Biltong recipe

Mars

Mars

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I bought myself one of those biltong makers a few months ago and I have been making biltong with varied results.
The first time I used the Freddy Hirsch biltong spice but that was not nice at all. The recipe calls for the entire packet of spice to be used with 3kg and i used only half and it was still way over spiced. The last few times i used two table spoons of spice with 3kg of meat and thats much nicer.

This last time i made was about the best ive done, but still not 100% imo. I rub about two handfuls of coarse salt all over the cuts along with some of the spice, then i lay them in vinegar and let them marinade for about two hours. Then i wipe off the excess salt and brine and hang them. They turned out a little too salty, should i have rinced them before hanging them? Still nice tho.

Anyone recommend a better recipe?
 
I use Crown Biltong Spice,Safari flavour and no salt.I sprinkle brown vinegar over the cuts of meat, rub in the spice on both sides and let it stand overnight.In the morning the container is full of whatever comes out of the meat and then hang it.Eggcellent flavour!!
 
This is how I do it, it is pretty simple to make:

  1. Wash biltong in vinegar (either brown or apple cider)
  2. rub in coarse salt, DO NOT use table salt, leave the salt on for 1 - 2 hours
  3. rinse again with vinegar + water (50% each), do this quickly, you just want to rinse of the excess salt, you can also scrape the salt of with your hands or a knife
  4. roll/rub in the coriander (thats dried crushed coriander, not fresh)
  5. place in the fridge for up to 12 hours
  6. hang
  7. wait a few days and eat

At the coriander stage I sometimes also put on a combination of

  1. cracked black pepper
  2. crushed garlic
  3. chilli spices

You cant really mess up biltong, you have to used salt to help the drying/curing process and vinegar to impeded the growth of bacteria.

Good luck
 
I prefer using Brown Vinegar (10% concentrate), combined with Worcestershire Sauce, (60/40 mix). I use about 45g of Biltong spice per a kg of wet meat, Safari, Khalahari, hunters etc which I get from O & A supplies (Fortified Foods) in Jhb. I spray the meat with the Vinegar and Sauce mix and then sprinkle the spice on the meat, leave it for about 4 hours, then turn the meat (read agitate), and leave for another 4 hours. Then I hang the meat allowing it to drip dry onto some newspaper placed at the bottom of the dryer. I like snap sticks so I cut the biltong thin, this gives it a more intense flavour and drys quickly. Vinegar and Steel causes a reaction which results in giving the meat an unpleasant taste, so avoid using stainless steel in the production and drying of the biltong.
 
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This is how i make Biltong

1 to 2 Kg Rock salt
40g salpeter
40g bicarbonate of soda
40g coarse black pepper
160 - 320g Coriander
350g Black sugar or Brown sugar.

This is for 50kg of biltong. (I store it in a bottle for later use)

I use this mixture to rub the meat 150g per kilogram
pack in layers, sprinkle brown vinager on the met (Just wet the meat)
Leave in fridge overnight
The next day Boil a pot of water add vi****r ( 1 to 10 mixture)
just dip the biltong in the pot (1 second) this will remove the salt and make the biltong shine.
Hang to dry.
 
nice recipes!
I'll get some meat today and give it another go
 
Hi Everyone,

I am indeed trying to make my own biltong too. The first few batches while edible were not as nice as they could be. I am also using Freddy Hirsch Biltong spice. The thing I did not realize the first time round is that Freddy Hirch spice is literally all salt with a little bit of spice mixed in. So when using a standard recipe that calls for rock salt or corse salt, just ignore that, you dont need it. Actually you dont need much else, however what I do is mix it with their Peri Peri power.
Here is how my current recipe that worked very well on last attempt goes:

Get precut strips of silver side from butcher, about 1kg.
Get a cutting board, wash it off nicely, then dry it. Then pour out about 2 hands full of freddy hirsch biltong spide power onto board. Add half the amount of Peri Peri spice. Mix the two spices together with fingers. Then lay meat in the spice and rub/sprinkle it around both sides. Then get clean dry ice cream dish, and place strip of meat in. Dust the meat with white sugar, both sides. Repeat this process till all the meat is Done.
Then take a jar of Judy's extra strong pickles, and pour in the juice until half the meat is covered. Then fill the rest with normal brown vinegar until meat is covered. (You can do it all with normal vinegar if you want, however judys makes it taste amazing)

Then mix in about 2 desert spoons of tobasco sauce. (You can add more or less to taste)
Then mix the meat around in this marinade so that the vinegar and judys and biltong spice is all even.
Then let the dish marinade for at least 12 hours. I left mine overnight in the fridge.

The next day, you take the meat out the marinade you made, and squeeze it out. You then hang it in the biltong machine immediately. A lot of other recipes will recommend reapplying spice at this point; Avoid the urge to do this, it only ruins it.

Let hang for 12 hours minimum and you got super chilli biltong.

Regards,

Steed.
 
I saw one of those things months ago on top of the ex-wife's kitchen shelf (where all the junk is consigned)
And for months I've been wondering WTF there is an aquarium in the kitchen with a bloomin lightbulb. Why doesn't she get siamese fighting fish - a whole bunch of them or something and the lamp will keep them cozy and the kitchen will look pretty as opposed to the dump that it is. Then yesterday she told me she made biltong and I just laughed. I mean she can't cook for shiit so how's she making biltong? Then she pointed out that plexiglass thing with a lightbub and visions of blood covered rump steaks hanging from hooks, heated by a lightbulb and gowing salmonella surrounded by swarms of bluebottles took over my head and I had to get the hell out as fast as my legs could carry me. ugh.
 
This thread just made me feel for biltong... :cry:

Also got me interested in trying to make biltong myself,
Is it easy? I see from all these replies that actually getting the recipe correct is the hard part?

My concerns,
1. I will attempt and get a biltong maker and then it's just going to sit there..
2. First attempt, the meat hangs there then rots? has this ever happened?


Is there anybody out there willing to be my mentor in biltong making? :D

I googled biltong maker and see this one at Makro, Is it any good?

http://www.makro.co.za/p/36342/mellerware-biltong-king/
 
Keegan said:
This thread just made me feel for biltong... :cry:

Also got me interested in trying to make biltong myself,
Is it easy? I see from all these replies that actually getting the recipe correct is the hard part?

My concerns,
1. I will attempt and get a biltong maker and then it's just going to sit there..
2. First attempt, the meat hangs there then rots? has this ever happened?


Is there anybody out there willing to be my mentor in biltong making? :D

I googled biltong maker and see this one at Makro, Is it any good?

http://www.makro.co.za/p/36342/mellerware-biltong-king/
Click to expand...

Keegan

Go off to Makro and get yourself that Mellerware biltong dryer, while there get yourself some silver side beef, about 2 kg. You going to need Vinegar and Biltong Spice too.

Cut the silverside thin (max 10 cm), I trim the fat off the meat and then I soak the meat in a 60/40 solution of Brown Vinegar and Worcester Sauce. I leave the meat marinating for 12 hours. Be sure to cover the meat with the solution and reposition the meat at top and bottom so that all meat is evenly marinated.

Drain your meat of the solution and then measure out your spice, Use about 130g of spice per 2 kg of meat. Rub the meat down with the spice and leave for 12 hours.

Now hang your meat in the dryer, taking care to ensure that the meat does not make contact with any other meat while in the dryer, allow gravity ad the fan to do the work for you. So hang the meat as is to drip dry, taking care to wipe down the bottom of the dryer every couple of hours.

Its important that you run the dryer fan alone initially, make sure there is sufficient air circulation around the dryer and check that none of the vents are blocked, you don't want to restrict airflow. The winter air is dry, this is the best time of year to make biltong.

After 24 hours go ahead and switch on your heat source (light bulb). For the first 24 hours you have dried the surface of the meat via draft. Now for the next 72 hours the light bulb will extract the moisture from the eat and the fan will dry the moisture off the surface of the meat.

Sit back relax, salivate and eventually your will get to taste the great South African snack.
 
pulling wire said:
Keegan

Go off to Makro and get yourself that Mellerware biltong dryer, while there get yourself some silver side beef, about 2 kg. You going to need Vinegar and Biltong Spice too.

Cut the silverside thin (max 10 cm), I trim the fat off the meat and then I soak the meat in a 60/40 solution of Brown Vinegar and Worcester Sauce. I leave the meat marinating for 12 hours. Be sure to cover the meat with the solution and reposition the meat at top and bottom so that all meat is evenly marinated.

Drain your meat of the solution and then measure out your spice, Use about 130g of spice per 2 kg of meat. Rub the meat down with the spice and leave for 12 hours.

Now hang your meat in the dryer, taking care to ensure that the meat does not make contact with any other meat while in the dryer, allow gravity ad the fan to do the work for you. So hang the meat as is to drip dry, taking care to wipe down the bottom of the dryer every couple of hours.

Its important that you run the dryer fan alone initially, make sure there is sufficient air circulation around the dryer and check that none of the vents are blocked, you don't want to restrict airflow. The winter air is dry, this is the best time of year to make biltong.

After 24 hours go ahead and switch on your heat source (light bulb). For the first 24 hours you have dried the surface of the meat via draft. Now for the next 72 hours the light bulb will extract the moisture from the eat and the fan will dry the moisture off the surface of the meat.

Sit back relax, salivate and eventually your will get to taste the great South African snack.
Click to expand...

:) Thank you you make it sound soo easy, I think I'm going to do that..
 
Biltong Maker

Hi Keegan, if you are DIY enthusiast ... google biltong maker/ popular mechanics. Works like a charm, cheap, quick and fun to build.

Sebastiaan
 
Necrooooo!!!
What do I do if I've used too much salt in my biltong?
I used 50g rough salt on 500g topside. Thing is, I didn't know the spice mix (not specifically a biltong spice mix) also had salt, so now it's super salty. It's been drying for 24hrs so far so it's still a bit soft in the center. I cut strips about 1.5cm to 2cm thick.
Can I just wash off the whole lot and re-dry?
I know 500g is not alot (I chose to make a small batch to test my mix and times) but I really don't wanna waste it.
 
Ignore the necro... I just found the official biltong thread. I'll go read the 90 pages and then post there if it hasn't been asked and answered 100x already!
 
I buy my Silverside at Berliner Meats and they also sell biltong spice. They are in Northriding just off Witkoppen Road opposite the PnP.
I also use a 60:40 mix of brown vinegar and Worcester sauce 60ml and 40ml. A spoon of Bicarb to soften the meat and a bit of Woolies ground Cayenne pepper. 50g of the biltong spice per kg of meat. I put the meat and the mixture into a sealable plastic bag and keep it in the fridge for a couple of days, turning occasionally. I then dry it in my Mellerware dryer. When I compare the costs to the biltong you can buy in supermarkets it is amazingly cheap! The meat loses about half its weight in drying though. The dryer comes with plastic hooks so you don't have to worry about steel giving a taste.
 
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