Biltong Recipe

(from www.africhef.com)

This BILTONG RECIPE is for the basic South African beef biltong. Like Beef Jerky, Biltong can be produced in various flavours by adding things like garlic or chilli peppers to the recipe. Personally, I find the original plain biltong the most enjoyable.

· 25 lb beef (top round/sirloin/London broil/ eye of round)
· 4 pints warm water
· 1 ¼ lb fine salt
· ½ cup brown sugar
· ½ cup coriander, coarsely ground
· 2 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
· 1 tbsp black pepper, ground
· 1 cup red wine vinegar
· 2 tsp saltpeter (optional)

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South African Biltong. A great taste.

Cut the meat along the natural dividing lines of the muscles of the meat of choice Cut into strips of approximately 2-inch thick and any desired length, always cutting with the grain.
Mix the salt, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, saltpeter, pepper and coriander together. Rub the seasoning mixture thoroughly into the strips of meat. Layer the meat, with the more bulky pieces at the bottom, in a glass or stainless steel container. Sprinkle a little vinegar over each layer, as you add them.

Leave the meat in a cool place for 12 hours or more, depending on how salty you want the meat to be. (Some experimentation may be required to ascertain the correct length of time to let the meat 'marinade' for, according to your taste.)

Remove the meat from the marinade Mix the water and vinegar and dip the meat into this mixture. This makes the biltong shiny and dark.

Once this is complete, the biltong is ready to dry. Pat the pieces of meat dry and then hang them up on S-shaped hooks, or use pieces of string, about 2 inches apart. Hang the meat in a cool, dry place with an oscillating fan blowing on it. Ensure that the air is dry, as too much moisture will cause the biltong to spoil. The biltong is ready when the outside is hard and the centre part of the biltong strip is still a little moist. Let the centre dry according to personal taste.

Makes about 21 lb

BILTONG is South African dried meat and has been around for centuries. Any South African will do almost anything to get a share if he/she knows that BILTONG is available. Biltong is cut from the “stick” in thin pieces using a very sharp knife. Some people shave off a number of pieces at a time so they don't have to let cutting interfere with eating. A professional biltong trick is to place the biltong in a vice and, using a wood plane shave off as many pieces of the desired thickness as required.

Eaten on its own as an appetizer or all day munch. Especially at sporting events, but anywhere is OK. Try it, you'll find it much more addictive than peanuts or potato crisps.

The recipe given above is for beef biltong, but like jerky, biltong may be made using game animals such as Buck and Deer. Ostrich produces a great tasting but somewhat dry biltong.