Basturma is a popular Iraqi breakfast sausage that I remember fondly from my childhood. This flavorful sausage is served with eggs for breakfast. My Basturma recipe has the same wonderful flavors as traditional basturma but is much quicker to prepare!
I don't have many memories of my childhood. However, the memories I do have usually revolve around food. Big surprise, right?
I have wonderful memories of eating masgouf, and memories of my aunt Alice's delicious custard. I also have memories of my dad bringing home basturma. This was always exciting because it wasn't something we had often.
The fact that mom didn't make her own basturma made it even more special when I mastered this recipe.
Why This Recipe Works
This homemade recipe is so much simpler than the long process needed to make store-bought basturma. However, the taste is quite similar. This means you don't have to wait days to enjoy this delicious sausage!
How to Make Basturma
Step 1: Place meat in a medium-sized bowl. Add garlic and spices to the meat. Use your hands to distribute the spices throughout the meat.
Step 2: Fry a small portion of the meat and adjust the spices if necessary.
Step 3: Feed the meat through the casings or wrap in saran wrap.
Pro Tip: Freezing the basturma partially makes it much easier to slice into patties.
Step 4: Slice the basturma into patties then place them on a tray. Freeze completely them before storing the patties in a ziplock bag
Step 5:
Recipe FAQs
A choice-cut beef fillet is covered with a thick layer of salt and cured for a few days. During this time, a heavy object is placed on the meat to aid in pressing the moisture out of the meat. This is done in order to remove as much moisture from the meat as possible.
The salt is then rinsed off, and the meat is patted dry. A paste is prepared using a mixture of spices. This paste is slathered on the meat, forming a thick crust.
Lastly, the meat is pierced with a hook and hung up in a cool location to air dry. The entire process can take anywhere from two weeks to a month to complete. You know what I say? Ain't nobody got time for that!
The taste of Basturma is a little hard to describe. There's nothing else quite like it. However, if I had to try to describe the taste, I'd say the flavors resemble that of shawarma.
Basturma is highly seasoned with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. Additionally, it has a strong garlic flavor, and a bit of a spicy kick from the cayenne pepper.
It's important to mention that the Iraqi Basturma I remember from my childhood is different from Armenian Basturma.
Armenian Basturma is cured, sliced, and enjoyed as a cold cut or appetizer. Moreover, the spices used are not the same as Iraqi basturma.
There are some tools, however, that you may find helpful in preparing basturma
• The first thing I recommend is a Meat Grinder
• Next, you need the sausage-making attachment
• You also need sausage casings to stuff the meat into
Pro Tips
- Natural hot casings work great for making Iraqi sausage or any other sausage for that matter!
- Keep the basturma frozen and defrost a few patties at a time to enjoy.
- Frozen basturma will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer when packaged appropriately.
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Basturma (Middle Eastern Sausage)
Ingredients
- 1½ lb ground lamb or ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Middle Eastern 7 Spice
- ½ teaspoon paprika powder
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Place meat in a medium-sized bowl. Add garlic and spices to the meat. Use your hands to distribute the spices throughout the meat.
- Feed the meat through the casings or wrap it in saran wrap then partially freeze.
- Slice the basturma into patties then place them on a tray. Freeze completely them before storing the patties in a ziplock bag.
- To cook, simply defrost a few slices, and fry in an oiled pan, along with eggs.
Notes
- Fry a small portion of the meat and adjust the spices if necessary.
- Natural hog casings work great for making Iraqi sausage or any other sausage for that matter!
- Partially freezing the basturma makes it much easier to slice into patties.
- Keep the basturma frozen and defrost a few patties at a time to enjoy.
- Frozen basturma will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer when packaged appropriately.
chrysoulla says
Dear Hilda, the pastourma spices and recipe for pastourma sausage was more than excellent. I ordered your book and it is also very good to have. I am confused now; I cannot find the recipe for the actual spice mixture you put in the pastourma as I did not print or copy it the first time I made it. Can you tell me which one it is? Thanks!
Hilda Sterner says
Hi,
Thank you for your comment and book purchase too! 🙂 I'm really glad you like it, here is the post with the spices listed on the bottom of the page in the recipe card: https://hildaskitchenblog.com/recipe/breakfast-sausage-basturma-recipe/
chrysoulla says
Good day, Hilda! I made your Basturma Blend, then the beef roll. I am so impressed! I was born on the island of Cyprus but live in Ohio, USA where I cannot get the pastourma sausage that is available in Cyprus. I cannot believe how awesome your recipe is. We loved it! Thanks, ever so much!
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Chrysoulla, Thank you so much for your sweet comment! Every now and then you have a recipe that flies under the radar that no one seems to notice. I feel like my Basturma recipe is one of those recipes. I'm so glad to hear someone is enjoying it! 😉 Thanks again for the review!❤️
Ruth says
Would Middle Eastern 7 Spice be similar to Chaldean Baharat, and how are these compared to Indian Baharat?
HildaSterner says
Hi Ruth,
Yes, Middle Eastern 7 spice should be the same as Chaldean/Assyrian Baharat. This "baharat" mix usually includes paprika, cumin, cloves, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This should be the same mix that is used in Indian cooking. However, Indians also use curry, and garam masala in a lot of their dishes. Hope that answers your question!