Charqui or charque (from the Quechua “ch’arki,” meaning “dried meat”) is a type of dried meat developed in the Andean regions of South America that has been used for centuries to preserve meat for long periods.
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How to make Homemade Charqui?
Making charqui requires patience and care during the drying process of the meat (beef, horse, llama, alpaca, or lamb) in a place suitable for the necessary temperature and humidity conditions.
Nutritional facts
Each serving of charqui contains approximately 350 kcal, 40 g of protein, 15 g of fat (5 g of saturated fat), 80 mg of cholesterol, 0 g of carbohydrates, 0 g of sugars, and 1000 mg of sodium.
Chilean Charqui recipe
Preparation: 7 days
Cooking: 2 days
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- 2 kg of meat
- 1 kg of coarse salt
- Merkén (smoked chili)
Preparation
- On a cutting board, remove any fat from the chosen cut of meat and cut it into very thin strips. Set aside.
- In a large tray, add a layer of salt, place the meat strips, and cover with more coarse salt. Let it rest for 24 to 48 hours until the meat becomes dark and is completely dried.
- Remove the meat from the salt and hang the strips in a dry, well-ventilated place, preferably sunny and protected from insects. The drying process can take from 5 to 7 days, during which it is very important to rearrange them constantly to ensure even drying, covering them at night to prevent moisture.
- Once the process is complete, the charqui is ready to be enjoyed, either as a snack or as an ingredient in any preparation.
Tips for preparing charqui
Start with a small amount of meat the first time to master the procedure and find the right conditions. Once you have it down, you can scale up the process.
Did you know?
Originally, guanaco and llama meat were used to make charqui, but the process can be replicated with any type of meat. Nowadays, beef and horse charqui are the most commonly available.
