 | Biltong | Oct 1, '04 10:43 AM for everyone |
 | Category: | | Other | | Style: | | African |
Ingredients: Beef (Preferably London Broil) Rock Salt Coarse Ground Black Pepper Coarse Ground Coriander Vinegar (preferably Apple-Cider vinegar)
Directions: Get some half-inch thick strips of beef. Make sure it's cut with the grain. The pieces should be about 6 inches long. Liberally sprinkle rock-salt on each side of the pieces of meat and let them stand for an hour. The longer you let it stand the saltier it will become.
After the hour, scrape off all the excess salt with a knife (don't soak it in water!). Then get some vinegar, preferably apple-cider vinegar, but any vinegar will do. Put some vinegar in a bowl and dip the strips of meat in the vinegar for a second or so, just so that the meat is covered in the vinegar. Hold the meat up so that the excess vinegar drips off. Then sprinkle ground pepper and ground coriander over the meat on all sides.
Once you have done this, the meat is ready to dry. There are several methods of drying. One is to hang it up on a line in a cool place and have a fan blow on it. This method is a bit difficult because if the air is humid the meat can spoil. The method I use is a home-made 'Biltong Box'. This is basically a sealed wooden box (you can use cardboard if you like) about 40cm across and 1m high, with holes in the sides and a 60w lightbulb inside. Just hang the meat at the top of the box, and leave the lightbulb on at the bottom. The heat from the lightbulb helps dry the meat (even in humid weather) in about 3-4 days. Remember, the box must be closed on all 6 sides except for a few holes. The whole theory behind this method is that hot dry air rises thus drying the meat. The holes are quite important as they promote good air circulation in the box.
You'll know when the biltong is ready when it is quite hard, but still a bit moist inside. Of course, some people like it 'wet' and others like it 'dry'. It's all a matter of taste. Most people I know like it in between - basically just a bit red inside. If it has gone green, then the meat has spoiled (i.e. don't eat it).
Variations include the above recipe, but add flavours like Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, tabasco sauce, soy sauce, etc. Just brush these sauces on after applying the vinegar using a basting brush. 
 | I tried this years ago, it was very tasty ... someone brought some over from South Africa, which was probably not a very legal thing to do. There's nothing quite like the taste of forbidden meat! |
 | I had some of this when I visited South Africa a couple of years ago. I love this stuff, gotta try making some now :) |
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