Biltong has been made in South Africa since the 17th century. The many South Africans now living away from their home country will travel hundreds of kilometers in order to get their hands on biltong. It is different to jerky in that it is much thicker and softer. Biltong is cured using spices and vinegar: traditionally, jerky is not dried with vinegar, thus giving it a different flavour and texture.
The Recipe - makes around 3kg of biltong
- 3.5 kg lean meat - beef (topside or silverside), venison, ostrich
- 80ml coriander seeds
- 80ml coarse salt
- 15ml freshly ground black pepper
- 60ml brown sugar
- 10ml ground cloves
- 5ml of bicarbonate of soda
- 2,5 ml saltpetre
- wine or cider vinegar
- Cut the meat into strips about 2cm x 3cm, making sure it is sliced with the grain.
- Dry fry the coriander in a frying pan to bring out the flavour, then crush lightly with a pestle and mortar or in a coffee grinder.
- Add the salt, pepper, brown sugar, cloves, bicarb and saltpetre to the crushed coriander.
- Rub each piece of meat with the spice mixture and place it in layers in a glass dish, sprinkle each layer with the vinegar.
- Keep in a cool place for at least 12 hours (or in the fridge), mixing occasionally.
- Refrigerate for a day, mixing every couple of hours so that the meat is evenly covered with the spices and vinegar.
- Hang on a hook in a well ventilated area. This could be your garage rafters with a fan blowing on the meat. The meat will take up to 5 days to dry. You can also dry it in a dehyrator or a special biltong box.
- When it is dried to your liking, then, using a very sharp knife, slice off slivers as and when needed.
Meat has been dried for many centuries in Africa. It certainly wasn't invented by the Dutch on their arrival in the Cape in the 17th century. African tribes had been drying meat to save their kills from perishing for generations. However, it was in the Cape that the use of spices and vinegar became the usual way to produce dried meat. The French Huguenots brought their wine-making skills with them and so there was a plentiful supply of vinegar to be used when making biltong. The influx of slaves from Malaysia and the spice route trade, meant that spices such as coriander, cloves and black pepper were available in abundance in the Cape.
The farmers of the Cape lived long distances from the towns and therefore needed to be self-sufficient. This way of preserving meat was perfect for their needs, as there was obviously no refrigeration and it was before the advent of ice boxes. During the Great Trek, the Voortrekkers, on their long journey into the hinterland to escape from British rule, would have taken supplies of biltong with them and cured meat on the way by drying meat on the moving wagons.
Try making biltong and see if you prefer it to jerky!
Carole Tucker - Research, research and more research - the root of all good articles.
Join the Conversation