For the uninitiated Biltong is a dried meat product made mostly in South Africa. It literally translates to "Bum Strips". For those of us that live or grew up in South Africa in the past Biltong was about as close to junk food as you got. Many counties have similar products but none are exactly like biltong and so representative of the taste of South Africa. Its not a pretty process or a cheap one as you lose about 50% of the weight of the uncured meat.
This guide will tell you how I make Biltong. I am a rank amateur and there are better recipes than mine. My recipe I pieced together from what I knew about the process and various books and recipes. I am guessing that the making of good biltong is a closely guarded family secret so much of the source material I have found is either incomplete or leaves allot to the imagination. This guide will show you how to do it all however now I just buy some good biltong spices and use them in place of the Biltong curing spices. I live in the US and get spices from
http://www.outofafricatrading.com/products.asp?subcategoryID=30
Freddy Hirsh Biltong Spice - 1 kg
| Top Sirloin Butt |
| Salt Peter (Available from Chemist) |
| Baking Soda |
| Apple Cider Vinegar / or Safari Vinegar |
| Brown Sugar |
| Rock Salt |
| Ground Black Pepper |
| Worstershire Sauce |
| Coriander (Scorched) |
| Seasoning to taste |
| Biltong Box |
The following recipe is for curing approximately 10 pounds of beef. Do not use any metal during the initial curing of the meat as the salt will react with the metal leaving a bad taste. Use plastic, glass or earthenware containers. Assemble all necessary ingredients before starting.
Scorch the coriander:
Heat a large iron skillet to a medium heat and add 1 1/2 cups of coriander.
Stir and mash the seeds with a potato masher until seeds are brown.
Take off heat then place coriander in a cloth and use rolling pin to crush the seeds further. Or use a mortar and pestle
Use a 10 pound piece of Top Sirloin Butt (this is a US Cut).
Wash meat and Remove excess fat, sinew and connective material
Cut sirloin with the grain into 10 inch strips that are around 1/2 to 1 inch thick
Spray strips of meat using a mister/plastic spray bottle that is filled with solution of pure apple cider vinegar mixed in with a shot of Worstershire sauce (say 1 teaspoon per 2cups) . Make sure to completely cover all the meat surfaces. Squeeze meat to remove excess vinegar.
Immediately following the misting of meat roll the strip into the Biltong curing dry spices. Make sure you cover meat completely
Curing dry spices
| 2 Cups of brown sugar (Well broken up) |
| 2 Cups of Rock Salt (Kosher) |
| 3 Teaspoons Salt Peter |
| 4 Teaspoons of Baking Soda |
| 1/2 of the scorched coriander (Husks and all) |
Let meat sit and "cure" for 5-7 hours in the refrigerator. The timing is variable based on size of strips and amount of salting material. During this period the meat will draw in the spices and vinegar. Put meat strips in a large bowl and make sure that you have something in the bottom so the meat will not sit in the extra blood. I use a colander inside a bowl or a plastic Tupperware cover. I also remove the colander to pout out the drained blood a couple of times in the first 15 minutes or so.
Heat up your tap water as hot as it will get. Fill another large bowl with this hot tap water and add approximately (works for the size of bowl I have) one cup of apple cider.
Immediately take a strip the meat and plunge into the hot vinegar solution. Wash off all the salt and spices and then squeeze meat to dry - remove as much of the cleaning solution as possible. Once the rinse becomes to dirty to use make up a new batch. (2-3) batches per 10 pounds. After rinsing spray the meat once more with a 100% vinegar spray. Leave the meet on a paper towel to soak up the extra liquid.
Add any seasoning spices you may choose. Keep in mind that you do not want to overpower the taste of the meat. This is a matter of personal taste here is what I use:
I make a mixture up that contains the rest of the coriander passed through a sieve to keep most of the husks out.
To this freshly scorched coriander powder I add
Garlic flakes, Ground Black Pepper, Cavender's Greek Spice, Peri-Peri. I kind of guess at proportions. The Coriander powder and Pepper making up the bulk. I put this into a shaker and lightly apply. If I run out I do a few with just pepper.
Insert untwisted paper clip to hang meat. Hang meat in biltong box. Make sure each bit hangs free and does not touch the side or any other piece if they are touching mold will follow soon.
I made this one out of plywood. Cut holes in the bottom where the lamp is and at the top to help air flow. These holes I double covered with a plastic screen to keep out insects. I put doweling in at the top to hand the biltong on. I put a removable shelf in to protect the lamp. Dimensions 27 x 17 inches. Shelf is 8 1/2 inches from bottom. I live in the humid south so in summer I need to keep a open bowl of baking soda to help keep the box dry. I use a 75 watt bulb. Cost of plywood and other hardware around 40$. My brother in law has a similar one with a fan in the bottom.
Wait 3-7 days
When the biltong is dry cut up and eat.
Smaller bits take less time than the larger thicker ones. If unsure cut one up and check.
Keep biltong in brown paper bags in fridge or store whole or cut up in plastic bags in freezer.
I live in the humid south and things mold very quickly. To help counteract that I spray the meat with vinegar before cutting. I put a open bowl of bicarbonate of soda in the biltong box. The biltong box is kept inside the house. You can also cut the bits thinner or make less at one time. You may want to increase the wattage of your bulb. If you get a little bit of mold wipe immediately with a vinegar soaked cloth and rehang. If mold sets the biltong will never dry and get very smelly. Discard!
Discuss this doc and biltong making or ask any questions at the Biltong Forum
Mark Blumberg's South African Recipe Page
Home Sick South African Biltong FAQ
Q: I want to eat biltong but don't want to make it.
A: Call or surf over to Larry Burnetts' 1 800 biltong.com they make great stuff! If you must wash it down with a castle you can get them at the http://www.africanhut.com/. Here in NC we have The SouthAfrican Food Shop
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