WHAT IS DING DING MEAT?
Sometimes I am amazed how and where the journey to learn about regional charcuterie can lead. Last summer when discussing making salume with my sister-in-laws' father, Owen Fernandez, he told me about “Ding Ding” meat that he would eat when growing up in Waltair (Railway Colony) (Vishakhamatnam Region), in India. In short it is a sun dried meat cured in salt, spices and vinegar and was used for the preservation of game from hunting – boar, pheasants, wild duck ; but mostly now used to preserve beef (actually buffalo but is also called 'beef') and mutton. Listening to Owen tell me about this meat from his childhood had me fascinated.
It was described to me as very simple food preservation and, being tantalised by how different countries and cultures approach food preservation, I started my research with aplomb for something I had never heard off with the somewhat crazy name of 'Ding Ding'. Scouring the internet, no one seems to know where the ‘Ding Ding’ name actually came from, I can only assume it derived from a form of rhyming slang when hanging up to dry with string in the sun. It is applied to a variety of meats across various regions in India, with many references to being of Anglo-Indian history, and would end up being dried to a crisp in the Indian sunshine! |
USING DING DING
This can be used in two ways – firstly being preserved for rehydration at a later date in water, and then frying it off and serving with rice and pepper water (pepper water being a watery sauce made from tomatoes, turmeric, pepper, coriander powder, cumin powder, and chili powder) and forms the basis of a traditional everyday meal.
Secondly, and the way I prefer it, is treating it like an American beef jerky, that is deeply flavoursome, especially the Kerala version (see my recipe for this here). I hope when I next see Owen I can present him my version and see if meets his approval!
To dry the meat you can use an oven on a low setting (50 C), or a dehydrator, or if it is summer string it up to hang in the sun and bring it back in the evening when the air becomes damp.
Secondly, and the way I prefer it, is treating it like an American beef jerky, that is deeply flavoursome, especially the Kerala version (see my recipe for this here). I hope when I next see Owen I can present him my version and see if meets his approval!
To dry the meat you can use an oven on a low setting (50 C), or a dehydrator, or if it is summer string it up to hang in the sun and bring it back in the evening when the air becomes damp.
HOW TO MAKE DING DING MEAT (KERALA STYLE)
This is my favoured version of Ding Ding as the flavours carry really well to deliver a fragrant, aromatic explosion of flavours when devoured. When I serve this up, sliced up, as part of charcuterie platter it is always met by ‘WOW! What is that?!’ after it has been tried. I’ve tweaked this over time to the below to deliver the most harmonious flavour profile and works brilliantly with beef.
INGREDIENTS
1kg Beef joint (topside or silverside) looking for minimal fat %
A thumb of ginger, peeled 2 cloves of garlic 1 Teaspoon of cumin seeds 1 Teaspoon of Chili Powder 1 Teaspoon of Turmeric powder 1 Teaspoon of black peppercorns 1 Teaspoon of Garam Marsala 2 Teaspoons of Salt ½ Cup of Vinegar (red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or cider vinegar) |
METHOD
1.Pop the cumin seeds in a hot dry pan for up to a minute. You don’t want them to burn, just warm through to toasting level. 2.Cut up the ginger into small pieces and pop into a mortar along with the garlic, salt, and peppercorns and start grinding away with your pestle. If you don’t have a pestle and mortar then a rolling pin and food grade bag will work. 3.Add the remaining dry ingredients and keep grinding till you get a paste. The smell here is amazing! 4.Finally add the vinegar and mix it all through. This is your marinade. 5.Next, cut the meat into large thin slabs, as large as possible, like your size of your palm, but as thin as you can manage. Aiming for <0.5cm if you can (0.3cm is perfect) 6.Pop the meat into a food grade bag ready to marinade. 7.Add the marinade. 1.Mix it all in, then cover the container or tie up the bag and pop in the fridge for 24 hours. 2.Every time you go to the fridge give the meat and mixture a massage through the bag. 3.After 24 hours, remove from fridge and then either pop in the oven on a low setting with the door open (50C), or pop in the dehydrator, or pierce the meat with string and hang in the sun or somewhere warm. Typically I have found it takes around 8 hours in the oven or dehydrator, and around 2 days when hanging outside.(Bringing it back in the evening) 4.Once all the moisture has gone you can keep it in the fridge ; it stores very well for months in an airtight container in the fridge. |
I like to slice mine up to strips as part of a charcuterie platter, though have also enjoyed rehydrating in water for 30-60mins before frying off and having with some rice.