Traditional South African Biltong Recipe - High Protein Snack
Biltong is a popular form of cured, air-dried meat that originated in South Africa. It has a distinct flavor and texture. Biltong is air-dried for days and retains a softer, more tender, steak-like- texture than that of jerky. It's high in protein and is perfect for any keto diet!
Equipment
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Sharp Knife
- 1 Clothing Drying Rack if you do not have anything else to hang the biltong on
- 1 Roll of stainless steel or Aluminum wire to hang to biltong with
- 1 0r 2 Fans To help them dry faster and to keep flies away
Ingredients
- 5 Pounds of Beef or Venison Loin
- 1 Cup of Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Cups of Malt Vinegar add more if needed
- 1/2 Cups of Biltong Spice link in post above (or alternative in notes)
Instructions
Preparing the meat
- First, cut of the silver skin from the meat. That will prevent the biltong from being chewy when done air-drying.
- Cut the loin into thick strips so it is easier to work with.
- From there you can cut it thinner and shorter just as you would like it. We cut it into different sizes. As a guide, cut the strips about 1 inch (2.5cm) thick.
- Add your cut meat to a mixing bowl to add your spices and vinegar.
- Add your Worcestershire sauce and malt vinegar to the bowl. Add the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce first before adding the spices. Then add your biltong spice mix. There should be enough liquid to cover most of your meat for them to soak in the vinegar mixture. If you want to add more malt vinegar, you can.
- Mix it in good using your hands. This will ensure that every piece of meat has spice on it.
- When done mixing, cover your bowl and put it in the fridge. It should be in the fridge for at least 24 hours - 2 days. If you're keeping it in the fridge for 2 days, give it a good mix after 24 hours to ensure all the strips get a good soaking in the vinegar.
After it's done soaking
- Take them out after 24 hours to 2 days and cut off small pieces of your stainless steel or aluminum wire. Push it through the meat and then shape it into a "hook", to hang them up.
- Hang them on your drying rack or whatever you want to use. Just make sure to put some paper towel or any paper underneath the meat on the floor to catch up the blood and vinegar mix dripping off of them.
- Put the fans close to them at their highest speed to help them dry faster and to keep flies from sitting on the meat.
- Leave them to dry for about 3-7 days. Depending on the thickness of them. They should be very dry on the outside. If you press them between your fingers, they should not be too soft. Think of a steak as guidance. It should not be too red in the middle. It should be completely dry when you cut through it.
- You can either leave them as sticks to enjoy or cut them into smaller bite-sized pieces.
- Enjoy your biltong!
Notes
Alternative to biltong spice mix:
- Coarse Sea Salt - approx. 45g - 60g (3 to 4 Tbsp)
- Coriander Seeds -approx. 30g - 45g (3 to 4 Tbsp) Lightly toast and crush until coarse for the best flavor.
- Ground Black Pepper - approx. 8g - 15g (1 to 2 Tbsp)
- Optional - Brown Sugar - 5g - 10g (1 to 2 tsp)