The Official Biltong Enthusiasts Thread

Newyork said:
Hi
I just recently made my 2nd batch and am struggling with that vinegar aftertaste.

The most recent batch I only painted the vinegar onto the meat so that it can keep the mould away. Yet it still has that slight aftertaste.

Here is my method:
3kg Silverside cut into relevant sized steaks
Rub rock salt over the meat and leave in the fridge for 2 hours
Wipe off salt with a knife
Paint Apple Cider Vinegar onto the meat
Rub spice on (coriander, black pepper) the meat
Marinade in the fridge for another hour
Hang

Do you think perhaps the issue is that I am not marinading the meat in the spices long enough?

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Maybe try brown vinegar instead or leave it out completely and just use some Worcestershire sauce :D that's what I do.
 
Zenbaas said:
Maybe try brown vinegar instead or leave it out completely and just use some Worcestershire sauce :D that's what I do.
Click to expand...

Thanks.

Upon reflection I suspect it may because I'm not marinading the meat too long in the spices to form its own brine, which would result in the spices embedding its flavours into the meat. I hang my meat too soon thereby leaving a layer of vinegar to linger.

My next batch I will do some with Worcestershire sauce only and the other part will try a mix that does not contain any vinegar.
 
I use balsamic vinegar and worcestershire sauce. I then add brown sugar to give it a sweet touch.
I dip my meat in the sauce, pack it in my container. Spice it and leave it overnight.

For a bit of a kick, I will add chilli flakes. Personally I love the chilli and sweet after taste.
 
Hi

May I ask for your guidance.
In this hot weather, I have my biltong maker from Mellaware in a cool room (the lounge), currently marinating the meat, will be ready to hang tomorrow at midnight.

Do I have to use the light bulb in this hot Joburg weather? Maybe reserve it for winter. Is my reasoning correct?
 
Newyork said:
Hi

May I ask for your guidance.
In this hot weather, I have my biltong maker from Mellaware in a cool room (the lounge), currently marinating the meat, will be ready to hang tomorrow at midnight.

Do I have to use the light bulb in this hot Joburg weather? Maybe reserve it for winter. Is my reasoning correct?
Click to expand...

Light buld helps with keeping the humidity down, which is currently my problem in JHB :)
 
Newyork said:
Hi

May I ask for your guidance.
In this hot weather, I have my biltong maker from Mellaware in a cool room (the lounge), currently marinating the meat, will be ready to hang tomorrow at midnight.

Do I have to use the light bulb in this hot Joburg weather? Maybe reserve it for winter. Is my reasoning correct?
Click to expand...

Why don't you marinade it in the fridge?

I use a small bulb in the summer - one of those 5w fluorescents or a 20w halogen - just to fight the humidity.
 
bwana said:
Why don't you marinade it in the fridge?

I use a small bulb in the summer - one of those 5w fluorescents or a 20w halogen - just to fight the humidity.
Click to expand...

Hi yes the meat is definitely marinading in the fridge. It will stay there in the fridge for another 24 hours or so.

I will look in my kitchen drawer for similar bulbs to try out. Thanks
 
Newyork said:
Hi yes the meat is definitely marinading in the fridge. It will stay there in the fridge for another 24 hours or so.

I will look in my kitchen drawer for similar bulbs to try out. Thanks
Click to expand...

When the fan went on my mellerware box I replaced it with a 12v PC fan so I can also adjust the fan speed instead of just the amount of heat produced by the various bulbs I use.

EDIT: my bulb is at the bottom of the box now.
 
bwana said:
When the fan went on my mellerware box I replaced it with a 12v PC fan so I can also adjust the fan speed instead of just the amount of heat produced by the various bulbs I use.

EDIT: my bulb is at the bottom of the box now.
Click to expand...

Word I heard that the fan at the bottom is the better option. I bought the Mellaware as a "starter pack" but if this biltong making thing goes well I'm going to make a DIY Biltong box that can handle bigger batches and from the designs I've seen the bulb goes at the bottom.
 
Newyork said:
Hi
I just recently made my 2nd batch and am struggling with that vinegar aftertaste.

The most recent batch I only painted the vinegar onto the meat so that it can keep the mould away. Yet it still has that slight aftertaste.

Here is my method:
3kg Silverside cut into relevant sized steaks
Rub rock salt over the meat and leave in the fridge for 2 hours
Wipe off salt with a knife
Paint Apple Cider Vinegar onto the meat
Rub spice on (coriander, black pepper) the meat
Marinade in the fridge for another hour
Hang

Do you think perhaps the issue is that I am not marinading the meat in the spices long enough?

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

I had the same problem for quite some time and it put me off making my own until a butcher at Sloans in Bryanston told me a secret I am thankful for every time I make biltong and wors. He told me to invest (and I say invest because it's morse expensive) in the best quality Red Wine vinegar I could afford. I went to Woolies and bought an imported bottle that set me back more than the meat cost on that day but the result is my biltong now has the most delish red wine taste and smell to. It's subtle and sweet and really made a world of different. I don't soak it for hours, I paint it onto the individual pieces 2/3 times while marinating and I'm gentle with the salt too cause I hate Biltong so salty it burns your tongue and make it feel like a piece of raw meat. I buy a premixed biltong spice mix at Spar, I can't remember the name right now but it comes in various flavors and I spice with that. Except skinny wors to make droe wors, with that I simply buy the best quality thin flavored wors I can and paint it with the high end vinegar a few times. Sloans makes a apricot and red wine wors that a fav with all.
 
Sharon39 said:
I had the same problem for quite some time and it put me off making my own until a butcher at Sloans in Bryanston told me a secret I am thankful for every time I make biltong and wors. He told me to invest (and I say invest because it's morse expensive) in the best quality Red Wine vinegar I could afford. I went to Woolies and bought an imported bottle that set me back more than the meat cost on that day but the result is my biltong now has the most delish red wine taste and smell to. It's subtle and sweet and really made a world of different. I don't soak it for hours, I paint it onto the individual pieces 2/3 times while marinating and I'm gentle with the salt too cause I hate Biltong so salty it burns your tongue and make it feel like a piece of raw meat. I buy a premixed biltong spice mix at Spar, I can't remember the name right now but it comes in various flavors and I spice with that. Except skinny wors to make droe wors, with that I simply buy the best quality thin flavored wors I can and paint it with the high end vinegar a few times. Sloans makes a apricot and red wine wors that a fav with all.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. I'm going to keep experimenting going forward until I get it right.
 
Newyork said:
Hi yes the meat is definitely marinading in the fridge. It will stay there in the fridge for another 24 hours or so.

I will look in my kitchen drawer for similar bulbs to try out. Thanks
Click to expand...

Hang on... in what is your meat marinating? If you are marinating it that long, I hope to god you aren't marinating it in any kind of vinegar, no wonder it tastes strongly of vinegar!
 
faniedry said:
Hang on... in what is your meat marinating? If you are marinating it that long, I hope to god you aren't marinating it in any kind of vinegar, no wonder it tastes strongly of vinegar!
Click to expand...

No, not marinating in the vinegar - rather it is lightly marinating in it's own brine. The method I used in previous batches is to paint the vinegar on the meat as has been demonstrated in many videos on youtube (where they show you how to make biltong).
 
So just to report back the meat has been hanging for about 2 days. I took out a piece to sample and it's very good. No weird aftertaste. It's actually spot on.

I reckon another day and it will be ready the way we like it (medium / wet).

To summarise here's what I did differently:
-Let it marinate for 24 hours in the fridge (as opposed to hanging immediately)
-Use a lower wattage light bulb (from 60w to 40w) - but they hard to find!
-Moved the biltong maker box from the kitchen to the lounge (which is a cooler room).

Thank you
 
So I was a bit lazy. Bought a 1 kg ready to hang from our local spar. R89

I hung it on the 24,so has been 2 days with a fan, no light, hanging.

Have not cut to taste yet.

Pic here is when I hung. Will update later and think will try a cut and see how it is.

0d9fd86df5cb459033977615214bb2ac.jpg
 
Newyork said:
Looks good.

I keep kicking myself for using such high wattage light bulbs.
Click to expand...

It says 40w max for a reason…

(of course the real reason is probably the risk of having your biltong ruined by FIRE)
 
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