Salt it well and store in the refrigerator overnight. Biltong must be dried in a low-humidity environment. It is air-dried for a week by hanging the spiced and cured pieces of meat vertically from the hooks. A very fine sprinkle of brown sugar, as shown (about half a teaspoon/pound of meat) 3. Making biltong in a dehydrator - Follow steps 1-6, taking into consideration how thick the meat can be in the . (2) Some people go this route and deliver good Biltong. . Glass or ceramic containers are ideal for making biltong. For the light bulb you can use a standard bulb socket with wire If I don't store it in the freezer, I was thinking of storing it in quart jars that have been vacuum sealed with a foodsaver vacuum packer. Then sprinkle ground pepper and ground coriander over the meat on all sides. Chill the meat. It really has a recognisable flavour. Aim for slices of anything up to 1cm in thickness. Strips are hung to air-dry in a climate controlled room for up to 7 days - losing more than 50% of its moisture content. With daytime highs reaching 77°F or higher, so depending on where you live, temperatures ranging from . And everyone I know who knows how to make biltong live, and has always lived, in bone dry climates. But if you live in an area that's hardly ever that dry, you can always use your air conditioner or a dehumidifier for about a day or so before making candy. Place the meat into the dehydrator. A Note on Humidity and Mould. However, the USDA recommends heating meat . Once you have done this, the meat is ready to dry. (please do not consume) to avoid humidity build-up. each layer. Experimentation When asked about the best way to store biltong, Maxine says, "I recommend to not store it in the fridge if the biltong is in any form of packaging. Moisture will slow the curing process and enable mold growth. The drying takes around 4-5 days for small or medium pieces, and for the larger pieces, they . This is what my grandfather did, and I suspect the early pioneers too. 230gr Make Biltong Biltong consists of strips of cured, air-dried beef or game and is a form of African style jerked meat. Pat thoroughly dry with kitchen paper towel and hang the strips in the Biltong Maker. 2 Humidity lower than 50% I want to make a biltong box but from a small bit of research I can see a regular biltong box won't work and the meat will just mould. Layer in a bowl with the vinegar for ½ hour. When the weather is warm and humid, there is a chance that mould (white dots or furry dots) will appear on the meat. When I was using a biltong dedicated box I preferred the light bulb approach as it developed heat and convection. Leave some fat for extra flavour, as you like it. If used in a humid climate, it should be used in an air conditioned home. 5. Low humidity for biltong is anything below 50%. 4. Either choose your season (the dry of winter) or dehumidify via low heat (a lightbulb in the drying box). Mix the Worcestershire sauce and vinegar together and sprinkle the mixture over. The perfect candy-making climate has a relative humidity of less than 35 percent. Place the thicker biltong strips at the bottom of an enamel container, cover with a layer of salt and then a layer of the spice mixture. Keeping relative humidity in the box below 50% ensures consistent, quality results. This will help with the drying process, and ensure greater longevity of the final product. Take 5 lbs of Eye of Round, and cut it along the grain in ½ to 1 inch strips. Insert a lamp bulb or fan (or both, especially in humid climates) in the bottom of the box to circulate air. Don't cut the slices too thick or they will take too long to dry. South African winters are mild compared to other territories. Cut the meat to size, try to keep the thickness down to 1cm max. Biltong is a cured meat product and as such is usually prepared and eaten without cooking. How long can I keep my Biltong? An old video. They will look like white spots on the biltong and can easily be mistaken for white mould. You can use the following methods to store it: Keep it in a wooden bowl on the table with a cloth covering it. 5. It is air-dried for a week by hanging the spiced and cured pieces of meat vertically from the hooks. Preparation Start by removing excess fat. Set temperature at 65C for 12-24 hours. Best for hot smoking, head to do cold smoking at under 86°F/30°C! Wholesale; . Always use freshly cut meat. big enough to make decent amounts of biltong at a time. - Soak meat overnight in vinegar. 5kg of rump. In making biltong, large pieces of meat, such as a rump roast, are sliced along the grain into strips, resembling tongues, 5-7 cm thick. Exterior walls will be grouted concrete block . The drying takes around 4-5 days for small or medium pieces, and for the larger pieces, they . Place meat into a non-metallic bowl and add the vinegar. Using the upper end of this range would take longer to dry. Just hang the meat at the top of the box, and leave the lightbulb on at the bottom. Heat a pan to a medium heat and add coriander. Humidity is the enemy and primary cause of spoilt biltong so creating the right environment for drying is an essential part of the process, especially in colder or more humid climates. More humid weather requires dryer biltong, to stave off mold. vinegar will do. Personal taste also comes into play, as some like their biltong moist while others prefer the rock hard variety. Plastic can be used but may be stained red by the paprika in the spice mix. You need a coolish temperature (less than 86 F / 30 C), and sufficient air flow for the best quality biltong. Allow meat to draw in its own brine for 3 hours. CURING. Biltong (spiced dried meat) is a South African delicacy. Lifeplus Evaporative Cooler. Join Date Dec 2009 Location Gordon's Bay Age 52 Posts 28,875 Repeat the layers until the thin strips are on top, and add a final dressing of salt. At the same time, you can easily find the normal mode that suits your taste: fan, cooling and humidification. The biltong-making process Step 1 - Choose the meat Traditionally, biltong is made with game or beef, but other types can also be used. Personal taste also comes into play, as some like . Traditional biltong is made by slicing large strips of beef and coating them with a mixture of crushed coriander seeds, cracked pepper, salt, and brown sugar. The ideal temperature and drying time for biltong is 22°C to 24°C for the first 24 hours and thereafter at 30°C to 33°C for two days. However, a closer inspection should reveal the difference. Biltong, a South African-style dried beef product, is manufactured with low heat and humidity. Ideal size is around 600cm (height) by 450cm (width) - i.e. Yeah me neither. Hey guys! I'm also getting mixed messages on storing biltong in the freezer. It can hold up to 10kgs of wet meat, fish, fruit or herbs at one time. That's warm enough to dry the biltong but not hot enough so that the fat on the biltong starts going rancid. Vinegar. by Richard Potgieter | Oct 1, 2018 | STORAGE. Biltong is best enjoyed when it is fresh and not completely dried out, but if you do wish to store it, here are . . The thicker the meat the longer it takes to dry. He doesn't say exactly where, but conditions are certainly challenging: high heat and high humidity, with nighttime temperatures dipping only into the upper 70s and outdoor relative humidity hovering at about 70%. With a Home Biltong Maker is as easy as 1-2-3! Depending on the amount of meat and method of drying you use, it can take anything from 24 hours to 10 days to complete the process. It's best to use the leanest cut of beef you can find when processing meat in this manner. Recent Posts See All. 3. Making Biltong; Shipping; Contact; Select Page. Use material mesh on the sides to prevent unwanted critters from getting to the meat before you do. The Southern African climate is warm and humidity levels are generally below 30%, perfect for making and keeping biltong for long period of time. Freddy Hirsch Biltong spice or Crown Safari biltong spice works the best with least amount of work +1 ek begin in elk geval eers met bruin asyn,maar verkies Crown Safari.<!-- / message --><!-- sig --> Post not marked as liked 1. Too hot and you are drying or worse yet cooking your Biltong. Traditionally, brown vinegar has been used to make biltong. However, the humid climate of Mauritius adversely impacts the length of time that Biltong can kept without taking special care. After 30 minutes replace the paper towel or drip tray. Just follow these simple instructions: Slice the meat into suitable strips and sprinkle with Biltong spice or marinate it in a brine of your choice. 1 like. I'm looking for some advice, I live in an extremely humid climate where it gets to roughly 50% humidity on a regular day. If you do not have a dehydrator, skip this step and make your own drying room. Pour the apple cider vinegar into a large bowl and after 1.5 hours pick up each steak and using a knife scrape off as much of the rock salt as possible (it has done its job). Instructions. 2. By definition Biltong is a cured product, which means that it can be kept for extended periods of time. The method I use is a home-made 'Biltong Box'. The simplest, if you have space and live in a dry, breezy climate, is to build a simple wooden frame and close the walls with fine mesh wire. He said it never got below 77°F/25°C at any time of the year, day or night! 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. Biltong needs a fresh air supply to wick the moisture off the meat and dehydrates it. Caters for personal tastes and textures. Because excessive softness in candy is the result of high relative . Remove excess fat, connective tissue, silverskin, etc. This is particularly relevant in the northern hemisphere, where climates are colder and more humid. As the meat cures, the salts can rise to the surface and become visible. Leave for 12 hours. Can you re-freeze biltong if the meat you used was previously frozen. Many home biltong makers add a lot of ingredients to their biltong, thinking that adding more will lead to a better result, but in reality they're muddying the clarity of the flavour and masking the star of the show—good quality meat! . Pile the cuts together so that each size/cut is grouped together: Steak cuts. Put some vinegar in a bowl and dip the strips of meat in the Hold the biltong up so that the excess vinegar drips off. Reserve a teaspoon of coriander for later use. Directions: 1. If at all possible do not use vacuum sealed meat. SLICING THE MEAT This is very important. If you have one, use a jigsaw to cut the hole. This is a custom made biltong maker in pine which can be personalised. Humidity is the enemy of candy makers. Traditionally biltong was made in the cold dry months. Product shelf-life is one year when stored in a cool, dry place - but we bet it will be gone much sooner! Depending on the amount of meat and method of drying you use, it can take anything from 24 hours to 10 days to complete the process. If you buy biltong keep it in the brown paper bag. It also offers an easy-to-control 3-speed setting and 360° rotation, for better coverage. First, let's look at what ideal conditions for drying biltong are. Avoid too much heat. Toast the coriander. or even in humid climates, using a drying cabinet or box. Here goes: 1. If the air flow is too strong, it will dry the outside of the meat, and the inside won't cure properly. 2y I'm also in the PNW (Vancouver, Canada) and I just finished building a new box. After years of making beef and turkey jerky, I'm trying biltong for the first time. To make biltong, you will need: 4 Pounds of beef - cut into 1-inch-thick strips that can be of any length. You want cool and dry to encourage the . Niner, the fan and light bulb combination will work well in a humid or wet climate, the fan will draw the air into the dryer and the light bulb should maintain an ambient temperature of 28 degrees . Now lets get started 1 No show today folks as I have to take my wife to the dentist. Sphincter. Nothing major but they do have to sedate her and therefore she can't drive afterwords so I am choosing today to release the long awaited video series on biltong . They will look like white spots on the biltong and can easily be mistaken for white mould. Then, depending on the size of the steaks place them one by one (or two at a time) into the vinegar and submerge them for between 2 to 4 minutes. Place the meat in a food dehydrator and dry according to the manufacturer's directions. The main aim of all of these is to create dry warm circulating air so that the biltong dries correctly and efficiently. To make biltong, you will need: 4 Pounds of beef - cut into 1-inch-thick strips that can be of any length. . This air cooler combines a simple tower fan, an evaporative cooler and a humidifier. 29. (thicker pieces to the bottom of the bowl) Remove meat and put back into vinegar mix for around 10 minutes. Rub the salt, coriander, and pepper onto the all sides of the meat slices. 7. . Hang the meat up in the biltong box with a paper towel on the floor of the box. Dehydrating. In the temperate environments that I've lived in, the moisture is always higher at night time and this is also useful since you can want the higher levels of humidity when you cold smoking. AlbertoArriaga33 is wrestling with plans for a new home in a tropical location. After a day, remove from the fridge and dry with paper towels. Posted on October 21, 2010 by Modern Survival. Coriander seeds (ground rather coarse). However, the humid climate of Mauritius adversely impacts the length of time that Biltong can kept without taking special care. . 2. Post not marked as liked 3. I talk about it all the time on . The idea is to retain the flavor of the beef by removing the majority of the moisture evenly. 24 hours to 10 days Humidity is the enemy and primary cause of spoilt biltong so creating the right environment for drying is an essential part of the process, especially in colder or more humid climates. . Making biltong is fairly straightforward, but these tips and tricks might mean better meat preservation strategies. 1 A temperature between 67F and 77F You're looking for a temperature that's around standard room temperature, that would be 20°C - 25°C (67-77ºF). The heat from the lightbulb helps dry the meat (even in humid weather) in about 3-4 days. Let the meat cure and marinate for at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours. I would cut my . Place this dry mix in a dish and cover the meat well. Marinate meat in the fridge for 24 hours, mixing occasionally. We supply drying cabinets and ovens, fans and dehumidifiers for optimal control of the ambient air, so that you can produce a top-quality product. Most people say to store it in paper bags. After 12 hours, the meat is slightly pink, but this perfectly fine to eat. . A small computer cooling fan works well. South African winters are mild compared to other territories. . (See "MOULD" below) Always slice the meat with the grain and use a very sharp knife for best results. 0. CFW supplies drying rooms and equipment for producing biltong, jerky and other dried meat. Charl, the resident South African who was wwoofing at Milkwood at the time, was in charge of the recipe: - Cut meat along the natural grain, into strips about 1 cm wide. Starting with the thicker pieces at the bottom, layer the strips of meat in a large bowel. One is to hang it up on a line in a cool place and have a fan blow on You can keep it in the fridge for 6 to 24 hours, rubbing it occasionally . The Survival Podcast. I smoke the meat at 175°F until it is brittle, but you can use the sun if you are in a desert area in summer, or a dehydrator, or even an oven set on low. . A cooler climate is preferable in making the biltong. Dehydrate it. - pat meat dry and season with biltong spices - coriander (mandatory), chilli (optional) and salt and pepper. Coarse salt, as shown on all raw biltong cuts (about 1.5 tsp/pound of meat) 2. Keeping below 24°C in the initial phases stops the fats from going rancid. Right now it averages 30 to 40 degrees Celsius with humidity around 80% plus. You can technically use any cut of beef that you want but a very popular choice for biltong is the bottom round (aka silver side), top round is also another popular cut as well. Remove the thinner strips at the top and dip them quickly in hot water. Keep in the fridge only if the packet is still vacuumed sealed. January 1, 2011. Let's make some biltong . Cooking; 29 views 0 comments. After 12 hours, the vinegar should cause the meat to feel firmer. Large biltong pieces should be approximately the same size as a normal steak: Steak sized cut. We live in South Florida/Miami where outdoor temps are usually 80-95 degrees F in the summer, but maintain indoor temp around 77F and humidity around 55-60%. You can dry biltong in the summer, using a fan, or even in humid climates, using a drying cabinet or box. Depending on the amount of meat and method of drying you use, it can take anything from 24 hours to 10 days to complete the process. Biltong is 100% natural . This is basically a sealed wooden box (you can use cardboard if you like) with holes in it and a 60w lightbulb inside. Once the meat is completely covered, splash the vinegar onto the meat, use your hands to make sure it covers all the meat. The humidity is a bit low for biltong but it should work. Biltong is best enjoyed when it is. Sprinkle with water and brown vinegar (about 1 tbsp/pound of meat) 4. If it is too humid a slow fire us helpful. Cut the beef joint into 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick slices, along the length of the grain of the meat: Then cut these slices, again along the lines of the grain of the meat, into approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubic cross-section 'long chunks'. Always Natural. Biltong is a natural product made from meat and spices and is best stored naturally. Heat is required to lower the humidity as here our British climate is very humid compared to Africa, it is the airflow that dries the biltong. Considering that we no longer tie biltong slabs up outside on trees, the best source of this is from a fan. This is why it is important to check on the progress of the biltong every single day. It's important to cover the bowel to prevent flies from getting to it. All the Biltong we make is made fresh in a registered premise that holds all required certification and is inspected on a regular basis to verify that our high standards are being maintained. Choosing the right cut of meat is extremely important when making high quality biltong. Humidity is the enemy and primary cause of spoilt biltong so creating the right environment for drying is an essential part of the process, especially in colder or more humid climates. Note: Hot humid climates are the hardest places to make biltong. . Biltong was originally a food for pioneers into South Africa during the 1700's and for . Ensure there is plenty of room between each piece of meat and so not let them touch one another. At Runder, we ensure great taste and quality by using only 100% premium Dutch beef to make our biltong. Our dryers are used in both domestic and industrial contexts. Using metal paperclips, hook the thinner part of the meat However, a closer inspection should reveal the difference. Once dry, these biltong slabs are sliced and eaten.