🇸🇴 Somali Cuisine

Muqmad

Somali Dried Preserved Meat

Prep Time 3 days
Servings 6
Difficulty Hard
Calories 419 kcal

Sun-dried beef or camel meat preserved in ghee and spices, a traditional Somali preservation technique producing intensely flavored meat.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1 Cut meat against the grain into thin strips about one centimeter thick and fifteen centimeters long.
  2. 2 Season strips generously with salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne, rubbing spices into the meat.
  3. 3 Hang strips on a drying rack in direct sunlight and dry air for two to three days until completely dry and stiff.
  4. 4 Once fully dried, heat ghee in a heavy pot over medium heat until melted and hot.
  5. 5 Add dried meat strips and fry in the ghee for ten minutes, turning until crispy and deeply browned.
  6. 6 Store the fried meat submerged in the ghee in airtight containers where it keeps for months.

Did You Know?

Somali nomads have carried muqmad on journeys for centuries, and a well-made batch stored in ghee can last over a year without refrigeration.