Jellied meat: benefits and harm

 


On Jellied Jellied Day, we find out why this traditional Russian dish is so valuable and who should not eat it.

Jellied meat, or jelly, is food that is prepared using concentrated broth. In the old days, in the northern and northwestern regions of Russia, jelly was a dish made from beef, while in the south and southeast the same thing, but made from pork, was considered jellied meat.

It is difficult to say where and when jellied meat appeared in Rus', but there is a version that it was invented by the northern peoples. For preservation, the meat stew was taken out into the cold, it acquired a jelly-like structure, and very quickly people became convinced that the dish in this form was provisions that could saturate and warm the body well. In winter, jelly was prepared for future use; shepherds, hunters, warriors and travelers took it with them. Some researchers believe that in Rus' there were also jellied meats for servants. In rich houses, after large feasts, the leftover food was poured into broth, cooled and given to servants. So jellied meat was far from being an exquisite dish, although Peter I loved it very much.

Jellied meat should not be confused with galantine, which came to Russia from France and turned into “galantir”. Although in fact, French galantine is a completely different, more complex dish. It was prepared from the finest meat or poultry with the addition of various seasonings, while Russian jellied meat consisted of less edible parts of beef or pork.

The first recipe for jelly was recorded in Vasily Levshin’s book “Russian Cookery,” published in 1816. The method of preparation was quite simple: peeled beef legs, ears and lips are boiled for a couple of hours until the broth becomes thick, then the pieces of meat are placed in a bowl, filled with broth, and the bowl is placed “in a cold place to solidify.” Levshin recommends serving the finished dish with garlic and sour cream “on a special plate.”

Nowadays there are many recipes for jellied meat, and it’s hard to imagine a New Year’s feast without this dish. And it’s not for nothing that we love it so much, because it contains many useful substances. The properties, of course, depend primarily on the type of meat.

For example, jellied beef and pork contain a lot of vitamin A, which is necessary for maintaining eye health, the immune system and affects protein synthesis. The dishes contain B vitamins (especially a lot of B12 and B3), as well as cobalt, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, iron and other valuable macro- and microelements.

Jellied meat is useful for joint diseases, problems with the musculoskeletal system, increases hemoglobin, strengthens the immune system and eyesight.

However, there is also harm. The dish should not be eaten by those who suffer from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and gout. In addition, jellied meat is very high in calories and can lead to worsening problems with excess weight. The highest indicator is for pork jellied meat - about 350 kcal per 100 g of product; Beef is lower - about 209 kcal per 100 g.

If you want a more dietary product, you can replace pork/beef with turkey or chicken. Then the figure will be about 84 and 136 kcal per 100 g, respectively. On the other hand, you will not get such a wealth of vitamins and minerals.

Here is an example of a recipe for chicken jellied meat

Ingredients:

  • 1 kg of chicken meat (legs, wings, drumsticks, breast, cartilage)
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • spices (allspice, black pepper, paprika, bay leaf)
  • salt to taste
  • greenery

Pour water over the chicken meat, put it on the fire, bring to a boil, drain the water. Then rinse the meat, add water again, add spices and place on the stove. As soon as the water boils, reduce the heat and leave the meat to simmer under the lid for 3 hours.

Rinse the vegetables, chop coarsely and add to the chicken, salt the water.

After the required time has passed, remove the meat and carrots and let them cool. Strain the broth. Separate the meat from the bones and cut into small pieces.

Place meat in an even layer on the bottom of the molds, carrots on top, and if desired, you can add herbs or boiled eggs. Pour in broth and cool. The jellied meat is ready. Serve with horseradish or mustard.