Tyuletka

Tyuletka is a salt-cured veal of the Russian north, traditionally made by the Pomor communities along the White Sea coast. The cold northern climate, with its long freezing winters, made natural curing practical, and the Pomors developed a tradition of salting veal for winter storage that predates the Russian state. The veal is salted heavily with coarse salt and saltpetre, pressed under a weight for several days, then hung in a cold, dry place to cure for weeks or months. The result is a firm, sliceable, intensely savoury cured meat with a delicate veal flavour, eaten thinly sliced on dark bread with butter and mustard. It is one of the rarer Russian cured meats, less known outside the northern regions, but it is the northern equivalent of the Caucasian basturma or the Italian bresaola.

Firm, dry, thinly sliced cured veal with a delicate, slightly sweet meat flavour and a deep saltiness. Eaten on a slice of dark rye bread with cold butter and sharp mustard, it is a northern Russian delicacy of great subtlety.

The technique is a dry salt cure followed by a long hang. A leg or loin of veal is rubbed heavily with a mixture of coarse salt and a small amount of saltpetre (or curing salt), packed in more salt, and weighted down in a cold place for 5 to 7 days. The salt draws moisture and preserves the meat, the saltpetre fixes the pink colour. After the initial cure, the meat is rinsed, dried, wrapped in cloth, and hung in a cold (2 to 5 degrees C), dry, ventilated place for 3 to 6 weeks, during which it loses moisture, firms up, and develops its flavour. The long hang concentrates the flavour and creates the firm, sliceable texture. Thinly sliced and eaten cold, the fat and lean alternating.