Biltong ingredients
Every biltong maker has their own spice blend. For the Biltong House product we use authentic spices, straight from South Africa. Our Favorit is the classic variant, enriched with some chilli. In our opinion, the taste of meat should be the priority.
Vinegar
Our favorite is malt vinegar, which is less well known in Switzerland.
Alternatively can also simply apple vinegar be used.
Find the right box: The abbreviation for pragmatist
You don't have enough time, manual skills or desire to construct a box, but still want to make jerky yourself. No problem! Maybe there is still an old wooden box or a small cupboard lying around in the basement.
Alternatively, you will certainly find a suitable object in used furniture centers or at flea markets, which you only have to modify a little. Boxes and cupboards that are about a meter high and about half as deep or wide have ideal dimensions. If they are a bit bigger or smaller, that's no problem either.
Construct a suitable box: The variant for passionate craftsmen
Are you an ambitious (hobby) craftsman and would like to build a box for drying meat that meets your requirements 100 percent? Then you probably want to build it yourself as much as possible. First you need suitable boards for your dehydrator. You can find them in hardware stores, for example. The mass depends, among other things, on how much meat you want to dry. For the classic dried meat lover, we recommend a height of about one meter and a depth and width of almost 50 centimeters. In most DIY stores, employees will cut the boards to the desired size. Now you construct a box from it at home. It is best to use screws and nails as much as possible instead of glue. At the front you attach a door with a handle, which you can open and close using the hinges on the inside.
Make a biltong box out of the crate
Now you may have found, bought or built a box, but not yet a biltong box. In order to build these, a few more steps and certain materials are necessary. You should have most of them at home. Otherwise, you can find everything in a well-stocked hardware store. First, your dehydrator needs a heat source. To do this, mount a light bulb and its socket in the lower part. Depending on the dimensions of the box, a power of 60 to 100 watts is recommended. For boxes with a large volume, two light bulbs can be recommended. Do not use LEDs as they generate little heat. Now attach holders for several sticks in the upper part of the box, on which you can let the meat dry. The drying box now needs a sufficient air supply. Drill air holes in the sides of the box, at least two inches from the edge. The optimal amount and size depends on the dimensions of the box. With the dimensions suggested here, we recommend ten to twelve holes with a diameter of two to three centimeters.
For hobby electricians: Install fans
For optimal results when drying meat, it is advisable to integrate a fan in the box. To do this, drill a suitably sized hole in the middle of the board that is to serve as the intermediate floor. Place this in the bottom of the box so that it closes off the bottom third of the biltong box. Now put an old PC fan in the hole, which you fix with screws and supply with power via an old mobile phone charging cable. Please only install the fan if you have the necessary knowledge. The drying process basically works without this fan, but takes a little more time.
Would you like to enjoy the delicious South African version of the American beef jerky without having to build or modify a box? No problem! In our shop you can order high-quality biltong. Just try our assortment and enjoy the tasty and protein-rich dried meat.
Salt
As mentioned above, salt is a basic requirement for the production of biltong.
If you like it exclusive, you can use a gourmet salt like fleur de sel, pink Himalayan salt or crystals from Hawaii.
Sugar & Worcestershire Sauce
The original recipe does not include any sugar or Worcestershire Sauce . Brown sugar balances the saltiness nicely and we just like the aforementioned sauce. Dose both sparingly.
cutting methods
Nothing beats a sharp knife for a clean cut. This is essential. There are also biltong cutters (a board with a hinged blade), biltong knives (traditional knives made specifically for this purpose), hand-cranked mechanical cutters and, as a deluxe version, electric cutters. I recommend this for commercial use.
dealing with mold
If the climate is too warm or humid, mold can form. I recommend checking your Biltong daily for mold growth. If you see the first mold (small white dots) you can still save your dried meat. Remove the fungus with a clean cloth and coat the area with vinegar and salt. If the spread is already far advanced, the meat unfortunately has to be disposed of. You can prevent mold growth with good airflow.
Storage of biltong
Once the dried meat has reached the desired consistency, you can store it hanging in a well-ventilated place. Make sure that the pieces of meat are not touching.
IMPORTANT: Once cut, you must store the biltong in a paper bag in the refrigerator so that the liquid can be absorbed by the paper and mold can be avoided.
Biltong House's own product is vacuum packed in a suitable package (without gas) and has a shelf life of a few weeks. Another advantage of this packaging is that no gas is used, so the meat retains its authentic taste.
Biltong hard or soft?
If too much air flows around the meat from the outside during drying, the biltong may be too hard on the outside and too soft on the inside. To counteract this, you can vacuum the dried meat in one piece and store it in the fridge for a week to a month until the desired degree of maturity is reached. Alternatively, the meat can be wrapped in paper and refrigerated for a few days. Before you put the meat in the cooler, please don't forget to rub the cuts with vinegar and salt again.
To avoid the above scenario, you need to reduce the airflow or use smaller cuts of meat for the next batch.
coriander
Coriander accounts for the typical taste of biltong. Fry the seeds briefly to release the oils. The essential oils also help suppress bacterial growth.
Black pepper
Nothing works without pepper. We like it self a bit pepperier, but the recommendation is 1/4 pepper and 3/4 coriander seeds.
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We hope to have helped you with diesen information about the production of this exclusive snack.
If you have any questions or suggestions, we look forward to hearing from you !
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