I double checked, but I am presuming you didnt use any nitrates/nitrites. This site is owned by eatcuredmeat.com, it participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Hello I would like to try this recipe how does it work on elk or deer meat they might be to lean. When you grind the spices, it releases the compounds that give them the flavor. Place several (about 7) wooden rods (C) inside the box about 2 inches from the top. There are some methods I have come across, like having bowls of saltwater inside a small chamber to have some impact on humidity or using some form of disposable cigar environmental control products. It's the most accurate way of measuring. Store vacuum sealed or wrapped airtight in the fridge or freezer. If youve got a really raw centre and thick, tough outer surface, give it a try and see if you like the texture. Rely on airflow. Ive added liquid smoke to my brine in the past. If your approx. The ideal temperature and drying time for biltong is 22C to 24C for the first 24 hours and thereafter at 30C to 33C for two days. Mold is the biggest killer of biltong, especially in humid climates. If there is any topic you want to suggest feel free. Vinegar is acidic and reacts with certain metals. For texture and flavour. - Soak meat overnight in vinegar. Using a sharp knife, following the grain of the meat, cut into 1 inch (2.5cm) thick lengths and place in a non-metallic container. Place some newspaper below the meat to catch any liquid. Jerky is a much sweeter, chewier meat snack and the method of making it has changed from air drying to high-temperature drying which basically cooks the meat. Your email address will not be published. Ill be getting something like this soon, temp & humidity sensor/logger prob get most consistent in basement? Fixed that for you. There is a dedicated a very important ingredient missing in the above recipe. I believe eating and cooking well attributes majorly to a happy life. The biltong in these pictures was made by an ex-South African / Zimbabwean couple living in Phoenix, Arizona, who missed their favorite snack in the US, and have perfected their way of doing it which I am going to share with you. You can use red wine instead of vinegar if youd prefer. The packing date was mid February, so I also wasnt sure if the long time in the freezer would negatively affect the curing process? This was specific to my curing chamber since it was designed to have a fan continuously operating even when the compressor wasnt on (it was a drinks fridge). by Runder Biltong February 26, 2022. You can pick them up pretty cheap online. I got a bunch of knives. Hi Tom, thanks for your very informative blog! This comes down to personal preference. Be careful when drying and storing your biltong so that it does not spoil. Holidays and weekends have been spent in the great outdoors, hiking, fishing and diving all around the world. Was wondering if you could give me ingredient amounts for a 2kg silverside. This will balance out the gradient. 1) What is the ideal temperature and humidity range for making biltong? a Bad initial product won't turn out nice. It really has a recognisable flavour. Biltong is a traditional South African cured meat. Check your biltong daily; you want to know how fast its drying. If you want to see how it's done, jump to the video in the recipe using the above button. Thanks for dropping by, Ive been passionate about meat curing for decades. 9. Is it drying too fast or too slow? Best recipe, and love the weight tool you added. Lie the meat down in a flat glass container (you don't want to use metal because the vinegar might react with it), then place this glass container in the refrigerator. So glad I found your post!! And everyone I know who knows how to make biltong live, and has always lived, in bone dry climates. Authentic Biltong Recipe Ingredients 4 lbs. Want to know how to make the best biltong of your life? Learning and consuming in a circular fashion, I am always interested in what is happening around the curing and smoking world. Mold can look like its only on the surface but often the threads in the mold may have penetrated the food to a deeper level. I have a question on a 4.5 lb Pork shoulder that Im attempting to cure into Spalla. I don't know anyone that likes dry or hard cured biltong but some do prefer it. I can't wait to try your process in that device. If you want a little more control, you can upgrade to a biltong box or other drying box. These involve the cuts of beef from the top of the leg to the mid back or short loin. First, know your weather. Thus giving us a delicious product that is safeguarded against spoilage. Use scales when weighing out ingredients. This time-temperature lethality process targets a 5-log reduction in the most thermally resistant pathogen, Salmonella spp. The point of using the vinegar is to make sure any bacteria are neutralized. Getting it right is down to trial and error. But once you have this culture growing inside the curing chamber, the salt cured meat you put in there will be well protected (as long as you follow a good methodology of course). Although biltong is often made with a pure vinegar marinade, the addition of Worcestershire sauce is often used as well. Top rump and Silverside are the two preferred cuts of beef, although I've had great results with other cuts including the following. Would a box with heat source be the best way to go to make biltong for us up here or can it be done with this colder temp? A Wind Advisory has been issued through Sunday morning. If you want some suggestions on a couple of humidifiers I know do a great job, here is a page with a few recommendations for humidifiers. Nine times out of ten, the answer will be its fine and to leave it and check on it tomorrow. If the airflow is too strong, it will dry the outside of the meat, and the inside wont cure properly. As you can see from the previous paragraph, the best biltong is made in mild conditions. Hey mate, thanks! If youve made a lot more than that, then consider vacuum-sealing the slabs to keep them for longer. This biltong recipe is easy and all it takes is a little patience as the biltong dries. The meat is then air-dried in a dry environment with very good airflow. Best wishes. Hi John, Thanks for your kind words, really encouraging for me. About 17 minutes to read this article. I live in Alaska and our house and garage stay about 66F. Try to keep as much of the spice on the meat as possible. BTW Charlie, have you ever used a pre-mix call Crown Mills now Crown National? One question I would like to ask is how do you make chutney biltong flavour. I did a fair bit of experimentation around this, so I wrote a guide about how to cure meat in your kitchen fridge I got consistent results. Oh the joy of the craft and balancing the gear! By far the best biltong I have ever tried! Making biltong in a dehydrator - Follow steps 1-6, taking into consideration how thick the meat can be in the . Just found out youre back and to save myself a major maths equation youve added a superb adding thingy. This is to catch the spices that fall off as the meat shrink and dries. Some people would never consider eating biltong without this fat; others prefer to cut off before the biltong is made. His wife refused to have any. Some visitors even buy the biltong box kits when they visit, which they can assemble at home. It will froth as the acid reacts with the soda. Do a speed test on our app and win R5,000, https://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/613014-The-Official-Biltong-Enthusiasts-Thread. Thoroughly wash and dry your hands, and squeeze the flattest sides of the meat in with your fingers. My South African friends say Biltong is superior to Jerky in every way and if that is true, I can't wait to try this. It can also occur while making your own biltong. Thats really all you need to make it. Cheers T. Ive been wanting to find out if my crawlspace (no actual crawling required) is suitable for hanging and curing meats. The biltong can avoid case hardening by ensuring that the humidity is moderate to low and the air movement is not pointed directly at the biltong meat. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Having said that, dont be tempted to try and make it in the ovenbiltong takes several days to dry, and most ovens wont go low enough to dry the meat slowly enough to avoid cooking it. Once the meat has salted for 3 hours, rub off the salt but don't wash it. I have an Anova Precision Oven which can dehydrate meat at that exact temperature and humidity. No need to slice it after wards it breaks like a biscuit! Better to try smaller pieces in a fridge, I wrote about this here. You can always just test the environment like out the back, in the garage or some other place protected from pests with a bit of airflow. They did this either by curing or dehydrating their meat. Case hardening happens when the outside of the biltong dries very fast, but the inside of the biltong strip remains raw meat. and moisture balance to make a success of biltong making. Biltong dries best when it is cool, not humid, and theres plenty of airflow. Many folks do love it and that's cool too. Learn how your comment data is processed. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. It just needs to be somewhere in the range of humidity approximately and temperature above. I added a UV light to prevent mould forming (because I live in a very humid part of the world! It is eaten in great quantities here, but its popularity is only now starting to spread around the world. I love this recipe. Its best to toast the seeds to release the oils for flavour, but also because the oil suppresses bacterial growth. She actually liked it and that was fantastic! Awesome. This will be the first curing recipe I will try, but I will be using a refrigerator dedicated to this and I will keep it around 12 Celsius, with a fan inside and a device to monitor humidity. Do you have any recommendations on gear that would collect those readings (ideally, digitally) and record them so that I can do a trend analysis? Once dry, these biltong slabs are sliced and eaten. Howdy, I prefer 11-13C all the time, since bacteria grows exponentially the hotter it gets. Have tried others but always come back to this recipe by Charle. Keeping relative humidity in the box below 50% ensures consistent, quality results. Any advice on how to infuse a bit more chili flavour into the meat for a bit of extra kick. My wife cant stand biltong, never has, UNTIL NOW! If you found this post helpful or have learned something, comment, subscribe, and follow me on social platforms for more tasty recipes. Only issue is it got so dry it wasn't that appealing to eat as is and I ended up making biltong stew with it. I recently found out you can equilibrium percentage calculate your pickling of vegetables! . Back in the days when refrigerators werent a thing, the pioneers needed a way to preserve their meat. Two or three slabs will not last that long and will be eaten within a week or two. A cool air-conditioned room, or dry cool basement, will also help provide the right environment for making and storing biltong. White spirit vinegar is traditional (made from grape must). Salt is a brilliant flavour enhancer and preservative. I like to take 2 to 4 days to dry out biltong at around 28 to 35C, personal preference. Its just a bit hit or miss and can be frustrating when its inconsistent, but its done this way in homes all across Italy or other places across the world. (Other ingredients you can play around with when making biltong are chilli flakes, garlic powder, and fruit chutney). You can read it here. The other option if youre new to the whole idea of dry curing meat, is to just use your normal kitchen fridge. The right amount of fat to keep on your meat for biltong is contentious, and quite honestly, it comes down to personal taste. I'm really big on prep, usually going from the end forward then back from beginning to end. Everything is easy to understand and clear. I've just made my first batch and it's fantastic! and your blog is so amazing to lear about that. As each piece is covered inspice, set it aside in a dish until you are ready to hang it up to dry. Adding heat nullifies the process, because then you are making jerky, not biltong. Raw beef inoculated with 4-strain cocktails of either E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, or Staphylococcus aureus, and processed with a standard biltong process, were shown to incur a >5-log reduction . The idea is to retain the flavor of the beef by removing the majority of the moisture evenly. Toast the spices, apart from the peppercorns, in a dry pan until fragrant and giving off a bit of smoke. If you are hanging the meat in a room with afanit may take up to 10 days to dry. Biltong is a type of dried meat typically made from beef, but also from game meat such as venison, ostrich, kudu, and eland (to name a few). Then, one day when marking about the 256th essay during exam time I decided enough Ill do my own writing instead and have never looked back. (Non aged). The sugar helps with drying through osmosis, latching onto the water molecules and wicking them away. Some people like their biltong lean without any fat and some prefer the added flavor of a bit of fat on the biltong its up to you but you have to be more careful to ensure that the fat is properly dried. Adding sugar brown sugar, for example may sweeten the taste but it also brings you closer to beef jerky than to South African biltong. Add a hook to the thickest end of each length. How to build the DIY homemade Biltong Box. Both are cured meats but with a difference in the method, texture and flavour. Trim off silver skin, connective tissue or any unwanted fat but I suggest you leave the fat on for moisture and flavour. Biltong made from beef or venison is the most popular. This fat can add a considerable amount of flavor to your biltong. The golden standard for perfectly cured biltong is medium wet with lots of fat. Use Kosher or natural untreated coarse salt. Ive used cider vinegar a lot, purely because I have a large batch I made at home. Now I truly appreciate other people are learning from this blog which summarizes what I have learned. Keep up the great work! This is what my grandfather did, and I suspect the early pioneers too. Its worth noting that the thicker you cut your initial beef cuts, the slower the drying process must be to avoid case hardening, so try cutting thinner next time. If youre impatient and cant wait for your biltong to dry, plan ahead and cut some thinner pieces to hang with the restthese will keep you going while you wait for the thicker stuff to be ready. He said it never got below 77F/25C at any time of the year, day or night! Learning tricks from other cultures on planting and gardening brought new ideas to food gardens and creating beautiful outdoor spaces. If youve ever tried cutting over-dried biltong, youll know how tough it can betough as old boots! I wanted to thank you for all the knowledge Im getting from your blog. This doesn't need to be very strong, as that also runs the risk of drying the outer layers before the inside of the meat. Like most other cured meats it's easy to adjust the flavourings and ingredients used. Concrete can be used in humid climates, but excellent humidity control needs to be established as well. The Nepalese then pound it into powder and fry it with vegetables. Since there was always a little bit of pressure going through the chamber, it was always coming out the hole. What Ive seen with temperature control and different curing chambers is that the compressor or whatever form of cooling is used may create more or less moisture as well as impacting the humidifier or dehumidifier. Yeah me neither. Once the biltong meat has been spiced, its going to sit in a vinegar marinade for several hours to a day. My local butcher goes way overboard with salt on their biltong. Oui, vive la France ! If you find that youve cut your biltong early and its wetter than youd like, use clean fingers to rub a little salt and vinegar on the exposed end and hang it back up. Once all your meat slab pieces are hooked up, hang them in the drying area. The yellow color comes from beta-carotene, a type of vitamin A thats healthier for you than the white fat produced from grain-fed cattle. This moisture gets in the way of your biltong absorbing the biltong spice and marinade. You want to be able to identify the different spices. For this recipe we will be using beef as anyone can get their hands on some at the local butcher or supermarket. This time can be shorter or longer depending on the thickness of the meat, the humidity of the environment, the wind flow around the biltong, the temperature, and lastly, how you prefer your biltong, slightly wet or dry. I use a half pound of beefsteak (anything that doesnt have much fat) and cut the strips in a variety of widths from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inch so that they cure at different rates, and I can enjoy over a few days. Bicarbonate of soda is only used when the meat you choose will be tough to chew on. I keep mine forever in a freezer vacuum sealed. Keeps it from spoiling a bit longer than simply salt and vinegar. The longer you leave it in the wet cure the more the wet cure flavour will be there in the end product. Its not unusual to have an entire slab missing by the time your biltong is ready. Biltong is not sweet or rubbery like jerky. However, the exact process and recipe vary according to personal taste and the tools and . So some rewiring was done, which only turned on the fan when the compressor was on. About to start my first batch, will let you know how it turns out. Most likely, what youre looking for is a really tough consistency with just a little bit of give. I use a 275 w Infra red lamp for heat connected to a inkbird temperature controller and a computer fan controlled by a light dimmer to give me the perfect environment. Its just too delicious! Pat thoroughly dry with kitchen paper towel and hang the strips in the Biltong Maker. Airflow and how consistent the moisture is in the environment is key to any dry curing project, but it can work in many scenarios. I've made biltong without trouble in the UK without issue. Do not be light here; make sure that all the meat is covered in vinegar. There is a reddit r/biltong for any questions and recipes you may have. With generation after generation using roughly the same method and ingredients to make it. You need a coolish temperature (less than 86 F / 30 C), and sufficient airflow for the best quality biltong. This might seem a little odd, but it has scientific reasoning. I still need to find some stuff to fashion a biltong box out of, so I have some time. Start weighing after about 4 days to monitor the weight loss. Biltong can also be made from: Chicken, simply referred to as chicken biltong. After so many failed previous attempts, finally your recipe worked beautifully for meits like being back in south Africa again, Love it. Texture-wise biltong is more similar to bresaola when made correctly and beef jerky is more of a leathery sometimes wet and chewy consistency.