BILTONG

Make your very own biltong at home with this easy step-by-step free Biltong Recipe. People in other countries call this beef jerky!

Ingredients


Brine:
60 ml white wine vinegar
3 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce


Biltong:
1.2kg topside, or silverside, cut into lengths


Spice Mix:
1 Tblsp semi-coarse sea salt
60 ml brown sugar
1 Tblsp BBQ spice or peri-peri
125ml coriander seeds, toasted and coarsely ground
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper black pepper

Utensils:
1 lamp with a 40 watt daylight bulb (don’t use a high wattage bulb as it will waste electricity)
Electric fan (If you live in a hot, dry area, the fan and lamp won’t be necessary).
Paper clips
Newspaper or foil
Clothes rack or something suitable for hanging meat


Biltong Making Tips:


Use good quality meat, like topside (with the hood removed) or silverside (with the eye removed).
Remove all visible sinew from meat and trim off excess fat.
Cut meat into thinner, smaller pieces to promote even drying (1.5-2cm thick, 4-5cm wide and 10 -15cm long is optimum).
Always cut meat along the grain as you’ll be cutting it across the grain when you eat it.
Marinate/brine meat for at least 4 hours (or up to 2 days) to allow flavour to be absorbed.
Make sure you hang biltong in a cool and well-ventilated spot, out of reach of animals and biltong thieves!
Drying time depends on the moisture levels of the air where the biltong is hanging. The drier the air, the sooner it’ll be ready. 


Step 1:

• Pour the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce into a roasting tray.
• Toss meat in brine to coat and then place the meat in a single layer.

Step 2:

• Mix all the spice mix ingredients together.
• Thoroughly coat meat with spice mix and press spices into the meat.
• Turn meat over and repeat until all the spice mix is used up.
• Allow marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning as regularly as possible.

Step 3:

• Cover area below hanging surface with foil or a thick layer of newspaper.
• Place lamp just in front of hanging area (hot air will rise and be blown over the biltong by the fan).
• Bend paper clips to form hooks. Place a hook into each piece of biltong. 
• Hang biltong 5cm apart on clothes rack.
• Position fan to blow over biltong.
• Dry for 4 -7 days with lamp and fan and until desired dryness is reached.

Makes about 12 pieces of biltong