CHARQUI, DRY LLAMA MEAT.

For thousands of years dried meat has been man's travel ration of choice. it provided a nutritious non-perishable and light-weight stable for men who had to be constantly on the move. It has played an important role in the survival of the Andean highlanders. Easily transportable, nutritious and boasting a prolonged life, no wonder "Charqui" was an important subsistence resource.
During the time of the Incas, "Charqui" was a luxury food to the royal class and was made available to the common folks during ceremonial occasions and military service. "Charqui" was demanded as a form of tax to be deposited in the state storehouses along the Inca road system to provision the army.
The Andean people continued the process of drying llama meat,"Charqui." The process started with salting de-boned meat of domesticated llamas to prevent it from spoiling. The strips of meat removed form the animal were pounded between to stones to make it thinner still and exposed to the natural elements in high altitudes during the driest and coldest months between May and August. The principal purpose and outcome of the process of drying the meat was to reduce water content, which inhibited the microbial growth, decreased overall bulk and weight, and caused a proportionate increase in salt, fat, protein and ash content by weight. The technique spread all over the Americas and then spread to Europe and the name eventually became modified to "jerky." Today jerky is mass produced for the North America and overseas market, and the most popular varieties are beef, pork, and turkey. Llama "Charqui" meanwhile still remains popular in Peru and the rest of the Andean lands of South America.
"Charqui" is made by different methods in different parts of South America: for example in Bolivia, what is called Charqui is dried meat with fragments of foot and skull left, and in Ayacucho region in Peru, meat simply dried on the bone is called Charqui. Meat dried at high elevations can be done with cold temperatures alone; meat dried at lower elevations is done by smoking or salting.
Llama is an animal that has been domesticated to transport goods for more than eight or so thousands of years by the Andean people. It was considered a sacred animal and never occurred a case of raising the animal only for the purpose of consuming its wool or meat. The animal was sacrificed as an offering to the forces of the universe for the continuity of their existence in the high high lands during ceremonial dates along the year. Then its wool was used for clothing and its meat for meals after the ceremonial festivity was concluded and everybody shared the meal until it was completely consumed.
The llama's meat is high in protein and low in fat making it a much leaner meat than other animals. The flavor lies somewhere between that of lamb and beef. It is definitively considered a healthy meat option to avoid cholesterol.
The Andean cuisine is very different from normal Peruvian food in general. The different specialties offer a complete llama dish with the flavor of unique grains, andean tubers of the region, and roots.
Preserved llama's "Charqui" can be later re-hydrated through prolonged water soaking and in this way it is commonly consumed in soups and stews.
The most popular way of preparing Llama "Charqui" is in the traditional dish "Olluco with Charqui."

Ingredients:

250 grams Dry Charqui
4 cups of Ollucos (or Yellow potatoes)
1 cup Chopped purple onion
2 tablespoon Aji panca paste
2 tablespoon Aji mirasol paste
1 tablespoon Garlic chopped
1 cup of chopped fresh tomatoes
2 tablespoon White Vinegar
1/8 cup Oil (Vegetable or Canola)
2 tablespoon Parsley freshly chopped
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Pepper
1/2 Tsp Cumin


Instructions:

Re-hydrate the Charqui by soaking it in water for 24 hours. Break apart the meat by threading it to the thinest possible way and set it aside. Heat a pan on medium to high heat and add oil. When the oil is very hot fry all together the Charqui with onions, garlic, aji panca, aji mirasol. When everything is very golden in color, add the ollucos (andean potatoes), tomatoes, vinegar, salt, pepper, and cumin. Put a lid over the pan and let it cook in very low heat for about 30 minutes or until the ollucos are soft in texture. Serve with rice and fresh parsley.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 40-45 Minutes
Serving: 4