Biltong

This easy, all-in-one homemade biltong recipe results in a delightfully spiced, and oh-so-moreish snack!

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 0

Drying Time 2

Total Time 2 1

Servings24 (25 gram servings)

saltyginger.comMary-Lou

Equipment

Biltong Box or Dehydrator
Mortar and Pestle or Spice Grinder

Ingredients

1 kg Beef Round Rump, Silverside, Topside
1½ tablespoons Coriander
1½-2½ teaspoons Peppercorns (depends on personal spiciness level)
25 grams sea salt (aim for 2.25-2.5% salt w/w)
2½ tablespoons vinegar (malt or red wine)
2½ teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worchestershire Sauce

Instructions

Toast the coriander and black pepper until browning, fragrant and smoking a tiny bit in a dry pan.
1½ tablespoons Coriander, 1½-2½ teaspoons Peppercorns
Place the coriander, pepper and sea salt into a mortar and pestle and grind until about 50% of the coriander, and black pepper are mostly powder-like. Set aside.
1½ tablespoons Coriander, 1½-2½ teaspoons Peppercorns, 25 grams sea salt
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
2½ tablespoons vinegar, 2½ teaspoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Worchestershire Sauce
Cut the meat along the grain into 3cm thick strips
1 kg Beef Round
In a large glass dish, brush the vinegar mix onto all sides of the meat. Repeat for all the slices. Alternatively, place the meat into the container, pour over the vinegar mix and flip the meat around in the vinegar until all sides have been coated.
Sprinkle the meat with the coriander mix on all sides. Cover the glass dish in cling film or plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 24 hours. The meat can be flipped over at the 12-hour mark.
Set up the biltong box. I like to line the bottom with baking paper and a paper towel to catch and absorb juices that may drip off. Place a hook into each piece of the meat and hang it to dry in the box for 2 - 7 days, depending on how dry your want the biltong.

All temperatures stated are for conventional ovens. Decrease the temperature by 20°C/25°F or gas mark 1 for "fan" or air-fryers.

Notes

Note of drying times: roughly 2 days for soft, wetter biltong, about 3-5 days for medium, and 4-7 days for drier biltong. You may need to experiment with your particular setup. Really thick pieces may take up to 2 weeks to be ready.

Making biltong in a dehydrator - Follow steps 1-6, taking into consideration how thick the meat can be in the dehydrator. Set up the dehydrator on the lowest heat setting (our dehydrator at the lowest setting was about 35°C/95F, place the meat in the dehydrator and run the dehydrator for 24 to 72 hours.

If you can place thicker pieces of meat on your dehydrator trays, you may need to run the dehydrator for up to a week at the lowest temperature setting. Just like when using a biltong box, you may need to experiment with your setup for the best outcomes.