Biltong beginnings

[Bert2368]

I am trying to make biltong, an air dried meat variety from Africa I have only read about.

I removed the exterior fat from a couple of lean beef roasts I found on sale, an eye of round and a rump roast. A little under 5 pounds total after trimming.

Cut the roasts into approximately 1" x 1" strips with the grain long ways.

Dredged them in a salt & spice mix:

2 Tablespoons coarse kosher/canning salt

1 1/2 Tablespoons ground coriander

2 heaping teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 Tablespoons of turbinado (raw) sugar

Then sprinkled 5 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar over the meat, turning and trying to evenly coat. Covered and placed in the cold to set for about the next 12 hours, with an occasional turn to help it absorb the spice, salt & vinegar mix evenly.

Tomorrow, I will hang the strips of meat in a cool, dark, low humidity place with some air flowing past it. No heat, and not with a fan pointing directly at it.

Supposed to take about 5 days... Delayed gratification meats!

Recipe is combination of a couple I found online and in an old book about big game hunting in Africa.

https://www.greedyferret.com/perfect-biltong-recipe-south-african-beef-jerky

More as the story develops.

 

[refcast]

when i had it tasted like cured beef in a good way . . .slightly tangy from the vinegar . . . more succulent than jerky. fat was nice and buttery from the process. meat was dense.

 

[WildBoar]

The biltongs I've tried have been universally really good. I hope your batches turn out great. Will be interesting to hear what the differences are between the two cuts.

 

[McMan]

There was a biltong thread last year:
https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/biltong-anyone.37215/

 

[Bert2368]

There was a biltong thread last year:
https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/biltong-anyone.37215/

Thanks!

I just followed your link to previous thread, from there went to Streak's blog article, I don't think I have screwed it up yet.

http://www.fortvic.com/2018/05/06/biltong-recipe/

Streak used baking soda as a tenderizer, which was mentioned as optional with beef but recommended for tougher game meats in some of the other recipes. I didn't do the baking soda treatment.

Should have searched a bit more here before starting!

 

[Michi]

Supposed to take about 5 days... Delayed gratification meats!

When I make jerky or biltong, I put mine on silicon mesh mats and leave them in the oven at 30 ºC convection for about five hours. That works really well, and it's easy to adjust the texture by checking occasionally. A dehydrator will do the same job, of course.

 

[mise_en_place]

I recently tried this when a customer brought some in. He wanted really wide pieces (6-7cm) cut with the grain. I gave him bottom round (silverside) because the eye of round couldn't get him the width he was after.

I enjoyed the little bit he gave me and he was happy with the results.

 

[Bert2368]

So, this morning a guy I check out on YouTube (we both keep ducks) put up a video on Jamon Iberico.

I need to be careful here... Slow cured meat is an intriguing but VERY deep rabbit hole I might fall down.

 

[Bert2368]

When I make jerky or biltong, I put mine on silicon mesh mats and leave them in the oven at 30 ºC convection for about five hours. That works really well, and it's easy to adjust the texture by checking occasionally. A dehydrator will do the same job, of course.

Several of the people who , s recipes I have read suggest that cool conditions and not too much air flow are best for drying these relatively THICK pieces.

Some mention too much air flow from a fan directly aimed at the meat leading to "case hardening" of outer surface, resulting in water being trapped in the interior, this was why I didn't think I should point a fan directly at the meat.

Some suggest that using heat much above body temperature will result in slightly cooking the meat and changing the end product (after trying sous vide, I could see this as a possibility). Dehydrators available to me on a quick look do not go as low temp as 30C°, my little convection oven doesn't have a setting below 200F° or allow a fan only cold setting.

I'll try it as suggested without heat 1st time, then experiment with your methods. And I STILL INTEND TO TRY MAKING BOERWERS! Then, there is a dried version of the saussage I need to try too...

Rabbit hole. Deep.

 

[McMan]

Thanks!

I just followed your link to previous thread, from there went to Streak's blog article, I don't think I have screwed it up yet.

http://www.fortvic.com/2018/05/06/biltong-recipe/

Streak used baking soda as a tenderizer, which was mentioned as optional with beef but recommended for tougher game meats in some of the other recipes. I didn't do the baking soda treatment.

Should have searched a bit more here before starting!

Ha! This got me to poking around the internet. There's a wealth of stuff on youtube too. Seems some guys make a "biltong box"--a tote with dowels to hang the strips, a laptop fan or two, and a tiny low-wattage lightbulb. Like anything, I'm sure there are schools of thought about biltong and that arguments can go on for days about what constitutes "authentic". Looking forward to seeing how this turns out!

 

[Michi]

Several of the people who's recipes I have read suggest that cool conditions and not too much air flow are best for drying these relatively THICK pieces.

Some mention too much air flow from a fan directly aimed at the meat leading to "case hardening" of outer surface, resulting in water being trapped in the interior, this was why I didn't think I should point a fan directly at the meat.

Ah, yes, good point. I make strips that are not as thick, for which my oven does the job just fine.

With the climate I live in (hot and humid for much of the time), I'm reluctant to try air-drying meats. There is a real chance that things will spoil instead of drying out.

I'm with you on the Boerewors! I haven't done it yet, but it's definitely on the list. I've been trying to find a good recipe. I found one on YouTube that looks reasonable, but I don't know how authentic that one is. If you have any hot tips, please share them!

 

[Bert2368]

I'm drying the biltong hung on plastic coated paperclip "meat hooks" hung from a stainless steel shelf piece propped up on a couple of clean pails.

It is about 50° F outdoors, low humidity. I set up drying rig on a table in a large utility closet which has 60-70°F temperatures, placed a fan on low near the rack but not blowing directly at the meat, just enough air movement around the meat to detect if I place my hand by it. That big cardboard box in the background might become a biltong drying chamber in the future.

A bit over 24 hours, firming up on the surface but pieces still "squish" when squeezed. I cut a 1/4" or so slice from the narrow end of two pieces, it tastes good, not too salty and I like the coriander and vinegar. I'll try not to eat it all before it is done...

 

[Michi]

It is about 50° F outdoors, low humidity. I set up drying rig on a table in a large utility closet which has 60-70°F temperatures, placed a fan

Sounds like perfect conditions, and the rig looks great! I’m envious!

 

[Matt Zilliox]

used to live in South Africa, I miss biltong so much. good luck with it.

 

[Michi]

BTW, biltong can be anything from moderately soft to rock-hard. It really is a matter of personal preference. I like mine with some residual moisture, so it is still slight soft inside and not like a lump of wood.

 

[Bert2368]

BTW, biltong can be anything from moderately soft to rock-hard. It really is a matter of personal preference. I like mine with some residual moisture

The book quoted below came out in 1979...

Biltong is an Afrikaans word from the Dutch-based language of the Boers. It refers to the rump cut often used in biltong making. As a sportsman’s food, either a main course or emergency ration, it is not only practical because of small bulk and light weight, high protein value, and stability, but it is great tasting as well. Eight ounces of biltong contain as much nutrition as a four- or five-pound steak and needs no refrigeration or preservative other than to be kept dry. In a tight spot, even a foil-wrapped pair of dried sticks can keep a man alive for days. I proved that it will last literally for years under normal, dry conditions when I recently found three sticks in a cartridge bag I hadn’t used since cropping elephant in Zambia in 1969! It was still tasty, even if a bit dry for my preference.

 

[Michi]

even if a bit dry for my preference

In other words, rock-hard

But he's right in that—if you want maximum shelf life—the less moisture, the better. But I still like it best if it isn't bone-dry all the way through. Easier to chew that way and a little more flavour, too, as far as I can tell.

 

[Bert2368]

Calling it done after a bit over 4 days, indeed, a good number of the thinner pieces got eaten at 3 days.

I am quite happy with the batch, glad I tried this technique out- People I have given samples to all have liked it as well.

Can't say that either of two cuts were better, preferences were more a matter of how much fat was present and how thickly cut/relatively dry individual pieces were. When it is dried to the consistency I like, I definitely need to slice off bits with a sharp knife rather than bite it off!

As noted by others, I do like this best with just a bit of softness at the core, neither too squishy nor so dry it went KRUNCH. A little bit of fat in otherwise too dry pieces made them better.

 

[applepieforbreakfast]

That's great to hear Bert, I followed your recipe pretty closely.

Pretty sure I'm on day 2 of drying. I've got the biltong hanging in the oven with 2 PC case fans circulating air inside.

I've been taking samples, and they've all been really good. I'd never had biltong before, but between this thread and the other, I figured I'd give it a whirl.

 

[Michi]

Calling it done after a bit over 4 days

Your cuts look really nice, not too dry inside.

I like my biltong with a decent strip of fat along one side. Lots of flavour in that!

 

[Bert2368]

Today I thawed out about 3.5 lb. trimmed weight of venison steaks and started a couple more batches to see how venison does.

One is spiced with coriander and black pepper as I did with the beef previously, recipe is in my original post.

The second is a mix similar to the dry rub I have used on sous vide beef brisket and venison roasts.

Coarse kosher salt

Raw sugar (I do NOT use any sugar in the sous vide version of this rub)

Fresh ground black pepper

Celery seed, lightly ground

Smoked paprika

Dehydrated onion and garlic powders

I applied the apple cider vinegar to the meat from a small spray bottle before dusting with the rubs this time, it was easier, more even and efficient than trying to sprinkle it on the meat from a shot glass.

Meat is reposing in the fridge now, I will turn it a few times over the next half day then hang it up to dry.

 

[Bert2368]

I considered this done today.

I am quite happy with the original recipe (Coriander, black pepper, salt) recipe on venison.

The trial of my brisket dry rub (with celery seed) on venison is not bad, just not as much to my taste. I will definitely eat it all.

If I were to try this rub again, I would cut the celery seed to 1/4 of the amount I used here. Reason: when I used this for beef and venison dry rub, I use the seed whole. This batch for biltong was coarsely ground in a coffee grinder which likely increased the strength of seed flavor (The dry rub with celery seed is hung on the GREEN clips, I can see the pieces of seed in the photos).

I am going to try the Thai jerky flavor recently posted here next...

COOKING- I can do that while isolating. Working from home, not so much...

 

[applepieforbreakfast]

@Bert2368 , What's your storage method?

I'd like to do a big-ish batch and then put most of it up for later in the year.

Kind of unsure how to keep it sorta food safe while still maintaining my preferred moisture content. I've seen people saying to freeze it, others saying keep it on the counter.

 

[Michi]

I vacuum seal mine and put it in the freezer. Will last for months that way.

 

[Bert2368]

@Bert2368
Kind of unsure how to keep it sorta food safe while still maintaining my preferred moisture content. I've seen people saying to freeze it, others saying keep it on the counter.

If it were low humidity and you intended to eat it soon (which is probably going to happen if you can easily reach it, this stuff is addictive), on the counter might work.

I have vacuum sealed mine in approximately 4 oz. increments and put them in the freezer as Michi recommended.

 

[Luftmensch]

How did I miss this thread?

Awesome journey @Bert2368! Bit of a South African tour with the biltong and boerewors!

Used to make a lot of this growing up... It seems a lifetime ago now. Your recipe looks similar to what we did. The nice part is that you can improvise a hell of a lot. Basically salt, sugar and vinegar for preservation... then any spice/flavour profiles you can think of. Also any meat and cut you can think of!

We made a steel-mesh box (nothing fancy - basically twist tied together) and wrapped the box in flyscreen. One surface of the box was hinged so that we could access the interior. After making a batch, we would hang the strips in the box, strap the lid down and hang the box outside for about a week. We only ever did this in summer. Although our summers can be humid, the sun, heat and wind would dry the meat out.

We all had a preference for softer biltong. Marbling in the meat would also make the pieces softer and appear juicier.

I dont know if this actually works, but we occasionally froze and thawed out the strips before making a batch. The idea was that forming ice crystals within the meat helped tenderise it by breaking apart the fibres.


My only criticism of your progress, is that you didnt make enough!

 

[Bert2368]

It's that biltong time of year again... Only about 4 lb. of beef in this batch, after trimming. All they had for eye of round roast when I went past the meat case yesterday.

I used some mirin and rice vinegar plus a little dark soy sauce along with the apple cider vinegar, added a bit of long pepper and Sumatra wild pepper to the ripe black peppercorns. Used some of the 2020 NYNY "rickbern" allepo pepper + some Kalustyan's urfa biber instead of cayenne.

The basic spice/salt sugar mix was similar otherwise to my first recipe,

2 Tablespoons coarse kosher/canning salt

1 1/2 Tablespoons ground coriander

2 heaping teaspoons freshly ground black pepper (included the red and long peppers)

1 1/2 Tablespoons of turbinado (raw) sugar

And, just because it was there? 1/2 tsp. of the Ras el Hanout spice mix. It smells good...

More news in about a week.

 

[Bert2368]

It was so good, that less the 4 strips I ate while checking progress of drying, I took it all off the drying rack on Sunday, 3/7 and it is GONE as of 3/11 Thursday night... That's equivalent to nearly a pound of beef (raw, trimmed weight) per day. Plus I ate other stuff.

Couldn't stop eating the biltong, shaved very thin with a nakiri, you could see light through the slices. Like popcorn, but chewier and beefier. Probably about how some "nouvelle cuisine" types are cutting it to use as a condiment on salads and such?

So I'm doing another batch, about 50% larger. Someone else might even get to taste this one!

Things I liked:

I was more careful to cut the meat as evenly in cross section as I could, so it was OVER 1" in all dimensions, as close to square in cross section as I could manage. The thinner strips were the ones that got sampled early. The remaining pieces uniformly had the slightly moist center I like. As others have noted, a little strip of fat on each piece is a good thing, I did my trimming before slicing into pieces to marinate with spices keeping this in mind.

Something to change:

I think I need to reduce the kosher salt in spice mix when I add soy sauce to the vinegar + mirin applied to the meat as I did this last batch, I've gone down by 1/3 in the mix for the next batch I'm starting tonight. It wasn't BAD, I just felt the need to drink a fair amount of water while scarfing down all that biltong.

I have also added about 1 teaspoon of dried ginger to the spice mix I made tonight, I think it will "go" with the coriander, black pepper/long pepper/Sri Lanka wild pepper/Allepo pepper in the mix.

I went up about 33% on sugar as well for tonight's batch, want it just a little more towards sweet than salty.

More about biltong next week when this batch is done-

In other news, this stuff is quite tough after drying and the repeated contacts with a hardwood end grain cutting board while slicing transparently thin had to have put some wear on the knife edge too. I alternated slicing up the chunks of biltong with a shirogami #2 core ca. 61 RHC and an aogami #2 core nakiri Ca. 62 RHC of similar length/height sharpened on same stones, this gave a feel for just what the claimed increased durability of aogami is about. It's a noticable difference, not world shaking but certainly there.

 

[Bert2368]

OK. THAT turned out quite well from the couple of half done pieces I sampled.

Although the larger pieces are still drying a bit more, I'm starting another 5.2 lb. of beef (pre trim weight). On to the next iteration-

 

[Bert2368]

This is for 5 lb. meat, after trimming excess fat. The picture below shows all 5lb. of meat, you can judge how much wider I now cut the beef if you look at original post pictures in this thread! Each strip has nearly 4X the CROSS SECTIONAL AREA as when I began, thicket has been better for my tastes.

Drying takes rather longer at this size, apparent saltiness of the finished biltong is also ather less.

I used the whole lot of dry ingredients given below and most of the liquid on this batch.

-----------------

Vinegar spray:

1/3 Cup apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

1 Tablespoon mirin

2 teaspoons soy sauce

-----------------

Dry spice mix:

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

1.5 Tablespoons ground coriander

1 Tablespoon ground peppers (.50 black, .25 white, .25 allepo/urfa bieber, plus a couple small pieces of "long pepper" all ground together)

2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar

.5 teaspoon ras el hanout

.5 teaspoon ground ginger

.5 teaspoon smoked paprika

-----------------

To be honest, all you really need is the cider vinegar, salt, sugar, coriander and good fresh ground black pepper, but do increase kosher salt a bit if you leave out the soy sauce. It was fine as that original recipe-

For comparison, picture below is how I cut approximately the SAME WEIGHT of beef when I began to make biltong, about a year back.

I count 24 pieces per 5 lb. now, as opposed to 32 in my first batch. Pieces are generally shorter as well, which has to do with my drying rack spacing and shape of the beef roasts I used, rather than any culinary/taste considerations.