How Kazakhs make horse sausage (63 photos)

Today we were contacted by the guys from the Kazakh edition of Voxpopuli. “Knowing your interest in everything unusual, – they write, – perhaps you will find interesting topics that we published at home. For example, how the national Kazakh dish kazy (horse sausage) is made. We showed the whole process of its creation. From the moment when the horse is still in the stall, to the end, when the women processed his intestines”… The recently published photos of the process of making basturma, judging by the estimates and the number of comments, interested our readers, so we will not keep ourselves waiting long, and today you can find out how the step-by-step process of turning a horse into a sausage goes. (Warning! Some photos may seem unpleasant or scary)

Source: voxpopuli.kz

Since ancient times, the Kazakh people slaughter cattle before winter. The custom of making sogym (preparing meat for the winter) has existed for a very long time. Our wise ancestors calculated that it is profitable to slaughter cattle in late autumn. First, there will be something to eat all winter. Secondly, in winter there are no problems with storing meat, it does not deteriorate in the cold. Thirdly, it is in autumn that animals gain the most weight. Among the Kazakhs, horses are divided into three categories: riding (horses), working and intended for sogym. It is not customary to slaughter horses, they are treated with respect. Working horses are rarely slaughtered. Usually horses specially bred for this purpose go to sogym. They are grazed and fattened like other livestock and are not given names, unlike horses.

1. Farmer Zhuman looks to the side where his cattle are grazing. He has been caring for him for 40 years. Now he has his own farm, where there are several dozen horses, cows and sheep. Every autumn, Zhuman cuts a horse for sogym. Today is just such a day.

2. Zhuman's son Yerlik with a lasso goes to the stall to catch a horse.

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4. Only after a couple of attempts he manages to throw his lasso

5. The main goal is to tie the lasso to the tree. The younger brother Daniyar helps the older one by urging the horse with rods.

6. Finally, with common efforts, Zhuman and his sons manage to wind the rope around the tree.

7. After - the rope is tightened and pulled to knock the horse down

8. As soon as it falls, the slaughterer Beisenba tries to press the horse's head to the ground

9. At this time, Yerlik tightly ties his hooves with a rope.

10. When the horse is securely tied, the lasso is dragged from the neck to the head, hooked on the teeth in such a way that the animal's neck can be conveniently extended

11. Before you start cutting your head, everyone reads a small prayer to himself

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13. When the animal finally calms down, Yerlik removes the lasso…

14. …and prepares a place for butchering

15. The horse is dragged to a specially prepared place

16. Before starting work, miners wash their hands

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18. Beisenby starts first. First, he skins, starting with the limbs and stomach of the horse.

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23. The meat is immediately taken home so as not toattract flies and dogs

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26. Brisket and entrails are suitable for kuyrdak and kazy

27. While the men are cutting the meat, kuyrdak is already being prepared in the kitchen. In the picture, Zhuman's relative Rezzhan cuts meat for the future dish

28. For kuyrdak, lungs, heart and a little brisket are used. The meat is cut into medium-sized cubes.

29. A cauldron is placed on the street under a canopy

30. Put the meat first

31. Next comes onion and garlic

32. Sometimes tomatoes are added for taste

33. Cover tightly with a lid and simmer over medium heat.

34. While Rezkhan is in charge of the kitchen, there are other women in the yard cleaning the intestines and the map. Apisan cuts the intestine with a knife, and Kuleimash helps her, holding the other end. Both of them are neighbors of the owner of the farm.

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37. All the insides are thoroughly washed with water and salt.

38. Salt helps to remove not only contaminated areas, but also to remove mucus from the intestines

39. They open the karyn (stomach) and clean it from the contents

40. Meat on the ribs is the future of kazy. The ribs are separated from the carcass entirely without crushing

41. In horsemeat, the following are valued: zhaya (pictured), kazy and karta. The zhaya is cut from the back of the thigh of the horse meat. From time immemorial, Kazakhs do not use fresh meat for food. It is first salted and dried, and then consumed boiled

42. At the end, the men clean up the place of slaughter

43. Women continue to clean the intestines. "My father was a herdsman for about 50 years. We can say that we have a dynasty of herdsmen, whose traditions are passed down from generation to generation," says Apisana.

44. It is already evening on the farm, the chickens, hiding from the bright sun during the day, go out into the yard.

45. One of the dogs of the Cootball Farm

46. Kuyrdak is almost ready

47. And the samovar boils for tea

48. Zhuman hugs his relative Rezkhan.

49. The table is already set in the farmhouse

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51. A real kuyrdak is cooked without potatoes.

52. After dinner, Apisan and Kuleimash put the map away to start preparing the kazy.

53. First, the filling for the kazy is cut into strips from the horse's ribs

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55. Sliced meat is seasoned with a special seasoning of salt, garlic and black pepper. Sometimes housewives use their own seasoning composition, which they keep secret

56. Seasoned meat is pushed into the already prepared, thoroughly washed intestine. For kazy, a special duodenum is used, 10-12 meters

57. The meat is stuffed tightly into the intestine, trying not to tear it

58. Kazy is made 60-70 cm long, the rest is cut off.

59. The end of the intestine is "sewn up" with a toothpick. In the old days, when there were no toothpicks, our ancestors used sticks cut from reeds

60. Umit watches the work of young women with interest. “I am 75 years old, in my family, too, all the men were herders. Helping my mother, I learned how to make kazy from childhood," she says

61. After a few minutes, unable to stand on a chair, she herself takes up the work

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63. By the end of the work, the kazy is put in a dry place so that it can be soaked with seasoning. The most favorite delicacy of the Kazakhs can be considered ready.