Homemade Biltong!

[ezee]

Originally Posted by [SuB]

So billtong is dried uncooked whereas Jerky is cooked as it's drying in the oven?

Always liked the billtong you can get at supermarket deli's.

As someone said, "Yep, biltong is dried, uncooked meat. Traditionally "wind" dried outside."

But so too is jerky or pemmacin.

Fan forced oven, no heat, full fan, just simulates the traditional environment in a low humidity convenient manner.

Both Biltong and Jerky and other air dried, salted, uncooked meat production methods have been used since prehistory to preserve a fresh kill for leaner times.

[Dismember]

Well, my batch is done. How are you suppose to eat this stuff? It's very very hard, difficult to even cut with knife.
I've never had Biltong before so I'm not sure mine tastes correct, has a distinct salty and sour yet slightly bitter taste. Takes awhile to chew and leaves a coriander after taste. My friend came over and questioned what I was doing with the meat, I felt it was done and he offered to try some first. After cutting a peice, he curiously eyed the dark dried meat before popping it into his mouth. As he began to chew his face began to grimace and distort in a manner of which demons would do. Soon enough I was eyeing the soggy remnants of the peice in my kitchen sink. As he gargled on Listerine he commented how it tasted of 'dirty old socks complete with toe jam.'
As so, my palate for the meat could have been slightly biased based on my friends reactions before I decided to try some myself.

[Lem]

Originally Posted by Dismember

Well, my batch is done. How are you suppose to eat this stuff? It's very very hard, difficult to even cut with knife.
I've never had Biltong before so I'm not sure mine tastes correct, has a distinct salty and sour yet slightly bitter taste. Takes awhile to chew and leaves a coriander after taste.

Hi,

I use a VERY sharp pocket knife to eat mine, but back home we had a gadget that was used to cut the biltong into small pieces. Must try to get one sent over here. Butchers usually cut theirs into pieces as well.

You could try eating it earlier before it gets too hard as well? I now make thicker pieces and eat them while still moist inside - much softer then. The chilly-sticks from hell that I made earlier are now rock hard...ill porbably end up grating them and making sambo's.

Salty/sour/coriander is correct. Not sure about the bitter taste though? If it is too salty, just use less salt next time, or rinse it more before you hang it up. The vinegar probably caused the sour taste - you could also maybe rinse it more before hanging. No idea about the bitter taste though. If you dont like the coriander then you can also use chilly/bbq etc.


Where are you at? I could always mail you a piece to taste test

Cheers

Lem

[Kippa-Dee]

Biltong is technically cooked. we got a Biltong Box at home... simply a box with a 100Watt lightbulb, biltong hangs above and cooks for 3 to 4 days... so it cooks at a VERY low heat for several days.


Gotta love this stuff... we gotta make some more soon

[Lem]

Originally Posted by Kippa-Dee

Biltong is technically cooked. we got a Biltong Box at home... simply a box with a 100Watt lightbulb, biltong hangs above and cooks for 3 to 4 days... so it cooks at a VERY low heat for several days.


Gotta love this stuff... we gotta make some more soon

Hi,

You will find the bulb is there to generate a bit of heat to help dry out the air - makes the meat dry quicker. (Humidity = bad)

Big commercial biltong "rooms" use large fans that blow over heated pipes to help dry the meat out quickly.

You make the stuff yourself? Whats your recipe like?

Does anybody know where I can get a meat mincer and a sausage "stuffer" - wanna make some dried sausage.

Cheers

Lem

[Kippa-Dee]

Ah man, usually just do whatever we're nt he mood for. We bought some biltong spice, huge bloody bag... but I mean, whatever we're int he mood for we'll chuck on it. Must try that outside recipe though...

I work at a deli too, so I'll be taking my biltong in and slicing it up on the meatslicer when it's ready

Totsiens, Lekker bly!

[vdhdsgs]

Originally Posted by rukudo

Out of curiosity, what ingredients here help prevent diseased meat (botulism) etc?

Saltpetre. I'm not so sure it's available to the public. However you can get 'curing salt' which is 94% salt and 6% saltpetre. It's supposed to be better because the saltpetre it contains is supposed to be more refined.

[[SuB]]

Anyone got any pictures?

[Lem]

I do, will try put them up.

Lem

[n000b]

I'm making some at the moment and I am up to this stage:

Originally Posted by Lem

Place the thicker biltong strips at the bottom of an enamel container, cover with a layer of salt and then a layer of the spice mixture. Repeat the layers until the thin strips are on top, and add a final dressing of salt. Leave for 12 hours. Remove the thinner strips at the top and dip them quickly in hot water.

Once I have put them in to the container, do I cover the container or leave it uncovered? And do I put it in to the fridge for the 12 hours, or leave it on the bench?

[khoile]

Originally Posted by [SuB]

Anyone got any pictures?

Here's mine on my sophisticated drying apparatus:


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I put too much salt this time though the texture is spot on.

[Lem]

Originally Posted by n000b

I'm making some at the moment and I am up to this stage:



Once I have put them in to the container, do I cover the container or leave it uncovered? And do I put it in to the fridge for the 12 hours, or leave it on the bench?

Hi,

I put mine in a covered container, not in the fridge though. its not completely sealed tho. Also I leave it like that for about 24 hours. I would suggest that on hotter days maybe putting in in the fridge...i dont think that would be a bad move.

[Lem]

Originally Posted by khoile

Here's mine on my sophisticated drying apparatus:

Looks good! I dont even use my biltong box anymore...just hang it up outside....I suppose ill have to use it otherwise ill have to turf it. Just check for flies during summer...not sure how eager they will be.

Dont stress the spices, you will get better at it. Minimal salt/pepper to keep the nasties away. Also I found that whole coriander seeds (a bit difficult to get) that have been (freshly) roasted and crushed give better flavour than the preground ones. (I tried preground last time when I couldnt find whole seeds).

Ground Chillies also work a treat - but can be VERY hot. If you cut some VERY thin strips and put lots of ground chilly on em they make delicious chilly sticks - if you like it hot.

Also Coles/woolies have been very scarce with decent meat lately...

[uniqueuser]

Warning: Do not use apple vinegar. It stinks like a festering sore.

I have tried whole corriander, crushed, and ground. I must say ground is the best, both mess and taste wise. Also I prefer to use beef serloin when the price is right because it is thin and only takes around 5-7 days to dry to my satisfaction.

I don't use any measured recipe. What I do is cut off the fat, salt both sides and leave lying on paper towels for 30-60mins. Then dip each side of the meat in white vinegar (no stink). Let the excess run off (I use paper towels again). After that I sprinkle a decent amount of ground corriander on the meat and rub it in. At this time you can sprink other spices like pepper and chili (or before the corriander because it dries the surface of the meat quite a bit.

Though I'd share...

[VR-X]

thanks for your take on the venerable Biltong

I did some digging and came up with the following links, feel free to add them to the first post

http://www.steerage.co.za/biltong/

http://www.biltongbox.com/

http://www.markblumberg.com/biltong.html

http://www.biltongmakers.com/

http://www.3men.com/biltong.htm

http://www.scouting.org.za/visitors/biltong.html

http://mypage.bluewin.ch/a-z/Biltong/

http://www.markblumberg.com/biltong.html