flipLlama charqui, dried meat for travel and siege
Llama charqui, dried meat for travel and siege
Why this dish? Charqui (from which the word 'jerky' comes) is THE Andean preservation technique. For an army besieging La Paz for months from the hills, dried and salted meat is vital: lightweight, non-perishable, energizing. Bartolina, who also manages trade and logistics, knows the value of a provision that does not rot.
Strips of lean meat salted and dried in the dry sun and frost of the Altiplano until hard and concentrated. Snacked on the trail or broken into soup.
Fresh meat does not last on the high land, so I cheat time. I cut the flesh into long thin strips, rub it with salt, and entrust it to the day's sun and the night's frost — the same cold that makes my chuño. In a few days it becomes hard and dark, and it will keep a whole season in my chuspa. It is this that feeds our men around La Paz when nothing more enters the city.
- •Lean llama meat — a quarter (material to dry)
- •Andean rock salt — generously (preservation, flavor)
Llama charqui, dried meat for travel and siege
Strips of lean meat salted and dried in the dry sun and frost of the Altiplano until hard and concentrated. Snacked on the trail or broken into soup.
Why this dish? Charqui (from which the word 'jerky' comes) is THE Andean preservation technique. For an army besieging La Paz for months from the hills, dried and salted meat is vital: lightweight, non-perishable, energizing. Bartolina, who also manages trade and logistics, knows the value of a provision that does not rot.
Fresh meat does not last on the high land, so I cheat time. I cut the flesh into long thin strips, rub it with salt, and entrust it to the day's sun and the night's frost — the same cold that makes my chuño. In a few days it becomes hard and dark, and it will keep a whole season in my chuspa. It is this that feeds our men around La Paz when nothing more enters the city.
Ingredients (period version)
- Lean llama meat — a quarter (material to dry)
- Andean rock salt — generously (preservation, flavor)
Ingredients
- Lean beef (bottom round, eye of round) or lamb — 1 kg (material to dry)
- Coarse salt — 60-80 g (preservation)
- Dried oregano (optional) — 1 tsp (flavor)
Method
- Cut the meat into very thin strips (5 mm) along the grain, removing all fat.
- Massage the strips with salt (and oregano), then let them purge in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
- Pat dry thoroughly. Traditional method: dry in dry, cold open air for several days.
- Safe modern method: spread on a rack and dry in the oven at 65-70°C (150-160°F), door ajar, for 4 to 6 hours.
- The meat is ready when it is rigid, dark, and cracks when bent without oozing.
- Store in a cloth or jar in a dry place; rehydrate in soups or snack as is.
How it was made : Pre-Columbian Andean charqui combined two forces of the Altiplano: salt and the alternation of dry sun / night frost. Lean llama (or alpaca) meat was perfectly suited. This provision was a currency and a pillar of Andean military logistics well before and during the colonial period.
The contemporary twist : Serve the shredded charqui as a crispy 'topping' on chuño purée, Andean tapa style.
Bartolina Sisa · Charactorium
