In Kayseri, white bean stew is made with pastirma (Turkish cured beef), rather than fresh meat. The çemen (spiced fenugreek coating) is left intact; it melts into the pot and gives the dish its aroma and color. Use only a little tomato paste so it does not overpower the coating. Add the pastirma near the end, because long cooking makes it tough and dulls its aroma.
Discard the soaking water, cover the beans with fresh water, and bring to a boil. Skim off the first foam, then simmer for 40 minutes. They are ready when the insides can be mashed without the skins splitting. Do not discard the cooking water.
In a separate pot, melt the butter and cook the diced onion, stirring, until translucent. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
Cut the pastirma, with its çemen coating, into 1 cm-wide strips. Add it to the pot and stir for 2 minutes. The coating will start to melt into the fat and release its aroma; do not cook it longer.
Add the cooked beans along with their cooking liquid, then add the red pepper flakes and bring to a boil.
Leave the lid half open and simmer over low heat for 20–25 minutes. When the liquid thickens, fat rises to the surface, and a spoon drawn across the bottom briefly reveals the pot, add the salt and turn off the heat.
Soak the dried beans in cold water overnight. Add them to the tomato-paste base only after they have been boiled until tender; the acidity of the tomato paste, not salt, is what keeps the beans firm.
Pastırmayı fasulyeden sonra ekleme sırası doğru, baştan atınca çemen dağılıp yemeği bulandırıyor. Fasulyeyi haşlarken tuz atmayın, tuzlu suda kabuk sertleşiyor ve dermason bir türlü yumuşamıyor.
Kayseri'de pastırmayı ince dilimleyip son on dakikada atıyorlar, ben de öyle yaptım.
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