🇧🇮 Burundian Cuisine

Inyama y'Umukozi

Smoked Beef

Prep Time 4 hours
Servings 6
Difficulty Hard
Calories 307 kcal

Strips of beef slowly smoked over wood fire until deeply flavored and tender, a traditional Burundian preservation method yielding intensely savory dried meat.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1 Cut beef into long strips about two centimeters thick, following the grain of the meat for easier tearing later.
  2. 2 Rub strips generously with salt, pepper, and ground ginger, ensuring every surface is evenly seasoned.
  3. 3 Arrange strips on a smoking rack above a low wood fire, ensuring pieces do not touch each other for even smoke circulation.
  4. 4 Maintain a steady low fire with hardwood for three to four hours, turning strips occasionally for even smoking.
  5. 5 The meat is ready when it is dark brown, firm to the touch, and has a deep smoky aroma throughout.
  6. 6 Serve sliced or torn into pieces alongside ubugari and bean stew, or eat as a protein-rich snack.

Did You Know?

Smoked beef was historically the preferred travel food for Burundian traders and herders, as it could last for weeks without refrigeration.