The Official Biltong Enthusiasts Thread

[IdlePhaedrus]

I got my vents and hinges from http://www.atar.co.za/contact.html in Maitland after a looong search for something other than plastic.

Will try your recipe next time around...

Agreed! its a very clean looking designed dryer. I think yours has more character though.
The powder-coated dryers tend to end up rusting. You have to clean them regularly.
Where did you source your air vents from.

when I make my biltong I don't use vinegar at all, I use Worcestershire sauce.
I also don't use any of these biltong spice blends, Like my biltong with salt, pepper, and coriander.

 

[faniebraai]

So besides pulling wire who does not use vinegar, what type of vinegar do everyone else use?

 

[I.am.Sam]

wow awesome build IdlePhaedrus

very nice

 

[pulling wire]

So besides pulling wire who does not use vinegar, what type of vinegar do everyone else use?

Try this:
1. 18 g salt per kg meat
2. 2 g pepper per kg meat
3. 4 g roasted coriander per kg meat (roast coriander in pan on medium heat till dark brown, roll with rolling pin and add to your spice mix)
4. 2 g brown sugar per kg meat

blend all ingredients together. add to meat, work the spice mix into the meat and sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce, allow to stand in your fridge for 12 hours, then hang the meat in your dryer until dry.

 

[faniebraai]

Try this:
1. 18 g salt per kg meat
2. 2 g pepper per kg meat
3. 4 g roasted coriander per kg meat (roast coriander in pan on medium heat till dark brown, roll with rolling pin and add to your spice mix)
4. 2 g brown sugar per kg meat

blend all ingredients together. add to meat, work the spice mix into the meat and sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce, allow to stand in your fridge for 12 hours, then hang the meat in your dryer until dry.

so you don't let it lie in the Worcestershire sauce at all? just the sprinkles?

 

[pulling wire]

I put the Worcestershire sauce on last. I make a batch of about 2kg at a time, I use more than a sprinkle though, about 150ml. Let it lie.

 

[AstroTurf]

Lol, for the sake of cheap experimentation I soaked some good quality thick boerewors in a mix of salt, vinegar and chilly then stuck it in my safe (done basic ventilation and extraction over the weekend). Stuck it in on Saturday, I'll leave it till next Saturday. So far so good. Drying nicely and no smell, bugs or fungus.

 

[faniebraai]

Lol, for the sake of cheap experimentation I soaked some good quality thick boerewors in a mix of salt, vinegar and chilly then stuck it in my safe (done basic ventilation and extraction over the weekend). Stuck it in on Saturday, I'll leave it till next Saturday. So far so good. Drying nicely and no smell, bugs or fungus.

Big boerewors is normally too fatty, and they use the wrong kinda fat that sticks to the top of your mouth. Pork. But let us know how it went. A week might be too much.

 

[AstroTurf]

Big boerewors is normally too fatty, and they use the wrong kinda fat that sticks to the top of your mouth. Pork. But let us know how it went. A week might be too much.

Yea will do. I just ran out of time and wanted inspiration so that I don't forget the end goal. How long would you suggest?

 

[faniebraai]

Yea will do. I just ran out of time and wanted inspiration so that I don't forget the end goal. How long would you suggest?

shouldn't take much longer than 4 days. I normally leave the thin ones in about 3 days to get it completely dry. Depends on what your box is like and how you like it. Just do small taste tests lol

 

[AstroTurf]

shouldn't take much longer than 4 days. I normally leave the thin ones in about 3 days to get it completely dry. Depends on what your box is like and how you like it. Just do small taste tests lol

I'll cut a bit on Wednesday then

 

[I.am.Sam]

i thought you cant just take shopped bought wors and make dry wors

so can i just go and buy schit wors and soak it in some vinegar and hang ?

 

[AstroTurf]

i thought you cant just take shopped bought wors and make dry wors

so can i just go and buy schit wors and soak it in some vinegar and hang ?

I'm just experimenting.
I'll tell you how it comes out though between tomorrow and Saturday.

 

[I.am.Sam]

haha yeah tell me if its good cause i know one place sells cheap wors ..not very cheap but at like R45 a kg its not bad

 

[pulling wire]

My understanding is that there is more fat in droewors than there is in boerewors. The fat used in droewors is from a specific breed of sheep and its from the tail section of the animal I believe. They often add fillers to boerewors such as cereal, so its always better to make your own. I would use natural casings as opposed to the casings used on salami and viennas. its also a good idea that there be a a little bit of moisture in your droewors meat mix as it helps in getting the mince into the casing, if the mince is well chilled it also assists. I will give this a try one day and let you all know.

 

[Slingshot]

I often hang some regular thin wors in my dryer for droewors. Takes 3 days and tastes great. I also tried thick wors now for the first time. It's on day 4 now and almost dry enough, just a little moist on the inside but looking good and the bit I tasted was yummy.
No preparation or anything, I just took it straight from the packet to the dryer as I do with thin wors. If I don't report back in the next day or two, I'm probably in hospital with food poisoning

 

[IceQB]

I never do thick wors.
Thin wors is hung as is no spices etc.
Comes out great!!!

For biltong use a mix of brown vinegar + Worcester sauce - Will be experimenting a bit with a few changes on monday.

 

[faniebraai]

i thought you cant just take shopped bought wors and make dry wors

so can i just go and buy schit wors and soak it in some vinegar and hang ?

you can't. and boerewors actually already has vinegar in it, so no need to soak it in vinegar.

astro's experiment will taste like schit.

 

[faniebraai]

My understanding is that there is more fat in droewors than there is in boerewors. The fat used in droewors is from a specific breed of sheep and its from the tail section of the animal I believe. They often add fillers to boerewors such as cereal, so its always better to make your own. I would use natural casings as opposed to the casings used on salami and viennas. its also a good idea that there be a a little bit of moisture in your droewors meat mix as it helps in getting the mince into the casing, if the mince is well chilled it also assists. I will give this a try one day and let you all know.

correcto mundo. sheep fat. thick boerewors they use pork fat. and that's the fat that sticks to the top of your mouth. the schit get's rancid!

 

[AstroTurf]

If it tastes like **** I'll give it to prismo, hear he has been begging biltong on another thread also, I have a new favorite sauce. I wish I could make biltong in this flavor.