South African Biltong Recipe
Biltong is a traditional South African beef snack that is cured in a unique way. The word comes from the Dutch bil, meaning hind quarter, and tong, meaning strip, in this case – a strip of meat.Although it looks similar to American beef jerky, it is quite different in flavor and the method of preparation.
The beef is dried with vinegar which cures the meat and adds layers of texture and flavor.It is seasoned with salt, pepper, and coriander, and the meat is much thicker than beef jerky.
Originally, it was created out of necessity as a survival food when the Dutch settlers arrived in South Africa.
EQUIPMENT
Accurate scale for meat (up to 33 pounds)
Sharp Kitchen Knives
Ceramic Honing Rod
Extra Large Mortar & Pestle
Food Dehydrator
Heavy Duty Kitchen Vacuum Sealer
Custom Cutting Board
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
4540g bottom round or top round trimmed and cut into 2cm thick steaks – with the grain
120ml red wine vinegar
60ml Worcestershire sauce
102g salt
34g pepper corn
68.1g coriander seed toasted
22.7g chili flakes optional for heat
DIRECTIONS ON SOUTH AFRICAN BILTONG RECIPE
Preparing the meat:
Trim off any silver skin, gristle, and soft fat. Cut your meat With the grain into 2cm thick steaks. (I USE THE WIDTH OF MY THUMB TO MEASURE EACH STEAK)
Toast the coriander on heat and coarsely grind it up. Coarsely grind the pepper corn and chili flakes as well. Combine the coriander, pepper corn, and pepper flakes into a container.
Combine the red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce in a container and pour half of this mixture In a tray that can fit your meat.
Arrange all of your meat on that tray and pour the rest of the red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, mix over the top.
Sprinkle 1/2 of your salt over the meat and enough of your coriander spice blend to coat the meat.
Turn the meat over and sprinkle the rest of the salt over the meat. Add the remaining coriander spice blend to your meat.
Place the meat in a vacuum seal bag (or zip lock bag) ensuring that all of the spices and any liquids from your tray are added as well.
Vacuum seal the bag or if you are using zip lock bags, just remove as much air as possible and place in your refrigerator for 24-36 hours (massage the bag and flip it every 12 hours-this helps the meat cure evenly).
After the meat has finished curing, remove it from the bag, weigh each steak, record the weight (and your target weight loss), and place small hooks on each piece of meat.
(I suggest writing down the actual weight and making your target weight 50% less than that. 50% dryness is considered “wet” biltong. Once your meat has lost 50% you can taste a piece, if you prefer it to be more dry you can let it hand for a few days more. I personally like my biltong somewhere between 55% and 60% weight loss. Sort of a medium dryness. If you like a “dry” biltong you can let it go to 70% dryness.)
If you have some reserve coriander spice blend you can add it to your meat pieces now, lightly sprinkle the spice mix on each side (this will give you a very mice spice crust when your biltong is ready)
Hang your biltong in a warm, sunny area with a gently breeze. The ideal temperature should be between 70f and 80f (21.2c – 26.6c) and a humidity between 50% and 60%.
Once your biltong has dried to your liking you can vacuum seal them and store in your refrigerator or freezer.
HERE ARE SOME MORE SOUTH AFRICAN RECIPES
RECIPE VIDEO
MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE,BUT BY EVERY WORD(JESUS) THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.kjv
4540g bottom round or top round trimmed
Ingredients
120ml red wine vinegar
60ml Worcestershire sauce
102g salt
34g pepper corn
68.1g coriander seed toasted
22.7g chili flakes optional for heatInstructions