Chicken pastrama

There are days when I feel like preparing something special for the fridge, but without spending hours by the stove. I have made this chicken pastrama several times, starting from what I had at home. It's not complicated, just requires a bit of patience with the marinating and some attention during baking. Every time it turned out quite well and disappears quickly, whether sliced thin or alongside a simple side dish.

Quick info

Total time: about 26 hours (including marinating)
Effective preparation time: about 40 minutes
Cooking time: 80 minutes in the oven
Servings: 6-8 (depends on how you slice it)
Difficulty: easy to medium, just requires attention while rolling
Recipe type: appetizer, main course, or for sandwiches

Ingredients

650 g chicken breast
650 g boneless chicken thighs
1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 pinch of ground pepper
1 pinch of dried thyme
1 pinch of dried basil
1 pinch of dried oregano
1 pinch of sweet paprika
500 ml water
2 tablespoons ketchup

Preparation method

1. Cut the chicken breast into slightly thicker slices, not too thin. Leave the boneless thighs whole.

2. Clean the garlic and crush it with the salt until you get a paste. Add the olive oil and mix everything until it becomes a frothy, whitish garlic paste.

3. Add all the dry spices, balsamic vinegar, mustard seeds, sugar, and water to the garlic paste. Mix well, then taste and adjust the salt if needed. The brine should be quite salty, more than a regular garlic paste.

4. Place the meat in a large pot with a lid. Pour the brine over the meat and mix gently to ensure the liquid covers everything. Cover the pot and leave it in the fridge for 24 hours. Occasionally, if you have time, stir the meat in the brine a bit.

5. Remove the meat from the brine after 24 hours. Place the thighs on top of the chicken breast fillets, then roll them together tightly. Tie the roll with kitchen twine, not too loosely, to maintain its shape while baking.

6. Place the rolls back in the heat-resistant dish. Pour the remaining brine over them, but only until halfway up the rolls, not covering them completely.

7. Cover the dish and place it in the oven, preheated to 200°C, for 60 minutes. Every 20-30 minutes, carefully turn the rolls from one side to the other and poke them with a fork here and there, so the liquid circulates and they cook evenly.

8. After 60 minutes, remove the dish, drain almost all the brine (leave just a little liquid at the bottom), brush the rolls with a spoonful of ketchup, and put them back in the oven, uncovered, at 175-180°C for another 10 minutes.

9. Turn the rolls onto the other side, brush again with ketchup, and leave for another 10 minutes at the same temperature, still uncovered. During this time, the pastrama will develop a thin crust and an even color.

10. Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing. It can be sliced easily, either warm or cold.

Why I make this recipe often

It can be kept in the fridge for several days without drying out or changing its taste. It's a good option when I want something ready for sandwiches or to put on an appetizer table. It doesn't cost much and doesn't involve complicated techniques.

Tips and variations

Tips

If you don't have a pot with a lid, aluminum foil works too, but it should be tightly covered in the first hour.
After draining the brine, you can add a tablespoon of oil to the bottom of the dish if you want a slightly shinier crust.
Poke the roll here and there when you turn it, so it doesn't crack while baking and the brine penetrates well.
Instead of ketchup, you can use a little tomato sauce mixed with paprika if you want a different taste on the outside.

Substitutions

The chicken breast can be replaced with turkey, but the cooking time may vary.
The boneless thighs can be replaced with just breast if you don't want any fatty meat, but the texture will be a bit drier.
You can adjust the spices to taste. Not all are mandatory, but salt and garlic are essential.

Variations

You can add chili flakes for a spicier taste.
Part of the water can be replaced with dry white wine for a subtly different flavor.
If you don't want a roll, you can cook the pieces of meat individually, but they won't slice as well.

Serving ideas

Slice and serve on an appetizer platter, alongside pickles or eggplant salad.
Goes well in sandwiches with homemade bread and mustard.
As a main course, a thicker slice with mashed potatoes or baked potatoes on the side.

Frequently asked questions

1. How tightly should the roll be tied with twine?
Tie it tight enough so it doesn't fall apart when sliced, but not so tight that the filling spills out. A knot every 2-3 cm is sufficient.

2. Should the brine completely cover the meat in the oven?
No, only halfway. This way, the top will develop a crust in the end.

3. What do I do if I don't have mustard seeds?
It's not a problem, you can omit them or use half a teaspoon of regular mustard, added directly to the brine.

4. Can I use only chicken breast?
Yes, but it will be a bit drier. The boneless thighs provide extra flavor and tenderness.

5. What do I do if I don't have a pot with a lid?
You can use a deep baking dish well covered with aluminum foil. It's important not to let the brine evaporate quickly.

Nutritional values (estimate, per serving from 8)

Calories: 180-210 kcal
Protein: 28-30 g
Fat: 5-7 g
Carbohydrates: 3-5 g (from ketchup and a little sugar)
Sodium: quite high, being a brine recipe
Values are indicative and depend a lot on how thick you slice or how much brine remains at the end. It's a dish fairly low in carbohydrates, rich in protein.

Storage and reheating

It can be stored in the fridge, in a container with a lid, for up to 4 days. It remains tender if not left uncovered.
To serve warm, heat a few slices in steam or in the oven, not in the microwave, to avoid drying out.
I do not recommend freezing, the texture changes and it doesn't come out the same when thawed. It's best fresh or within the first few days.

We fillet the chicken breast, but not too thin. We leave the thighs as they are. We clean the garlic and crush it together with salt, then add olive oil and mix until it becomes a frothy garlic paste. We add spices, balsamic vinegar, water to the garlic, and mix well. We taste and adjust the salt if necessary. It should be saltier than a regular garlic paste. We place the meat in a covered dish, add brine over it and mix well to ensure the brine ingredients penetrate the meat, cover the dish, and refrigerate for 24 hours. After the time is up, we remove the meat from the brine and place the chicken thighs over the fillets of breast, then roll and tie with string quite tightly. We put the formed rolls in a heat-resistant dish with a lid, pour the brine over them, and place the dish in the oven for 60 minutes at 200 degrees. During this time, we turn the rolls from one side to the other. After 60 minutes, we take out the dish, drain the brine (leaving just a little at the bottom of the dish) and brush the rolls with a bit of ketchup. We return the dish to the oven for another 10 minutes, but without the lid and at a lower heat of 175-180 degrees, then we turn the rolls to the other side, brush them with ketchup, and leave them for another 10 minutes. We do this operation to nicely brown the roll. We serve it alongside pickles and a side dish of choice. When we put the roll in the oven, the brine should not cover it completely, but only halfway. After draining the brine, towards the end of the preparation, we can add a little oil to the dish. We poke the roll in several places when turning it from one side to the other.

 Ingredients: 650 g chicken breast 650 g boneless chicken thighs 1 head of garlic 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon ground pepper 1 tablespoon coarse salt 1 tablespoon sugar spices: thyme, basil, oregano, sweet paprika (a pinch of each) mustard seeds 500 ml water 2 tablespoons ketchup

 Tags:  chicken pastrama