Elenski but
Encyclopedia
Elenski but is a dry-cured
ham from the town of Elena
in northern Bulgaria
and a popular delicacy throughout the country. The meat
has a specific taste and can be preserved in the course of several years, owing much to the special process of making and the climatic conditions of the part of Stara Planina where Elena is located.
. After the legs are shaped, they are well salted and put at the bottom of a postav, a special type of barrel designed for the occasion. The delicacy traditionally remains in salt
for 40 days, then is taken out and left to get dry.
meal or processed with lime milk. The meat could also be stored in specially sewn bags of cheesecloth
or wooden containers with thick nets instead of walls (muharnik), but is as a rule put somewhere airy, where the clear mountain air could aid the drying and conservation, and also in order to prevent houseflies
to lay eggs on the rounds.
In many of the small towns around Elena, the rounds were in the past left in conservation in the rooms where the daily housefire was lit, so that a certain amount of smoking could be achieved in order to add smoked flavour.
Curing (food preservation)
Curing refers to various food preservation and flavoring processes, especially of meat or fish, by the addition of a combination of salt, nitrates, nitrite or sugar. Many curing processes also involve smoking, the process of flavoring, or cooking...
ham from the town of Elena
Elena, Bulgaria
Elena is a Bulgarian town in the central Stara Planina mountain in Veliko Tarnovo Province, located 42 km away to southeast from the city of Veliko Tarnovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Elena Municipality. The area is a popular mountain resort also known for the typical...
in northern Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and a popular delicacy throughout the country. The meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
has a specific taste and can be preserved in the course of several years, owing much to the special process of making and the climatic conditions of the part of Stara Planina where Elena is located.
Preparation
The legs and quarters of the pig, traditionally singed and scraped, are taken from the body. Later the redundant parts are removed, so that the remaining meat is protected by hide or the skin that surrounds the muscle tissueMuscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
. After the legs are shaped, they are well salted and put at the bottom of a postav, a special type of barrel designed for the occasion. The delicacy traditionally remains in salt
Edible salt
Salt, also known as table salt, or rock salt, is a mineral that is composed primarily of sodium chloride , a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of ionic salts. It is essential for animal life in small quantities, but is harmful to animals and plants in excess...
for 40 days, then is taken out and left to get dry.
Preservation technologies
There are various preservation technologies used to prepare elenski but that typically vary considerably from family to family, as opposed to regionally. In the past, the rounds were put in well trampled upon maizeMaize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
meal or processed with lime milk. The meat could also be stored in specially sewn bags of cheesecloth
Cheesecloth
Cheesecloth is a loosewoven gauze-like cotton cloth used primarily in cheese making and cooking.Cheesecloth is available in at least seven different grades, from open to extra-fine weave. Grades are distinguished by the number of threads per inch in each direction.- Uses :The primary use of...
or wooden containers with thick nets instead of walls (muharnik), but is as a rule put somewhere airy, where the clear mountain air could aid the drying and conservation, and also in order to prevent houseflies
Housefly
The housefly , Musca domestica, is a fly of the suborder Cyclorrhapha...
to lay eggs on the rounds.
In many of the small towns around Elena, the rounds were in the past left in conservation in the rooms where the daily housefire was lit, so that a certain amount of smoking could be achieved in order to add smoked flavour.
See also
- ProsciuttoProsciuttoProsciutto |ham]]) or Parma ham is a dry-cured ham that is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked; this style is called prosciutto crudo in Italian and is distinguished from cooked ham, prosciutto cotto....
and Jamón serranoJamón serranoJamón serrano is a type of jamón , which is generally served raw in thin slices, or occasionally diced. The French jambon de Bayonne and Italian prosciutto crudo are similar...
, similar delicacies - Bulgarian cuisineBulgarian cuisineBulgarian cuisine is a representative of the cuisine of Southeastern Europe. Essentially South Slavic, it shares characteristics with other Balkans cuisines...