This is the most common type of dry curing people do at home apart from jerky. I have compiled a recipe book as we speak, which will be available soon, it will include what I have learned around meat curing across many different countries as well. Not sure it would move the needle much over here though. If youve ever tried biltong, youll know exactly what I meannone of that sugary, rubbery stuff-it-in-a-dehydrator rubbish here, please! The Worcestershire sauce just adds depth of flavor to the biltong. I've made biltong without trouble in the UK without issue. Remove the spices from the pan and let them cool down before blitzing in a spice grinder. I do not mind waiting 2 or 3 weeks. As soon as the froth disappears remove the meat from the wet cure and pat it dry with a paper towel. I double checked, but I am presuming you didnt use any nitrates/nitrites. Copyright 2023 NewLifeOnAHomestead.com - All rights reserved. Want to know how to make the best biltong of your life? This should take around a week but start monitoring it after 4 days. This recipe will still work for that but make sure to use 6% salt still. Some recipes call for balsamic or cider vinegar. You can use red wine instead of vinegar if youd prefer. I don't know anyone that likes dry or hard cured biltong but some do prefer it. Once you have your chosen cut probably silverside or topside, remove some of the excess fat. I had this probably with a large commercial fridge, too much power! Biltong pronounced bill-tong is air dried, and although you can use a dehydrator, most South Africans use a biltong box, as it makes drying the meat easier and more hygienic. 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. Biltong is a traditional South African cured meat. Can be stored in the freezer for many months. Since curing meat in a curing chamber is a craft, temperature and humidity do not have to be exact, but more so within a range. Do this in a well-ventilated kitchen. My wife cant stand biltong, never has, UNTIL NOW! While that is happening mix together the wet cure. It was my 1st time ever making biltong. If you pick the right meat, you wont need to use bicarb at all. If you found this post helpful or have learned something, comment, subscribe, and follow me on social platforms for more tasty recipes. For biltong strips, cut tenderized steak into 2cm strips and follow the recipe. Its such a delicious dried meat snack and you can make quite a lot of biltong in one go. A combination of good airflow and relatively cool temperatures are the key to successful biltong making. The meat hooks you want to use here should be food grade and have a plastic covering. Step #5: glue the fan. Store vacuum sealed or wrapped airtight in the fridge or freezer. Hi Charle You can use any vinegar for marinating your beef slices. This is to minimise the chances of spoilage and mould. Top rump and Silverside are the two preferred cuts of beef, although I've had great results with other cuts including the following. Once you have tasted biltong, youll be a fan of this spiced dried meat that South Africans have made famous around the world. The length of the strips will depend on the height of your dryer as the meat must not touch the tray at the bottom. The following are the most common causes of mould and include some tips on how to prevent it: Mould is more likely to occur during hot and humid summer periods, especially at coastal areas unless you put the Biltong Maker in an air-conditioned room. Another really easy way to make biltong sticks (thinner, dry pieces) is to put oven on lowest temp (170 F in USA) and leave the door open a crack to let warm air escape. Now some recipes also dont have fermentation, so just make sure you are following a decent one. 2) Is it ok to do this without the lightbulb? To this day it's enjoyed in excessive quantities as it's such an addictive snack. I live in the United States and I want to try curing some different meats. So here is a table summarizing the temperature and humidity ranges and then Ill go over a few tips relevant to the curing chamber and its environment. If youve made a lot more than that, then consider vacuum-sealing the slabs to keep them for longer. Instructions. My dad used to do that but I remain unconvinced that it actually does much of anything beyond raise the temp by a degree or two. If you want to check out the options and a guide on building a curing chamber, here is a detailed page on all the setup. You can blitz your peppercorns with the spices or grind them in with a pepper mill. What were trying to achieve when drying biltong is to concentrate the flavour of the beef by removing a lot of the moisture, similar to dry aging. I dont think a modern dehydrator cuts it. Charcuterie is indeed a French word but I have to say the Italians are the masters in that matter. If you dont, the first option is to vacuum pack the biltong and store it in the fridge for one week to one month, depending on severity. Then you're in for a treat. Its really hard to guess whats going on without seeing it. Don't use more than 1% Prague/pink salt to the weight of the meat. If you are drying your biltong in a biltong box, make sure that the biltong slabs are not longer than the hanging length you have in the biltong box. First time making the biltong. Once youve given it a try, please let me know how you like it, and if there are any variations to the traditional ingredients you swear by, no matter how strange! Biltong is an air-dried meat snack that originates from South Africa. In general, FSIS recommends achieving a minimum internal meat temperature of 145F (~63C) held for 4 minutes, and a 1 hour hold at RH90% to ensure sufficient delivery of thermal energy to the surface. Make a biltong box from a cardboard box to save money. Biltong is a dry beef product that is manufactured without a heat lethality step, raising concerns of whether effective microbial pathogen reduction can occur during biltong processing. I Hunt, Fish, Forage, Buy, Butcher (Wannabe Norcini), Make, Savor (Im not a Saviour), and love curing and smoking meat. Awesome. Low humidity for biltong is anything below 50%. If the airflow is too strong, it will dry the outside of the meat, and the inside wont cure properly. Always use salt and vinegar. I have an Anova Precision Oven which can dehydrate meat at that exact temperature and humidity. Thank you Charlie I have sourced 5kg of topside for the next batch and I agree fennel is awesome just got to be careful about my salt intake as I now make a lot of billtong cold smoked salmon and kimchi. The meat is then air-dried in a dry environment with very good airflow. Hot cutting tool. But the results and the process improved once I improved the airflow and oxygen going in the chamber. 30 degrees Celcius or 86 degrees Fahrenheit is the perfect temperature to dry biltong at. We will add the peppercorns unroasted. You can air dry the biltong, but it will take longer and you need the right weather, whereas a commercial biltong maker or dehydrator will have a built-in fan for continuous airflow to speed up the process, as well as a light fitting which will prevent the growth of mold, and also help reduce moisture. White spirit vinegar is traditional (made from grape must). Total cycle during the swing it about the same time as when its stable in-range. Concrete can be used in humid climates, but excellent humidity control needs to be established as well. Humidity and Temperature Ranges for a Curing Chamber. Oh the joy of the craft and balancing the gear! Hang your meat in a biltong box or other dry-air well-ventilated area away from pests, insects or animals. There is a recipe for making biltong spice below here. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Dry in a well ventilated low humidity environment to ensure proper curing. It's 3 hours salting and 2 hours marinating. Coat the meat in the spice mix making sure to get it into every nook and cranny. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. (Non aged). 4) Whats your biltong chamber look like? Best recipe, and love the weight tool you added. 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). It really does depend on the environment you live in, you could be anywhere in the world wide web so you may have a more suitable environment when it comes to the humidity or you may not. This next point cant be overemphasized; use fresh spices and toast, grind and mix them just before youre about to apply them. Mix the coriander, black pepper, ground cumin, and salt. Try to avoid grinding the peppercorns too fine if you want the best flavor. Now and then I had some Louisiana Cajun Spice for a kick. Anyone from Natal (or any other humid part of the world) who makes biltong: do you need to do anything special? Can it cause spoilage or just a longer time for the meat to cure ? Most South Africans have a biltong slicer, which makes the job easier. your thoughts? Controller is working correctly and switching when it should. Combine all the spices and sprinkle into the meat. Cut with the grain of the meat and aim for thick slaps. To easily make a biltong box at home, use a cardboard box, such as a computer monitor box. 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). 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. (Photo by V. Edgar). 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This yellow fat is apparent in cattle that have been grass-fed rather than grain-fed. I have looked at many different recipes and I think this sounds like the best. 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. You dont want to use too much because it can leave an unpleasant aftertaste. For this, you will need a spray bottle for food. Four hours should be enough; however, I often leave the tray in the refrigerator overnight. When you have mastered the art of making biltong you will have plenty of friends flocking around to enjoy big games with a couple of drinks and the platter of biltong being passed around. 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. So glad I found your post!! The bicarb acts as a meat tenderizer. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Excellent website. Cut the meat along the grain into strips roughly an inch thick and around 8 to 10 inches long. Anyway I reckon your recipe is the best I have come across. Have tried others but always come back to this recipe by Charle. The salt is an excellent flavour enhancer and should definitely be includedjust a little less to avoid the need for washing. Its perfectly fine and very common to dry out jerky which has been in a dehydrator. Salt is a brilliant flavour enhancer and preservative. Step #2: cut the holes for the fan and the dehumidifier. There are two essential things to note here. This is the most well explained and straight forward blog post I have found. And is the long time in the freezer okay? and our Government go in and kill deer yet we cant. If your approx. I followed all your instructions, to the tea! BTW Charlie, have you ever used a pre-mix call Crown Mills now Crown National? So dont leave a whack on expecting it to disappear as the meat does. It just needs to be somewhere in the range of humidity approximately and temperature above. The author gave me a tongue lashing because I added fennel which was awesome just not to much as it is so strong and I used worcheshire sauce. Use Kosher or natural untreated coarse salt. If youre interested in a simple guide and recipe, please check out the page I wrote on jerky & biltong here. If you want a little more control, you can upgrade to a biltong box or other drying box. It will happily stay high quality in the fridge for two weeks loosely wrapped or a few months vacuum sealed. This recipe looks fantastic, very new at all of this. Many folks do love it and that's cool too. Thanks for your time. beef silverside or topside 4 tablespoons salt 8 tablespoons coriander 4 tablespoons black peppercorns 1 tablespoon ground cumin optional 10 ounces balsamic vinegar Worcestershire sauce Instructions Cut the meat along the grain into strips roughly an inch thick and around 8 to 10 inches long. You can buy ready made biltong boxes, or make your own. Keeping relative humidity in the box below 50% ensures consistent, quality results. 3 cm or 1.1 inch thick. 1 Cup of vinegar. The easiest way to measure dryness is with your fingers. Add a hook to the thickest end of each length. I live in Alaska and our house and garage stay about 66F. 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. 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. When you trim the biltong, you need to choose for yourself. Hang the meat in a well-ventilated, dry-air, warm environment(close to 30C or 86F) protected from insects and animals. I live in Denmark and have decided to build my own box. Brown malt vinegar is traditional. Note that biltong treated (in humid areas) with saltpeter and baking soda for mold will have a much redder final color but should not be moist inside. Rub a little salt on the cut ends to protect them. Over the years, many ways have become available for people to make cured meats at home or in tight spaces. In New Zealand's humid climate a biltong maker (a box containing a light bulb and fan) is usually necessary, whereas in South Africa's dry climate the meat is commonly dried outside in the shade. Mold is the biggest killer of biltong, especially in humid climates. Your email address will not be published. I must apologise for calling biltong South African beef jerky, because this is a far superior product. The idea is to retain the flavor of the beef by removing the majority of the moisture evenly. The trick is just getting it done. You can pick them up pretty cheap online. When I started off and built my first meat a curing chamber over 15 years ago, I did a lot of research and read quite a lot of books to make sure I was on the right track. Weigh the meat individually and place a label onto a stainless steel or paper clip or meat hook and then the paper clip or meat hook through the meat. Could you use a freeze dryer to make this? Keeps it from spoiling a bit longer than simply salt and vinegar. I wanted to thank you for all the knowledge Im getting from your blog. 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. In principle, biltong is made by marinading, spicing, and airdrying strips of meat. I have a home made biltong cabinet with he fan and 40watt light bulb. I like to take 2 to 4 days to dry out biltong at around 28 to 35C, personal preference. Holidays and weekends have been spent in the great outdoors, hiking, fishing and diving all around the world. The recipe for the biltong spice can be found below and this can be made at the same time. If you use old spices mixed weeks ago, youre compromising the taste of your biltong. After a couple of university degrees, a teaching career in Art Education and English at secondary and tertiary level, a few years in journalism, the modelling and fashion industry, and a family followed. What I suggest is that if you get a computer fan and have it mounted inside a curing chamber, it will then pulling the air out. Certainly would disqualify it as authentic . If you dont have access to a vacuum sealer, stick your biltong in a paper bag and place it in the fridge for a few days. Its tricky to get the salt quantity right. Since there was always a little bit of pressure going through the chamber, it was always coming out the hole. Pick one side of the meat slab and slide the meat hook through. Also, remove any gristle or sinew which once it is dried is pretty much inedible and you dont want that ruining your biltong snack. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Can u give me tips on using an airfryer, I have one that goes down to 90F on dehydrate mode and got some in there now as a tester but open to any tips. Many DIY biltong makers will use a biltong box with a fan and a lightbulb in to create good air circulation. Geez people , biltong is air cured meat. Considering that we no longer tie biltong slabs up outside on trees, the best source of this is from a fan. I have made some cured hams in the past and used Prague curing salt in the wet cure. As a babe in the woods when It comes to curing (iv only made hams, bacons, and pancetta) having someone share the lessons they have learnt is much appreciated. Simply brilliant, best recipe on line- Tastes just like home. Biltong is air cured, not cooked, not dehydrated. It is advisable to put a tray down before hanging up the meat because they will tend to drip a bit before they get dry. These only have a short lifespan and disappear quite quickly. The more translucent and oilier the saturated fat is, the better. Spray every part of the meat liberally. Your email address will not be published. Use a sharp knife or biltong slicer to slice it. The air fryer will give a harder dryer piece of meat in 4 to 6 hours. Based on your DIY chamber booklet Ive almost got a complete setup hooked up over the past week, cant wait to see the results. You must log in or register to reply here. This biltong recipe will teach you how to make biltong the traditional South African way. Perfect for game days, high protein diets and anyone that enjoys great food. Too much sugar is really unpleasant thoughyoure walking dangerously close to beef jerky territory and Id really recommend against it. 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. JavaScript is disabled. Perfect recipe. When I took the shoulder out of the bag to hang, it had a slightly greyish tinge to it. I work on a yacht and make it in the engine room, so perfect. Most likely, what youre looking for is a really tough consistency with just a little bit of give. Some recipes call for the addition of bicarbonate of soda. 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. Contact13 Chester Terrace Westville, South Africa, Choosing the best beef to use for biltong, Optional: Additions of Bicarbonate of Soda, Grilled Biltong Steak You Can Make Tonight [Full Recipe], Biltong Slicers How To Cut Your Biltong, Tips for Drying Biltong in a Biltong Box: Ideal Conditions and Testing for Dryness, How Long Does Charcoal Last Estimating What You Need, Best Charcoal Chimney Starter: The Only 3 You Should Consider, 4 Insanely Easy Ways To Use Wood Pellets On a Charcoal Grill, Venison Biltong Recipe: Make Delicious Wild Game Biltong, The Right Biltong Box Temperature For Drying, 77 of the Best Recipes to Try with Biltong, Biltong Vinegar: 7 Delicious Vinegar Options for Biltong. Got one of those cheap BiltongKing makers or some such from Game ages ago. Can i exclude the sugar from the the recipe or replace with a sugar alternative? Biltong from the land of the Gurkhas! If you are happy waiting a few weeks then the low temp is good and you'll get a very good product. Trouble is, it's getting more difficult to find incandescent bulbs. Absolutely brilliant!!! Make sure to work clean to minimise the risk of contamination or bad bacteria. For me, 2 hours is good for maximum beefiness while the cure does its job. If you need a recipe for biltong spice, click here: The best meat to use for biltong will always have a low amount of marbling and muscle sinew. Click here for the recipe. Sprinkle the vinegar on and rub everything in thoroughly whilst turning the meat with your hands. Cover the meat completely in spices making sure to get it into every nook and cranny. By their operation, dehumidifiers extract water from the conditioned air. 9. Learning and consuming in a circular fashion, I am always interested in what is happening around the curing and smoking world. Although biltong is often made with a pure vinegar marinade, the addition of Worcestershire sauce is often used as well. I recently found out you can equilibrium percentage calculate your pickling of vegetables! I'm used to seeing brown sugar instead of honey in most recipes, but its a good change and something I will use going forward. The point of using the vinegar is to make sure any bacteria are neutralized. The tray helps to deal with the mess. South Africans can get fussy about the way it is sliced too so bringing out the slicer and cutting according to guest preferences also makes something of a talking point at a gathering! A Note on Humidity and Mould. Add a pinch of pink salt if you want. If youve ever tried cutting over-dried biltong, youll know how tough it can betough as old boots! Place the meat and the cure in a fitting non-reactive food-safe plastic or ceramic container. Hanging and curing naturally in 10-14 days is best, this is why the snack is typically made in the winter where the air is cool and the humidity low. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. You can substitute the cumin in this recipe for paprika, and add in some dried chili if you prefer a spicier biltong, but the spices used here are the more traditional ones. This case hardening can happen if the humidity is way too low or if theres a gale force blowing onto the biltong. With generation after generation using roughly the same method and ingredients to make it. Required fields are marked *. Room temperature in most houses is fine, but air flow can be a problem. I may earn a tiny commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. No need to slice it after wards it breaks like a biscuit! Once the meat has salted for 3 hours, rub off the salt but don't wash it. 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. Malt vinegar is what is used in foreign countries perhaps where they cannot find Spirit vinegar. I know we have amazing charcuterie, Im Muslim so no pork for me. Its not unusual to have an entire slab missing by the time your biltong is ready. You got me addicted to making my own biltong. There is a dedicated a very important ingredient missing in the above recipe. The best way is to vacuum seal it tight and let it sit in the fridge for 2 to 3 days to make sure the moisture evens out. Texture-wise biltong is more similar to bresaola when made correctly and beef jerky is more of a leathery sometimes wet and chewy consistency. Now I truly appreciate other people are learning from this blog which summarizes what I have learned. It can also occur while making your own biltong. Nice Sophia, thanks for the kind words. Later that night, he was vomiting, and had diarrhea so badly he collapsed his wife had to call the ambulance and he was rushed to hospital and placed in intensive care, only to be released from the hospital ten days later. For biltong making it is not worth buying super expensive meat as you should rather grill your top quality cuts, like fillet steak. Below is an in-depth explanation of everything surrounding the making of biltong. Sugar on our meat is not popular among biltong fans. If there is any give in the meat, theres still moisture in the middle. Stand the box upright and open the flaps on top. What humidity should biltong be? When you grind the spices, it releases the compounds that give them the flavor. Fixed that for you. The air should preferably dry with good airflow. 3) When I make the bigger cabinet should I have: a: Just a fan, b: Just a lightbulb, c: both fan & lightbulb? You can use curing salt. There are affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Just found out youre back and to save myself a major maths equation youve added a superb adding thingy. Thanks mate! As you can see from the previous paragraph, the best biltong is made in mild conditions. My favorite is apple cider vinegar. What I see is my humidity collapses in conjunction with the temp dropping.appears the humidity collapse might precede temp drop but not certain, they follow very closely. Also, check out my page with an equilibrium curing calculator to make the calc easy! Why wash off and waste all that good flavour? I use the same recipe also and my wife loves it and unfortunately, the dog is now addicted. I programmed it at 11C/52F. In the era of Parma where Parma Ham comes from, its next two areas of water which allows the generally higher level of moisture and humidity in the air to stop the outside drying (I just googled Parma, Italy whether. a Bad initial product won't turn out nice. I have a question this time : I just bought a wine cellar (18 bottles). On average, biltong will take five days to dry. I then sealed it and placed a HEPA filter over it. While the meat is marinating, toast the coriander seeds, fennel seeds and chilli flakes in a dry pan on medium heat. My Aussie and ZA mates all love it. 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? Any mould left on will grow back. Your strips need to hang freely, without contact. Temp stays right in range. The whole concept of using a lightbulb seems fundamentally fuc.ked, Health, Wealth, Leisure and Relationships. Another way is to rub the biltong with very hot cut chilli then add the rub. As soon as you spot mould wipe it off with vinegar making sure to get all of it. They did this either by curing or dehydrating their meat. After youve cut the biltong slabs, dry all the moisture off with towels. These commercial quick dry solutions wont taste the same. I can now start my first batch of biltong with confidence. The vinegar tenderizes the meat, preserves the meat by killing off any microbes, and balances the salt. Toast the coriander seeds in a dry pan, then grind down in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Cool, is, of course by South African standards, anything around 18 to 25C. The meat is then air-dried in a dry environment with very good airflow. The third day of Jazz Fest looks to be a gorgeous one. For the finest cuts, fillet, sirloin, or steaks cut from the hip, such as topside or silverside, are used. Wet stones and ceramic steels. People who visit South Africa and are introduced to biltong always want to take some back to their home countries whether it is Scandinavia, France, Italy, or the UK just as long as they can get meat products through customs. Used your recipe with some wildebeest, and the only change was adding some allspice berries to the dry herb mix. The bicarb neutralises the acid in the vinegar, but also acts as a meat tenderiser. If you dont know what you like, I suggest making a few thinner, quick drying pieces to experiment with. Do not point a fan directly at the meat (to avoid case hardening). The longer you leave it in the wet cure the more the wet cure flavour will be there in the end product. Apr 1, 2023 by ASK SOUTH AFRICA. Lie the meat down in a flat glass container (you dont want to use metal because the vinegar might react with it), then place this glass container in the refrigerator. Biltong needs a fresh air supply to wick the moisture off the meat and dehydrates it.
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