Biltong

A South African favourite (nothing like beef jerky), biltong is simply cured and dried meat strips. This recipe was designed especially for expats and other adventurous people.  

How to make biltong: key tips

It’s better to make biltong when there is no moisture/humidity in the air, as mould thrives in humid conditions. A dry environment allows for good moisture evaporation from the meat, which is essential to create the biltong’s unique texture and to give it a longer shelf life.

The dry curing mix flavours the meat and helps to preserve it, so be sure to rub it into your meat slices well and spread it as evenly as possible. You can keep any leftover dry curing mix till you make the next batch. Just store it in an airtight container in a cool dry spot, away from any moisture.

The same goes for the vinegar mixture – ensure every piece of meat gets a ‘vinegar treatment’.

How you hang your meat is up to you. See how the cook, Alistair, does it in the notes below the recipe.

Key ingredients in this biltong recipe

Beef topside steak is often used for biltong because it’s lean and tender, and you can easily cut it into long strips along the grain (for traditional biltong preparation). This cut of beef also has a good amount of marbling, which makes the biltong rich and tender.

Using bicarb soda in the curing mix prevents mould from forming on the meat as it dries. 

The vinegar mix of brown vinegar (malt vinegar) and Worcestershire sauce has two main roles. Firstly to impart richness and a characteristic depth of flavour to the meat and, secondly, to inhibit microbial growth, which would spoil the meat as it dries. 

If you love biltong, you might like to make more of our South African recipes. I particularly like this Peppermint Crisp fridge tart.

This recipe was originally submitted by alistair, a member of the Australia’s Best Recipe community. Introduction and additional recipe notes by Natasha Shaw.