas, they moved on to hot drying or smoking.

The dried meat tradition has spread to Northern Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay and Bolivia.

Initially based on llama or guanaco meat, today it is also appreciated horse or bovine meat. When produced from lamb meat it takes on the name of chalona. The meat is spread out in the sun for about three days covered with a mosquito net. It is preserved in salt with the addition of pepper, chilli or paprika.

It can easily be traced back to the figure of Gaucho, the legendary herdsmen of Pampas. During the long rides with the herds the gaucho used to chew dried meat in the vast Argentine plains. Does it remind you of anything?

Dried meat is part of the culinary tradition of South America. We find it in at least three traditional dishes: the Chairo, the Charquican and the Oluquito with Charqui.

The main ingredients of the Chairo are: chuño (dehydrated potato), sweet potato, lamb meat, chalona (dried beef), beans or peas and mote (in this case peeled wheat). The result is a tasty soup.

Olluquito con Charqui is prepared using a local tuber, precisely olluco, and dried llama meat. It is usually served with white rice.

Charquican is a soup made from dried meat (charqui or chalona), potatoes, onion, pumpkin and various spices (cumin, oregano, paprika, black pepper and bay leaf).

https://chile.travel/turismo-gastronomico-seis-recetas-tipicas-de-chile-para-viajar-desde-tu-cocina

Dried meat in Brazil.

In the north-east of Brazil, in an area called Sertão, the sertanejos (the inhabitants of this area) usually prepare dried meat. This preparation, known as carne-de-sol, takes on several names such as jabà, carne-de-sertão, carne serenada, carne-de-viagem, carne-mole, carne-do-vento, cacina or carne acacinada.

Unlike the charqui the origin is not Inca, but probably derives from the Portuguese colonizers. The Portuguese were well acquainted with the drying technique, already used with other products of their tradition, such as cod.

In the local culinary tradition it is used as an ingredient for a traditional dish based on dried meat, cassava and onion.

26 Jan

Carne Secca

Ch’arki: the dried meat of the Incas

Ch’arki: little remains of the traditions of the great Inca empire.

The Spanish monk and conquistador Bernabé Cobo in 1653 wrote that the Peruvian people prepared the dried llama meat by cutting it into slices, putting them on ice for some time and then breaking it up.

Ch’arki, the Quechua word for “dried meat”, traditionally produced with alpaca or llama meat, is probably connected to the tradition of tampu, a series of warehouses located along the trade routes of the Andes to offer shelter and refreshment to Inca travelers. in case of necessity.

Scholars have difficulty in fixing a precise date for the birth of this tradition, but they agree that it is between 8 and 12 thousand years ago.

The Ch’arki was considered a luxury item, widely consumed by the nobles and was distributed to the population only in case of ceremonial events. It was also required by the Inca royalty as payment of taxes.

The Inca exploited the cold and dry climate of the Andes to produce dried meat with a particular method: cold drying. The strips of meat, deprived of the fat, were placed outdoors. The dry climate, the cold of the Andean nights and the beating sun at high altitude led to natural drying.

Once dried and salted, it could be kept for months in the arid and cold climate of the Andes. It was therefore a long-life food with a high nutritional value.

(in the photo the ruins of an Inca tampu)

La tradizione è andata avanti? Leggete questo articolo per saperne di più.

25 Jan

Italian Jerky

Oxygen Absorber

Why did we decide to use Oxygen Absorber?

We wanted a quality salami that could be stored out of the refrigerator.

We wanted smart packaging that was easy to carry around.

In 2017 we started the research activities in the laboratory to understand how to obtain the result. After two years of research we have created the first 25 Snack package. We used a highly technological film for packaging, an internal production analysis laboratory, a gas mixture designed to preserve our dried meat.

We were the first in Italy to use Oxygen Absorber / Scavenger technology to implement the conservation of our products.

They are tablets containing iron powder and sodium chlorite and perform a very important function: they attract oxygen particles to themselves by oxidizing and preventing the meat from undergoing oxidative effects.

On the pack of 25 Snacks there is an indication not to eat the sachets and on the Oxygen Absorber itself the wording is reported.

Thanks also to this technology we have managed to avoid the use of chemical additives such as nitrites, nitrates and ascorbates for preservation.

23 Jan

Our Pastirma!

Our Pastirma

(more…)

21 Jan

Pastirma: the Armenian Dried Meat

The history of the Pastirma

In present-day Turkey, nomadic tradition and Koranic dictates, the Byzantines and the Armenian people have crossed over the centuries.

Mongolian and Hun populations with warrior nomadism spread their traditions of producing and consuming dried meat in the conquered territories.

The Halal food discipline indicates five different ways to consume meat: salted and / or marinated but not dried, dried not fermented, fermented semi-dry / dried, smoked, cooked and / or candied.

The Quran also states that it is permissible to eat dried meat and dried fish. It is mentioned in a Hadith.

From the climate, from nomadic influences, from religious dictates, recipes of dried meat were born.

Pàstırma, basturma, pastiurma, basdırma or basterma, is an air-dried cured beef that is part of the cuisines of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Egypt, Greece, Iraq, North Macedonia and Turkey.

The tradition was probably brought by the Armenians. In support of this theory, the Arabs teased Armenians with expressions such as “it smells like basturma nearby”, referring to the strong smell of garlic and fenugreek that envelops the pastirma.

The name probably comes from the Turkish “press” (bastirma) or from the Byzantine “akropaston apakin Pastirma” or “well seasoned fillet”. Certainly the origins are lost in the mists of time.

Traditionally based on beef or water buffalo, pastirma can also be made with goat, veal, lamb, camel or horse meat.

26 different cuts of beef produce 26 different types of pastirma. The most valuable are those of fillet, thigh or shoulder.

The meat is salted to dry and pressed (bastirma in fact), then it is wrapped in a spice paste including fenugreek and garlic. The spice blanket keeps insects away during traditional outdoor drying.

The city where Turkey’s most famous pastirma is produced is Kayseri, the ancient Caesarea of the Romans, already populated by the Armenians.

It is a popular dish for breakfast, in omelettes or with eggs. It is used to dress hamburgers, stuff börek or complete a sandwich with cheese. It is an ingredient for a traditional stew made with spinach, tomato, cabbage, chickpeas, white beans and asparagus.

19 Jan

Natural dried meat free of nitrites, nitrates, ascorbates

Why the choice of natural dried meat.

Studies by cancer research associations have shown that some additives may contribute to the creation of carcinogenic particles. We are talking about nitrates and nitrites, known on the label as E249, E250, E251, E252.

Nitrates and nitrites are naturally present in many foods (beets, spinach, water, turnips, etc.) to a much higher extent than that permitted by law as an additive in the production of food products.

Nitrates, which are harmless in themselves, can be converted into nitrites with the action of the salivary glands. Nitrites, during digestion and in the absence of ascorbates (E300, E301 and vitamin C in general), can convert into nitrous acid. Nitrous acid in an acidic environment such as the stomach can add up to amines (molecules present in protein-rich products such as cured meats, meats, cheeses, etc.). Thus, particles called nitro-samines are born. Conversion can also take place in high-temperature cooking, such as frying.

Nitro-samines are carcinogenic. The ascorbates, therefore the vitamin C, naturally present in vegetables, performs the important function of inhibiting the fusion of nitrous acid with the amines, hence the creation of nitro-samines.

Nitrites are traditionally used to inhibit the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms.

We prefer to let nature do the proportion of nitrites, nitrates and ascorbates. The dried meat of 25 Snack does not use any type of artificial additive, only a careful selection of the meat, a lot of cleaning, an internal analysis laboratory and a meticulous control of the various production phases. In the ingredients you will find only Italian pork, salt, spices and natural flavors (garlic and orange are not classified as spices).

That’s why we are talking about natural dried meat.

17 Jan

The Borts: the dried meat of the Mongolian people

The tradition of the “borts” (борц) of the Mongolian warriors continues in the ger, the typical Mongolian tents. On the ceiling of the tent it is still hung today to dry the meat or, alternatively, it is placed in special boxes that guarantee the passage of air.

The dried meat is stored in linen bags. With the Mongolian climate this method of preservation preserves the quality of the meat for months or even years. This is why Genghis Kahn’s warriors always carried dried meat with them.

In large cities, such as Ulan Bator or Darhan, it is possible to buy borts in shops. The most popular version is beef based, however horse or camel meat is very popular.

In traditional Mongolian cuisine, Borts is used in at least three typical dishes: Buuz, Bansh and Kuunshuur. The ingredients of the three recipes include the use of dried meat, flour, garlic, water and onions. It is something similar to the italian stuffed ravioli. The main difference between the three versions is in cooking (and shape): fried (Kuunshuur), boiled in water (Bansh) or steamed (Buuz).

The tradition of Genghis Khan’s Mongolian warriors continues to this day, in culture and tradition as well as in the typical cuisine of the Mongolian people.

14 Jan

coppiette snack

Gengis Kahn and the dried meat…

Gengis Kahn, the great Mongolian warrior and dried meat: what is the link?

(more…)