What is "expensive" biltong wise?

[Kosmik]

really? do you have one of those biltong makers?

how long do you soak the biltong in vinegar?
why strength light bulb do you use?

My basic recipe is a mix of balsamic vinegar and wooster sauce. Soak the meat for about a hour and sprinkle spice generously on both sides. Transfer to box and hang. Light bulb is a 40W , they recommend nothing higher.

The box is really just a plastic square with places to rest rods to hang hooks, a light bulb socket and a large pc chassis fan, nothing else to it. But it is nice and neat.

Drying time:

Thin wors - 2 days
Thick wors - 3 days
Silverside thin - 2 days for pink, 3 days for dry slightly wet and 4 days for very dry
Silverside thick - 3 days pink, 4 days wet, 5-6 days totally dry.

I usually start munching on the evening of day 2, maybe have one piece that goes very long. Also kids love it and is a great snack/chew for teething.

 

[Kosmik]

Send me some direction? God dammit 185/Kg I will buy a fck load.

How long can biltong last just out of curiosity I normally eat it within a matter of days but would like to buy in bulk at that price. 10 odd kilos

Freeze it, will last indefinitely and you can munch even frozen, very refreshing.

 

[supersunbird]

I buy it sliced and wet in paper bags, and put it in the fridge. In 2 or 3 days its nice and dry like I like it.

 

[faniebraai]

My basic recipe is a mix of balsamic vinegar and wooster sauce. Soak the meat for about a hour and sprinkle spice generously on both sides. Transfer to box and hang. Light bulb is a 40W , they recommend nothing higher.

The box is really just a plastic square with places to rest rods to hang hooks, a light bulb socket and a large pc chassis fan, nothing else to it. But it is nice and neat.

Drying time:

Thin wors - 2 days
Thick wors - 3 days
Silverside thin - 2 days for pink, 3 days for dry slightly wet and 4 days for very dry
Silverside thick - 3 days pink, 4 days wet, 5-6 days totally dry.

I usually start munching on the evening of day 2, maybe have one piece that goes very long. Also kids love it and is a great snack/chew for teething.

So where in this process does your meat go off?

remember, bulb is there to dry the air out, which in turns pulls the moisture to the surface of the meat, where the fan dries the moisture. If the air is humid inside the box, the moisture won't get drawn out, and the meat will go off.

 

[faniebraai]

I buy it sliced and wet in paper bags, and put it in the fridge. In 2 or 3 days its nice and dry like I like it.

little bit of a waste of money... wet meat weighs more, and when it dries you get less, just try and buy it dry

 

[EchoZA]

"Standard" in the EU seems to be €30/kg. Will almost be cheaper to fly to SA eat as much as you can and fly back every couple of weeks!

Just got back in from Munich, Germany this morning. Yesterdays prices were between €30/kg - €50/kg...

 

[Kosmik]

So where in this process does your meat go off?

remember, bulb is there to dry the air out, which in turns pulls the moisture to the surface of the meat, where the fan dries the moisture. If the air is humid inside the box, the moisture won't get drawn out, and the meat will go off.

I was commenting about the one chap saying why the need for the box. A box contraption is needed in Durban due to the high humidity, with places in the Free State and Jhb you can just hang the meat in a room, the air is normally dry.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Make the short drive to Die Vleis Winkel in Brackenfell. Best biltong and droewors in the Cape IMO. I think their biltong is R185/kg. It is amazingly good and you can pick and choose between dry and wet.

I prefer wet...like most men should.

I've been meaning to go for ages and just keep forgetting.

Joey's makes good Biltong as well, but beef only.

 

[pinball wizard]

I buy it sliced and wet in paper bags, and put it in the fridge. In 2 or 3 days its nice and dry like I like it.

Buy it as dry as you would normally like it, and freeze it. Works much better.

 

[faniebraai]

I was commenting about the one chap saying why the need for the box. A box contraption is needed in Durban due to the high humidity, with places in the Free State and Jhb you can just hang the meat in a room, the air is normally dry.

ah yes, ok, i agree with that, cause you need that controlled off area where you can remove the humidity.

 

[Thor]

What meat must one buy to make biltong?

I will buy a biltong box maker thing today at game sommer

 

[faniebraai]

What meat must one buy to make biltong?

I will buy a biltong box maker thing today at game sommer

silverside or topside, silverside better in my opinion

 

[Thor]

silverside or topside, silverside better in my opinion

If I walk into pick N pay and say give me 10 kg of silverside will they know what to give me?

 

[faniebraai]

If I walk into pick N pay and say give me 10 kg of silverside will they know what to give me?

if they don't, then you are probably at the bread stand.

 

[Geoff.D]

I see this thread has some recipes for spice mixtures for biltong.

Years ago (1996) a book was published entitled "Betsie Rood, Smulvleis uit die veld". A collection of recipes for anything from Elephant to an "Ietermagog" ( look it up if you don't know what that is).

Pages 35 - 37 have recipes from all over SA and SWA for biltong. NONE of them have things like "Worcester Sauce" in them (yuk).

The basics ingredients are:
growwe sout
Bruin suiker
Salpeter
peper
koeksoda
gestampte geskroeide koljander ( Biltong is NOT biltong if it does not have bits for Coriander sticking to it)
bruinasyn

The recipes all state to soak at least 12 hours, turn over, and soak for another 12 hours, then taste and soak some more if needed.

 

[Ancalagon]

My basic recipe is a mix of balsamic vinegar and wooster sauce. Soak the meat for about a hour and sprinkle spice generously on both sides. Transfer to box and hang. Light bulb is a 40W , they recommend nothing higher.

The box is really just a plastic square with places to rest rods to hang hooks, a light bulb socket and a large pc chassis fan, nothing else to it. But it is nice and neat.

Drying time:

Thin wors - 2 days
Thick wors - 3 days
Silverside thin - 2 days for pink, 3 days for dry slightly wet and 4 days for very dry
Silverside thick - 3 days pink, 4 days wet, 5-6 days totally dry.

I usually start munching on the evening of day 2, maybe have one piece that goes very long. Also kids love it and is a great snack/chew for teething.

Can I use an energy saving light bulb?

Jokes!

 

[Ancalagon]

My basic recipe is a mix of balsamic vinegar and wooster sauce. Soak the meat for about a hour and sprinkle spice generously on both sides. Transfer to box and hang. Light bulb is a 40W , they recommend nothing higher.

The box is really just a plastic square with places to rest rods to hang hooks, a light bulb socket and a large pc chassis fan, nothing else to it. But it is nice and neat.

Drying time:

Thin wors - 2 days
Thick wors - 3 days
Silverside thin - 2 days for pink, 3 days for dry slightly wet and 4 days for very dry
Silverside thick - 3 days pink, 4 days wet, 5-6 days totally dry.

I usually start munching on the evening of day 2, maybe have one piece that goes very long. Also kids love it and is a great snack/chew for teething.

Can I use an energy saving light bulb?

Jokes!

 

[faniebraai]

I see this thread has some recipes for spice mixtures for biltong.

Years ago (1996) a book was published entitled "Betsie Rood, Smulvleis uit die veld". A collection of recipes for anything from Elephant to an "Ietermagog" ( look it up if you don't know what that is).

Pages 35 - 37 have recipes from all over SA and SWA for biltong. NONE of them have things like "Worcester Sauce" in them (yuk).

The basics ingredients are:
growwe sout
Bruin suiker
Salpeter
peper
koeksoda
gestampte geskroeide koljander ( Biltong is NOT biltong if it does not have bits for Coriander sticking to it)
bruinasyn

The recipes all state to soak at least 12 hours, turn over, and soak for another 12 hours, then taste and soak some more if needed.

if you soak that long, i've found that it has a little bit of a vingar taste to it.

 

[faniebraai]

Can I use an energy saving light bulb?

Jokes!

jirre, almost issued a klap in your general direction!

 

[bwana]

Can I use an energy saving light bulb?

Jokes!

They produce heat, don't they? I use a wide variety of bulbs but my main one is a 30w halogen at the bottom of the Mellerware box (I moved it around the same time as I replaced the fan).