Method
- Cut the horsemeat with the rib bones still attached into long strips. Rub thoroughly with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, caraway and minced garlic.
- Stuff the casing: slip horse intestine casing onto a wide funnel. Insert the seasoned meat strips with their fat. Tie off into 30cm-40cm sausages.
- Pierce the casings with a needle in several places to allow air to escape during curing.
- Hang the kazy in a cool, dry, airy place for 14–21 days. The Kazakh tradition is to hang them in the family yurt or under a sheltered eave; modern home-curing requires a fridge with good airflow. The sausages should darken, firm and develop a deep meaty smell.
- To serve: simmer the cured kazy in a pot of salted water for 60 minutes — the meat tenderises and the casing softens. Cool slightly.
- Slice the kazy across into 1cm rounds, showing the meat-and-fat layered cross-section. Serve at banquets, atop beshbarmak, or as a starter platter with bread and cheese.
Common questions
Can Kazy be made ahead?
Kazy is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 720 minutes.
Is Kazy spicy?
Kazy as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is Kazy vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is Kazy to make at home?
Kazy is more demanding — total time around 780 minutes plus marinating/resting where noted. Specific technique (knife work, wok hei, fermentation) makes the difference between a passable result and the real thing.
Can Kazy be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 8 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Kazy is the Kazakh horsemeat charcuterie tradition — central to nomadic Kazakh pastoral identity. Horsemeat is the prized Kazakh meat; horses are bred for both labour and food. Kazy is celebration food: weddings, the autumn slaughter (sogym), and the welcoming of important guests. The cured-and-boiled technique preserves the meat through winter and produces a uniquely concentrated flavour. Modern Kazakh diaspora communities maintain the tradition; commercial kazy is sold at Kazakh butchers in Almaty bazaars.
