# Forget jerky - make yourself some biltong :-)



## curious aardvark

Biltong is a cured meat product revered in south africa as the food of the gods. You can make it in a desiccator or (as I do) in a converted cardboard box :-)
It's main difference to jerky is that you use much larger and thicker pieces of meat and use a vinegar mix to marinade the meat before liberally coating in the curing spice and hanging to dry.
You can dry it to different wetnesses. If you dry it totally it will keep almost indefinitely with no special storage requirements. Generally it's cured to a medium dryness so that it's still slightly moist in the centre. 
I can guarentee that once you've made and tasted biltong you'll never bother making jerky again ;-) 

Okay traditional biltong method.  
 South africans use mostly beef but any red meat will do. 
I've used beef, pork (turns out a bit like cured gammon), turkey thigh meat and pigeon breasts. They all have their different flavours - but the pigeon turned out to have a very strong almost gamey flavour and smooth texture.  

 Cut long strips of meat approx 1/2 to 1 inch thick. You can cut to any length - just so long as it'll hang in your drying box.  place meat in bowl and add a decent amount of cider vinegar. Make sure the meat is coated liberally and leave for about 20 minutes to soak.  
 Pour off the excess vinegar and add biltong spice (coriander seeds, brown sugar, black pepper and salt) Coat the meat well in the spice, lump it at the end of bowl (I use a long oblong plastic tray thing) and let any excess fluid drain into the empty part of the bowl. having bowl tilted slightly helps. Pour the liquid off every half hour or so. After 2 -3 hours hang meat to dry.  
 Either use a purpose made drying box or hang in cool dry insect free place for 3-5 days. I like my biltong very dry and very hard and chewy.  

 I also use balsamic vinegars, tabasco, some garlic powder and a little extra sugar in my vinegar mix. 

Biltong is nothing like jerky. It's got a lot more flavour, is much thicker and subsequently a better eating experience. Should not taste overly salty and by dint of the vinegar sterilising, the meat tends to keep at least as long as jerky. You can also add a small amount of saltpetre to the spice mix for added preservation (I don't, but you can). 

If you want to have a go my actual spice mix for about 3 lb of meat = 4 teaspoons seasalt, 2 heaped teaspoons ground black pepper, 4 teaspoons brown sugar, 7 teaspoons coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and half a teaspoon powdered garlic. I grind the sugar, pepper, salt etc seperately and then grind the coriander (both in mortar and pestle) and then mix them in a small bowl. My mortar is not big enough to do it all at once as coriander is high volume low weight. If you buy ready ground coriander seeds then add 4 teaspoons to the salt, sugar and pepper.

If you've got something like a magic bullet processor (it's on my to-buy list) use that. 

If anyone's interested in the dimensions of my cardbaord box I'll go measure it. It uses a 20 watt lightbulb. And on average my biltong is ready after 3-4 days.


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## erain

is this kinda the same stuff uncle ted nugent advertises and sells???  thks for the info gonna have to try this thanks!!!!!


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## curious aardvark

well given what I know about ted nugent (owns his own bow hunting ranch and is just a little 'odd'.) Might well be. 

There are quite a few commercial producers in the uk - but they tend to over salt and under marinade imho (lol). The problem with all commercial curing - salt is cheap, spices cost more - ergo they use more salt than is necessary and fewer spices than are required :-) 

But if you like jerky (I do) then you'll love biltong. 
I did try cold smoking the meat at different stages to make smoked biltong. It was okay. But not worth the effort. Although I'm, sure there are forum members who'd argue that smoking is ALWAYS worth the effort lol


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## smoked

might have to try this.........


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## bassman

That's quite interesting.  I may have to try that with elk or deer.  Thanks for the pics.


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## smokewatcher

Thanx! I'll try that out.


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## big e

Hmmmm... Interesting


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## tasunkawitko

excellent topic, thanks, aardvark!

i am on my way to work right now but will check this out when i get home!


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## tommiegunnz

Very interesting I might just have to give that a go


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## buckeye024

I've never understood how those types of meats (dried meats) are not loaded with bacteria or parasites. Heck, I leave a steak too long in the fridge it turns rancid, let alone a cardboard box.


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## hank

Don't usually post unless it's important to me......this is interesting.
Just spent the entire morning researching this, it will be done.

Thank-you for sharing a new idea


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## okie joe

Well thanks on the heads up on Biltong...have made jerkey for years....living in Oklahoma,and Texas,USA...have not run into Dutch 400year old process of South African dried meat ....but with studying  it  is a must try...


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## curious aardvark

Well apart from the sensible meat handling: Don't take it from the fridge until you intend to use it,  try and buy from reputable dealers etc. It's all quite simple. 
(I have been a microbiologist by the way, been a lot of things ;-)

The vinegar wash (strong acid) kills any surface bacteria and  effectively 'cooks' the first few layers of cells - removing any present bacteria and preventing more from growing on the meat. It hydrolyses proteins chemically (removes the water from protein molecules - similiar to heat cooking)
The salt and spices then further remove moisture from the meat. Believe it or not but sugar is just as effective at drying meat out as salt. Always good to add some sugar to your salt cures - tempers the taste and doesn't reduce the drying potential. bacteria can't survive without water. As soon as they come in contact with either the acid or the salt they dry up and die. 

So what you're doing with biltong is creating a chewy bacteria proof barrier around a clean meat core. Okay moist cured biltong needs to be refrigerated or vac paccked or frozen to last more than about a week. 
But you dry that sucker out till it's crispy and you can leave it lying around a room in ambient temperature almost indefinitely. Dry it to cripsy and vac pack it and it'd probably be good for years just on a shelf.

As peple are interested I'll measure my biltong box as it's the perfect dimensions for drying biltong in about 3 -4 days to a medium moist cure(been in use for 3 or 4 years now - not bad for a cardboard box with a 20 watt bulb in :-)


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## buckeye024

Interesting. Thanks for the explanation!


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## goat

Curious, I made some biltong from venison last winter and it turned out pretty good.  I got it a little dry for my liking.  I sent some to a South African friend here in the states and she said it was good.  I rest my case.


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## tasunkawitko

aardvark - 

i got the chance to take a look at this and found it to be an excellent narrative - thanks for posting it!

i took the liberty of copying/pasting it (giving you full credit) at my website, www.baitshopboyz.com.

i think i will be trying this with deer this fall - are you familiar with the little chief smoker? (www.smokehouseproducts.com) i have one of these and it looks like it would work very well to make biltong.


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## walking dude

yeah aardvark, how bout dimensions, and pics of how the light setup is.........

can't wait for Richtee to wieght in on this........LOL

but the finished product DID look yummy..........POINTS ! ! ! !


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## smokedcaveman

C_A, you beat me to the biltong posting!!! curse you!

I've gone from jerky to biltong, after doing some research inspired by the Quatermain novels. I read about a food, I want to sample it, and I love the stuff (so does my cats, they try to steal it from me!)

btw, when I make mine, I marinade overnight, and use toasted coriander for more flavor


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## bbqgoddess

Thanks curious ardvark, I have never hear of biltong before....added it to the must do list......


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## mossymo

curious aardvark
You may have just posted something "Sticky" worthy.....
You have me interested, I have never heard of it and it sounds like a must try after this next season. I try to do at least one new recipe a year after deer hunting season. Thanks for posting !!!


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## schultzy

I used to work with a couple of physical therapists from South Africa that told me about this biltong. I never understood the exact process but this makes it sound so simple, I would be interested in seeing box dimensions and what do you catch any drippings in, also is there any smell involved in the process.


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## smok'n steve

I am with WD on better pics of your cardboard cooker---LOL

Richtee---where are you???????????????????


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## smok'n steve

Bumping this back up--pretty interesting read from overseas!


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## monty

Hey, Curious Aardvark!

Thank you for creating this thread and bringing something new and different to the SMF family.

And I applaud your excellent narrative as well as your timely response to questions.

MossyMO said it first and he is absolutely correct; this thread should be a sticky and I will make it so as soon as my post is through.

Once again, thank you for bringing this to us!

Cheers!


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## smok'n steve

For those of you who aren't sure, I think a sticky is a thread that stays at the top of the list in its forum category, so that it is easy to find?

Just kind of realized this myself--always learning!!!!!


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## sqwib

Awesome post, I started researching this and it looks like a no-brainer


check out this video
[font=&quot]http://www.myvideo.co.za/video/make-great-sa-biltong

This guy hangs the whole hunk of meat as opposed to slicing it.
Which way is preferred?
I would imagine the sliced before drying would give more spice flavor and the sliced after drying would give it more of a meat flavor
Think of all the propane you can save. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






I'm going to do a few different batches of Biltong, Beefsticks and Smoked Jerky and take them on our annual Guys away from the wives and kids camping trip and let them compare it.
[/font]


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## curious aardvark

lol now that's overkill on their biltong box. Cardboard box, straightened coat hanger for the rails and plastic coated paper clips for the hooks work just as well. Well mine's been going for years now :-)
That's one of the beauties of biltong, less preparation than jerky. But realistically you generally don't want anything much thicker than 1 - 1 1/2 inches - or it just takes too long to dry :-)

But you just get a hunk of sliverside and slice it into inch strips. I tend to cut a narrower strip than him - again because it dries quicker, so you can eat it quicker :-) 

Don't follow his spicing/curing method though. you DO NOT want to salt the meat first. Not if you want it to taste good :-)

In fact apart from the biltong box the whole video is bloody awful. 
Follow my recipe :-) Even the south africans who've eaten my biltong agree it's better than the stuff they get at home :-)

You don't need to pre-salt, you don't need to leave the meat for 12 hours before hanging.

Attached pic of hook made from a small paperclip - this will hold a 1/2 lb strip of meat easily. If you want to go for the big stuff - just use a larger paperclip :-)


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## walking dude

CA............you mentioned you wold post MORE info on your box, and how its constructed..........


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## curious aardvark

aargh - something weird happened to this topic on my computer - it no longer shows me pages of posts I have to go back to the sodding top of the page each time I want to see the next post. Really really frustrating. 
As I'm supposed to be working ;-) I'll instead go and take some more pics of the box and measure it up :-)


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## curious aardvark

I bought my box from a mail order company some years ago. Seems odd but it was £20. Came with everything needed to make biltong. Trays, box, rails, bulb in holder etc. I'd been researching home made biltong for a couple of years an just never got round to making a biltong box - so the biltong factory was ideal.
And given that it's done sterling service for the last few years I certainly don't feel shortchanged :-) 
The original biltong factory was developed and marketed by a chap who subsequently sold out to a larger company. 
http://www.makeyourownbiltong.com/sh...g-factory.html
Oh yeah if you buy the current kit I would strongly recommend throwing away the biltong 'spice' that comes with it. 
They sent me some a few years ago after I'd reviewed the box. And it was crumbled up beef oxo cube with a little coriander. Use my recipe and make your own :-) 
Actually given that they want £49 ($85) for the current kit - just go get a lamp kit from a hardware store and snag a big cardboard box and a roll of duct tape and a couple of coathangers, a handful of paper clips and make your own :-)

At the time I bought the box I'd been buying biltong mail order. It was expensive and often had large amounts of fat, which I'd throw away. So I boght the kit and haven't looked back since :-) 


The box itself is composed of 3 parts. A base, a lid and the middle 'square tube'. All made of standard grade box cardboard. 

Height - 30 inches. 
11 inches square. 
The base and lid are 2 inches deep and 11 1/4 inches square to fit snugly over the tube.

The heat source consists of a 40 watt bulb mounted in a standard bayonet bulb holder screwed to a piece of mdf. A standard lamp cord passes through a small slit in the base to  a switch followed by a plug. In other words it's a standard lamp fitting without a lamp :-)

The 2 hanging rails are thin steel rods. Straightened out coat hangers would do fine - as might bicycle wheel spokes. I've wound masking tape round the ends of the rods that stick out from the box for the obvious reason od stopping them being pushed inside. 

The drip tray stands on a randomly folded bit of cardboard so that it's about 3 inches above the height of the bulb. This could be easily improved on - but it works so I haven't bothered :-)

I can 'biltong' about 4 lbs of beef at one go in this little box.
Bear in mind you start with large strips and end up with smallish sticks
Good biltong #is ready when the outside feels hard but you can still feel a little give in the stick. When cut through it should be a uniform dark red shading to black (no nitrites/nitrates needed to do this ;-)  

To answer a couple of questions. 
1) there is no smell - I keep and run my biltong box in my bedroom. (not strictly true - it smells fabulous :-) Better to say there is no strong or objectionable odour ;-)
Follow my method and recipe and I guarentee it will both be odour free and very few drips make it to the drip tray. Those that do tend to evaporate over the course of the 3-4 days anyway :-) 

Pics attached. 
Enjoy :-)


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## walking dude

Thankx CA.............great job, and i can't wait to try this...........do ambient temps make a diff. on drying times. Such as a hot day, they mite cure up faster, as opposed to a cold day, which mite make em go abit longer?


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## curious aardvark

quite probably - but as I said mine lives in my bedroom - which is pretty much stable temp wise. 
The purpose of the bulb is not actually to heat the box but to generate a constant air flow over the meat.
The hot air from the bulb rises creating a constant warm air flow over trhe meat :-) 
The meat is air dried rather than heat dried. 

Most dehydrators use this principle as well by using low heat and a constant air flow. 

Biltong can be made (so I've heard) very quickly in an electric dehydrator. But would it be the same ? 
I dunno. The 2-4 days the meat hangs must help work the spices deeper into the meat, you'd think. But as there is no such thing as a cheap dehydrator in the uk I'll probably never know :-)


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## supervman

This is something I'm going to do. 
I should think that if you want to make your own box (as I will) that using one of those cardboard CLOTHING MOVING BOXES would work quite nicely. 
You can get em at U Haul places and I think some of those Mailbox stores. 
Nice, sturdy, tall, you can cut to size. 

Note: If you are considering making one out of wood make sure you don't use a particle board or composite. The glue fumes will poison your meat, but I'd bet 99% of the folks here already know that. 

Heck those U Haul clothing boxes "might" be enough to cut in half and make two biltong boxes. Gonna try it. THANKS!


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## curious aardvark

well we've just bought a new upright vacumn cleaner - box is about the ideal size. I could make two biltong boxes - but given the price of beef in the uk I could never afford to use 2 at the same time anyway. 
Ask around your friends for boxes. 

I think I did mention it in the first post. But I have tried a variety of different meats. 
The best - at least according to my dad, who does all the shooting lol - is pigeon breasts. 

Don't know if wood pigeons are the pest in the states that they are in the uk. But if they are, use whole pigeon breasts, there's pretty much nothing else on the pigeon worth eating anyway. 
Use small paperclip hooks between the breasts and hang to or three together. 
Really great biltong. Actually given I've just made a load of biltong spice in my new genie and we've got loads of pigeon breasts in the freezer - I'll combine the two tonight :-)


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## workoutchamp

Did you know that a Pigeon's feathers weigh more than his bones?

How's that for a morning "who gives a sh*@"?


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## sqwib

Hey superv thanks for bringing that up, heres what I found out

   MDF can be dangerous to use if the correct safety precautions are not taken. MDF contains a substance called urea formaldehyde, which may be released from the material through cutting and sanding. Urea formaldehyde may cause irritation to the eyes and lungs. Proper ventilation is required when using it and facemasks are needed when sanding or cutting MDF with machinery. The dust produced when machining MDF is very dangerous. Masks and goggles should always be worn at all times. Urea formaldehyde is always being slowly released from the surface of MDF. When painting it is good idea to coat the whole of the product in order to seal in the urea formaldehyde. Wax and oil finishes may be used as finishes but they are less effective at sealing in the urea formaldehyde


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## curious aardvark

I rest my case :-) 
A cardboard box is cheaper than mdf and won't poison you ! 
lol
There was a spice cart in the mall today that was closing down so I too all his coriander seed off him for silly money :-) 
_now where are those pigeon breasts...._


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## walking dude

i can't believe that a 40-60 watt bulb would get SO hot as to release harmful fumes...........you are really not HOT smoking the meat.........pips here use OSB for COLD smoking, knowing the temps are going to get that high


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## curious aardvark

if you read the mdf post it says that mdf - CONTINOUSLY gives off formaldehyde - whether it's heated of not. 
And no, a biltong box shouldn't get very warm. But hey, if you have to have a wooden box - use plywood or cheap pine, or pallet wood - or anything but mdf :-) 
When I get a food thermometer I'll check the box's temp.


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## big tony tapout

hi i am new too the forum and just started looking into making my own biltong any tips or help is much appreicated and any planes that could help me make a biltong box


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## walking dude

yeah.....read this thread........the WHOLE thing, and follow the links.........its pretty much all here...........in THIS thread............


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## sqwib




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## sqwib

Well the Biltong Box is almost finished, got a couple of boxes from work scavenged a ceramic light fixture and an old cord.
Used some straining cloth I had laying around and some wood dowels.

Will pick up the ingredients Friday and give this baby a try.

I don't want to get ahead of myself but if all goes well I will start on building one from wood.
So far the plans consist of using 2" x 4" at 96", I plan on planing the pieces and biscuit join them together to make planks. The design I'm working on will disassemble to store away flat.
Also Instead of a door I plan on having a removable top and a removable tray over the bulb.
Each piece will be connected by a bolt and a threaded insert secured in the wood, between each piece will be thin window foam for a tight seal to keep critters out and a plexiglass inspection window in the front.

Was also thinking about installing a small computer fan top rear to increase air flow. Do you think the fan is overkill?


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## 4t64rd

USED to sell... I was partner in a mail order jerky business, and we ordered from Sweaty Teddy, we were the only place outside of Southern Michigan you could get it... Which is probably why it isn't around anymore.

It was one of our best sellers, had a picture of Ted on a buffalo, with the saying "We test drive all our meat"

It was very tasty and was moist, the hot flavor was VERY hot. We had one customer from S.Africa that ordered some just to see if it was biltong like here was used to, he said it was more jerky flavor, than biltong flavor.

I'm going to do a search for "pemmican", another jerky-like process to preserve meats.


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## sqwib

Biltong Box completed

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo...41211880XVKzNR

Will try this recipe tonight.This is a modified recipe, I will give feedback and post more pics next week! Wish me luck
[font=&quot]Ingredients [/font]

[font=&quot]3lbs London Broil[/font]
[font=&quot]Â½ c Balsamic Vinegar[/font]
[font=&quot]Â¼ c Apple Cider Vinegar[/font]
[font=&quot]3 c warm water[/font]
[font=&quot]1 tbsp Worcestershire[/font]

[font=&quot]Biltong Spice:[/font]
[font=&quot]4 teaspoons:  Sea Salt or Kosher Salt[/font]
[font=&quot]2 heaping teaspoons:  Coarse Black Pepper[/font]
[font=&quot]4 teaspoons brown sugar[/font]
[font=&quot]7 teaspoons coriander seeds or 4 teaspoons ground (Roast seeds)[/font]
[font=&quot]1 teaspoon smoked paprika[/font]
[font=&quot]1 teaspoon Garlic powder[/font]

[font=&quot]1) Roast coriander seeds and mince in processor, in a bowl combine salt, pepper, sugar, paprika and garlic powder, partition spice as follows; Put 3/4 of the spice in a bowl and 1/4 of the spice in a salt shaker, set aside.[/font]
[font=&quot]2) Cut long strips of meat approx 1/2 to 1 inch thick _with the grain_, any length is ok[/font]
[font=&quot]3) Place Balsamic vinegar in a Glass bowl then add the meat, coat meat liberally place in the fridge for 30 minutes.[/font]
[font=&quot]4) Remove meat and coat liberally with 2 thirds of the spice reserving the other third, place meat in a plastic [/font][font=&quot](no metal)[/font][font=&quot] colander in fridge overnight. 12 hours, pouring off any excess liquid.[/font]
[font=&quot]5) Combine 1 qt warm water and Â¼ cup cider vinegar and dip the meat to remove excess cure and spice pat dry and brush with Worcestershire sprinkle a bit of spice on both sides, and hang in Biltong box for 3-5 days.[/font]

*[font=&quot]Variation 1: Substitute Balsamic Vinegar with Red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon black pepper, Â¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper, 2 tablespoons of My Rub Recipe.[/font]*

*[font=&quot]Variation 2:  Substitute Worcestershire sauce with red hot mix and add 2 tablespoons of rub to the 1/4 spice mix.[/font]*


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## curious aardvark

lose the water - totally unnecessary


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## curious aardvark

well  the recipe contains several unnecessary steps. but that's your choice :-) washing off all the lovely spices is just daft. and sticking it in the rfridge for 12 hours again pretty pointless, as is watering down the marinade.
whats with the big hole in the front of the box ?
have you covered that with clear film ? - which would be a clever idea.

an extra fan would also be a good idea - though unnecessary. might speed up the drying time a tad.


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## sqwib

Took your advice and did not wipe off spice or use the water to wash off excess spice.

My observations as follows:

Day 3 took out a thin and thick piece and sliced. The taste of the spices were good, I did not care for the texture or flavor of the interior meat.

Day 4 took out a thin and thick piece and sliced. The taste of the spices were good, I did not care for the texture or flavor of the interior meat.

Observation: Flavor of the spices were good but I did not care for the meat especially sliced, but when i took a thin piece, almost like a beef stick and tried it, I liked it a lot more than it being sliced.

Conclusion: If I made Biltong again I would slice the strips 3/8 x 3/8 and serve them as sticks.

As far as forgetting Jerky, not this Boy

Pics
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/566464004RJYBRB


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## curious aardvark

Well it does depend on what sort of texture you're after. For decent thickness strips of meat I tend to dry for 4-5 days, but if you want it chewier leave it longer - I've left biltong in the drier for a week before now. 

Got some pigeon breast in at the moment (finally tracked them down in the freezer). First pic is the breasts hanging 2 or 3 to a strip. Second pic is after a day and a half. 
Now I like it this soft. But I'll leave it in the box for another day and a half to firm up the interior (small pieces of meat like this don't take long). The one in the picture was really good :-)

There's no hard and fast rule on how dry you make biltong. just personal preference. me I like it all the way from really moist (okay I'll eat it right after marinating and spicing before it even goes in the dryer) right up to hard as nails.
The dryer you make it - the longer it lasts :-) (mainly 'cos of all the chewing that needs to be done).

Yeah sqwib looking at the slices you made and vacpacced - it's pretty moist. Don't be afraid to leave it in the dryer for longer -  all dryers will dry at different rates so there's no 4 day rule.. The interior should really end up a lot darker than that - look at the pigeon I've cut - I'd say that your biltong wasn't much dryer than this and this is way to 'wet' for most people - so leave it longer next time :-).
 Love the dryer though, particularly the see thru window. And yep personally I never slice it for storage and for eating I tend to cut it with the grain and either have lumps or sticks. But for storage - I mainly just cut the whole thing in half and freeze.

When you buy it in packets in the shops it's usually sliced so thin it's got no chew to it at all. Me I like it like savoury chewing gum - got to be something to work your jaw :-)


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## iheartjerky

Thanks for the post!

I have NEVER tried Biltong...i really need to. I have had a Biltong recipe submitted to me on my site but i have never made it. The more i read about it, the more i think i need to know more about it!

Two Questions: 
Do you have more Biltong recipes?
Are there any Biltong products available for purchase in the US?


Thanks!


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## curious aardvark

More biltong recipes ? 
Umm, well not really. 

I do tend to vary the marinade - the pigeon were marinaed in a mixture of balsamic, black rice and white wine vinegar. 
The spice mix was the standard. Salt, brown sugar, coriander, black pepper, garlic powder mix. 

Now both the vinegar and the salt, pepper, sugar and coriander are essential if it's going to be biltong. 

I use only one process - because it works better than anything else I've seen. It's biltong :-) 
You'll get different processes and different (secret ssshhh) spice mixes. But without the vinegar, salt sugar pepper and coriander and the air drying - it wouldn't be biltong. 

There are other south african recipes that use the same spice mix - I'm guessing the boers had an excess of coriander :-) 
And at some point I'll be posting those over in the sausage thread. 

Droewors for example are an absolute pain in the backside to make and get eaten so fast you'll blink and miss it. BUT even my mum - who just doesn't go for the whole jerky and biltong thing - likes droewors. 

Essentially sausage made from fatty lamb and beef with both vinegar and biltong spice, stuffed into lamb casings and dried for up to 2 weeks till they're so dry they snap.

Sounds easy ? 
Bear in mind the vinegar partiatuially cooks (without any tenderising) the minced mixture. It's like trying to stuff solid meat down the thinnest tube on the sausage stuffer. It was VERY hard work. I had to lean all my weight on the handle at times (and I'm a very trustworthy chef ;-)
But yeah they eat great, but you can make them :-) 

There are also boerwors - similiar to the droewors - but without the vinegar and stuffed into pork casings. Them I'll make again :-)
Anyway - got to go do some work. 
Go back to the start of this thread and read my method/recipe and look at the pictures. 
That works - first time, every time. :-)


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## smokedcaveman

I like droewors, and you're right, those things vanish VERY quickly.


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## curious aardvark

right - here's the pigeon. 3 1/2 days in the dryer. Went in last thing saturday night and came out first thing wednesday morning. 
Compare the colour with the day and a half picture (included at bottom of post). 

This to my mind is just about the perfect state of dryness. It's still chewable but without the almost jellylike texture that I suspect sqwib didn't like. 
Aim for this very dark red colour in the centre of your biltong and you can't go far wrong. 

Now biltong if not frozen or vacced will continue to dry - at this stage it won't go off, but if left lying around will just turn into hard dry sticks - good for hiking trips but not as edible as it could be :-) 
So seal it or throw it in the freezer as soon as it's at the consistency you like and out of the box. 

Commercial butchers will tell you you need nitites/nitrates to get biltong this colour. I'll just tell you that it's concentrated haemoglobin and just use salt :-) 
Guess whos right ;-) 
Leave out the toxins - they serve no useful purpose.
lol

I've packed them into 2 breast snack packs _(okay I admit it was an excuse to play with the vacpacker - but still practical as well lol)_ and put them in the freezer.
Biltong doesn't actually freeze as there isn't enough water left to from ice crystals. It just gets cold and hard. Ten minutes out of the freezer and it's chewable again. If you don't vac it and just shove it in sealed bags - it won't get freezer burn - not enough water left. And will keep indefinitely. (assuming you forget it's there - otherwise you'll eat it quite quickly :-)


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## tasunkawitko

i believe i made something similar this week in my little chief -

in an attempt to make "jerky chunks" out of cubes of deer meat, i brined and then smoked/dried the meat until the chunks were hard on the outside. you could stillsqueeze them a bit, but the outside could just as well be leather.

biting the chunk led to a soft, chewy pink center, that looked and felt (but didn't taste) like chewing gum. it was different and i gotta admit i liked it quite a bit; at least as much as i like conventional jerky.

had i used biltong seasonings and dried the emat rather than smoking it, i believe the result would have been very similar to curious aardvark's biltong.

next step is to try this using traditional spices and seasonings, perhaps not smoking it.....


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## zopi

I had some biltong from a south african steak house in the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai 
last winter...good stuff! Had not really thought about making it..but since I have an 
80 qt dehydrator...as soon as I get done with drying peppers for the year I'll make some. 

That steak house, incidentally was excellent..was there with an acquaintance of mine from south Carolina...he's not too adenturesome...chicken strip kind of guy...I had tatare for lunch..about 2/3 lb of really good ground tenderloin...
ever see a black guy turn green?


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## zopi

ok..decided to BBQ some beef today, so in snatching random chunks of meat out of the freezer to play with, I picked out an oyster roast to make biltong out of...made pretty much with the recipe in post 1 above, cut meat in 3/8 to 1/2 strips and will begin drying in the big dehydrator after a bit...


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## tasunkawitko

zpoi - let us know how it turns out. 

i am unfamiliar with the term "oyster beef?"


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## fire it up

Haven't heard of oyster beef either, would be interested in finding out what cut that is.
Good luck on the biltong.
So what was it that took you to the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai?


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## zopi

Oh..duh...Oyster cut london broil..as I understand it it's the round end of a london broil...i'm not much of a butcher though....

I'm in the Navy, and my ship was deployed to the gulf...one can get tired of Dubai really quick...but it is a nice city. 

That south african steak house in the mall rocks...the tartare was excellent. 

Tasted my Biltong a little while ago...it's not gonna make it...the operation was a success but the patient got eaten..I'm glad I have a big dehydrator, because I'm not very patient...<G>


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## autoferret

My good friend lives in africa.  He brought some biltong home.  it was good but way over dry'd, i like jerky better.  Also brough home some Kudo jerky. 






YUMMY!  slowing eating all of the tasty animals from around the world!


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## ohiomountainman

I've seen this all over the web. I've even seen a picture of a meat market in Africa where the meat was hung on a round metal stand that rotated with a fan blowing on it. looked interesting, but didn't try it. I think I will. Thanks for the recipie.


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## pfalor

Finally made my Biltong box and got my first batch in last night.

http://picasaweb.google.com/paulfalor/BiltongTrial1

I still don't get how the raw meat doesn't spoil unrefrigerated, but I guess we will see :)


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## pfalor

The outside is feeling pretty hard and the inside looks dark.  It has only been around 40 hrs though so I'm doubtful that it is actually ready.  Could that be possible?  I tried a small piece and it tastes pretty damn good.  Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!  I've been tracking the whole experience in this Picasa gallery: http://picasaweb.google.com/paulfalor/BiltongTrial1


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## shtrdave

It looks great, did you use the OP recipe or another.

I remember we use to cure whole eye of rounds, it took weeks to do but was well worth the wait, I wish I could find the recipe for how it was done, it was my mother's recipe and I thought I wrote it down, but have moved and not sure it will be ever found.

I am going to try this in my cabela's dehydrator.


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## otter

Looks interesting : Will have to give this a go ...


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## sqwib

What a coincidence, I was actually reading through this today and was gonna give it a bump


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## stephenh

Again, I have my culinary horizon broadened by reading this forum.  First, a fatty, now biltong.  Now I have got to try it.  Do you think it would work okay in a regular dehydrator (circular tray version)?


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## sqwib

That may dry it out too quick, try a cardboard box with a 40 watt bulb and some ventilation holes, just make sure to cover the holes with screen or cheesecloth.


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## pfalor

I just started a second batch.  This time I went with slices of london broil that were around 3/4" thick.  It looks so tasty already that I want to snack on it.  I can't decide how many hours are required before it is safe to sample :)

http://picasaweb.google.com/paulfalor/BiltongRound2?authkey=Gv1sRgCMrjtLbQt5_Mfg#

Anyone have any guidelines on timing of when it is safe to give it a try?  I'll post more pictures each day!


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## dandan

There is a recipe in Uncle Teds Kill it and Grill it cookbook that i own, for a bitlong recipe.  I will have to try this out , maybe i will post his recipe later.


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## smokin dad

Thanks for the info.... never head of this before but it sounds good.. will have to add this to my list of things to try!


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## squirrel

This really is very interesting! I've never heard of it either, definitely will keep an eye on your thread to watch the progress. Thanks for sharing!


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## smokincowboy

that sure looks like a must try  real soon


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## gmeans

This does sound very interesting.  Does smoking it add anything?  I was thinking of slow smoking it in my Bradley.  Thanks for a great recipe and discussion..  Gotta try this.


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## shawnfate

I must try this someday.


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## striper

This sounds good, wonder if putting a bit larger light bulb in a GOSM would work for making it?


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## sqwib

Striper said:


> This sounds good, wonder if putting a bit larger light bulb in a GOSM would work for making it?




Its not heat that you are looking for, its airflow,

That is why you put a light bulb in a box, the little bit of heat from the bulb rises up and draws air in, causing a constant airflow.

You could hang it from a ceiling fan and it would work.

But to answer your question yes that would work as long as you can keep the insects out


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## sqwib

GMeans said:


> This does sound very interesting.  Does smoking it add anything?  I was thinking of slow smoking it in my Bradley.  Thanks for a great recipe and discussion..  Gotta try this.




Yes it adds the word Jerky if you place it in your smoker.


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## striper

Right on, THANKS.  Should not be a problem keeping the lil critters out of it here in the Northwest during the winter.


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## chef jimmyj

Wow, I love finding out about new, for me, techniques. Will try this...JJ


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## exhaustedspark

What do you know i have had Biltong for years and did not even know it. One cannot compare it to Jerky though as it is an entirly different process. If i have a choice of Biltong and Jerky i take both and smoke does make it better. Hmmm Smoked ice cream. You may have something there.


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## BGKYSmoker

OH YEAH BILTONG

I aint made it in a couple years but now its time again.

Nice job


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## vortreker

*Uncle Ted is a true Patriot. If that makes him "odd" there are millions of us in the US that are a bit "odd*"


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## bdbob83

First seen biltong on duck dynasty ..had to look it up on here and seems like I have another thing to try


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## gibsorz

How about fat content in biltong? I assume you should only use relatively lean cuts?


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## petewoody

I have found that the fat can go rancid. I tend to use London Broil and trim most of the fat.


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## felklaw

It is tough to find good Biltong.

My ex was South African and we went to Cape Town and Johannesburg.

In the shopping malls over there they have got Biltong stores where the space is basically taken up with a clothes line with rows and rows of steaks all in various stages of "conversion" to Biltong.

Amazing sight to see, amazing smell, awesome taste when fresh from the "line"!

They also sell it in a variety of ways, either as a whole "steak", and you will often see people buy the whole steak and walk around with a small pocket knife just cutting off pieces to enjoy.

They sell it as sticks (stokkies) like the third picture below. Tends to be drier and more spice surface.

And lastly is shaved, basically they take the steak and shave off 2-3mm slices. They take a pinch and kind of chew/suck on it like chewing tobacco, except you don't have to spit it out!

http://www.south-africa-tours-and-travel.com/images/biltong-shop-foodinsouthafrica.jpg

http://ahungryafrican.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/biltong_0020_sliced.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...iltongStokkies.jpg/1280px-BiltongStokkies.jpg

Another great delicacy from there is Boerwors, and the dried version, *Droëwors*


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## jerkyguy

I think Biltong is the only form of jerky that I havent tried yet! I have been wanting to try it for ages now. I think I need to do some digging and find a good biltong recipe and try it out. If anyone knows of a good biltong recipe, let me know. I will trade recipes lol I want to make some to share on my jerky blog and podcast.


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## sqwib

jerkyguy said:


> I think Biltong is the only form of jerky that I havent tried yet! I have been wanting to try it for ages now. I think I need to do some digging and find a good biltong recipe and try it out. If anyone knows of a good biltong recipe, let me know. I will trade recipes lol I want to make some to share on my jerky blog and podcast.


Post #45


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## smoked alaskan

I truly appreciate " thinking outside the box". Great info even if you are "inside the box". Thanks for sharing. Great "food for thought". Any pics????


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## mummel

Just found this thread.  Has anyone tried to make droewors?  Any tips?  Here's my first attempt:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/235700/droewors-south-african-dried-sausage


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## maxamillian

Agree, biltong is the best!

There are some easy ways to make it if you don't want to build a biltong box! For thin strips marinade just sprinkle some vinegar over them and toss them around in a mix of salt, ground pepper, coriander and brown sugar - then lay the pieces out in your oven at the lowest setting (usually 170 degrees) with the door open a crack to get airflow..  This method only takes about 4-6 hours depending on the thickness of the strips.

If you want to make high quality larger pieces of biltong check out the additional instructions and recipes for biltong, dry wors and chili stick (stokkies) - also biltong boxes etc. at www.biltongblog.com. It also has a printable DIY biltong recipe info graphic..

Enjoy!!













Biltong Recipe Info Graphic.png



__ maxamillian
__ Jan 18, 2017


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## HalfSmoked

maxamillian Thanks for the link.

Warren


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