Perfect Biltong Recipes

BILTONG

Steps:

• First, prepare the beef: cut 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) thick strips along the grain, and make each strip is around 6 inches (15.25 cm) long.
• Season the meat with salt on each side. Leave it for one hour or longer if you wish your biltong to be saltier. Then, use a knife to scrape off the excess salt.
• Put some vinegar in a bowl - you can use apple cider vinegar or any other to your liking. Brush vinegar on the meat, but do not dip.
• Next, season the meat by rubbing pepper and coriander on all sides.
• Dry the meat by choosing one of the following methods: either hang it in a dry and cool place and turn on the ventilator, or dry the meat in a biltong box - a sealed wooden or cardboard box with holes with a 60w light bulb.
• Dry the meat for 3-4 days - it needs to be hard on the outside and a little bit moist on the inside. Do not consume if the meat turns green.

BILTONG

Steps:

• Trim excess fat off the meat.
• Slice meat along the grain no thicker than 1.5cm.
• Cut those slices into strips of 3-5cm wide.
• Combine sugar, baking soda and black pepper.
• Roast coriander in a pan over a medium heat for 2 minutes and then crush it fine.
• Mix into the sugar mixture.
• Pour vinegar into a flat dish and drag meat strips through the vinegar coating them well.
• I use my cooler box for this next step in the process: sprinkle a handful of salt over the bottom of the cooler box and cover with a layer of meat strips.
• Sprinkle the meat with a layer of salt and then the spice mixture.
• Keep layering the meat, salt and spices finishing with a layer of salt and spices.
• Close cooler box and leave to stand for 24 hours.
• Discard any left over vinegar.
• When you open the cooler box, there will be a lot of water drawn from the meat and the salt should be dissolved.
• Take the meat out of the cooler and place on a tray.
• Remove any large pieces of salt that may still be on the meat.
• It is your choice if you still want to pat the meat dry, I never do.
• Discard the water in the cooler.
• Using a paperclip opened to resemble an "S", hook each meat strip and hang to dry.
• I use a biltong box because the biltong is dry within 3 days of hanging - conventional methods take much longer.