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Biltong (South African Jerky)

  • 2 min read

You will need:

Beef Roast (venison and waterfowl work great too)

¾ cup red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon baking soda

 ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

5 tablespoons of Musket Powder Black or Red Label 

2 cups fine sea salt

2 tablespoons coriander seeds, coarsely ground, for best taste, roast first.

 ½ cup brown sugar

 

Directions:

Cut the beef into little strips about 1/2 inch thick. Pack the meat into a small bowl, but make sure meat can be covered. Add vinegar and Worcestershire sauce then leave it for 30 minutes. Mix the coriander and pepper together in another bowl. In a third bowl, mix the salt, sugar and baking soda together. Remove the meat from the marinade, set marinade aside. Add the beef to the bowl of musket powder and coriander, covering it all. Like the vinegar marinade, set aside. Bury the seasoned meat in the salt and the sugar mixture and let it  3 hours, or two hours if you are like me and aren't crazy about a salt flavor. Remove the beef from the salt and dip it back into the vinegar marinade for another 5 minutes. Remove the beef from the marinade and using the vinegar, wash all the salt off (don't skip this bit or the biltong will be too salty, wipe it off with a paper towel or run under sink if necessary). Squeeze the beef to remove as much liquid as possible, pat dry. Roll in the spices once more.

To hang the beef strips, you can use anything. Use string, fishing line, paper clips etc. I took a wire coat hanger and made hooks. However you hang it, let the meat hang freely without touching anything on the sides or the bottom. Leave the strips hanging for 3-5 days in a warm, dry place.

I took an old fridge that wasn't working and converted it to a biltong box. Inside is a dehumidifier, a light bulb and a fan. You can do all of this with anything from a closet to a cardboard box. If you think its too simple, then you're doing it right. 

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