but it was very good. If you dont have access to a vacuum sealer, stick your biltong in a paper bag and place it in the fridge for a few days. This time-temperature lethality process targets a 5-log reduction in the most thermally resistant pathogen, Salmonella spp. As I dont yet have a dehumidifier I have been controlling the humidity through having the fridge plugged into the humidity controller to try and maintain an average of 75% RH. For me, 2 hours is good for maximum beefiness while the cure does its job. Try to create these conditions in whatever way you see fit. So before I try your recipe I have a question, in the recipe for salting you say 2 hrs yet the video says 3 hrs and for curing recipe 2 hrs video 1 hrs. As you start getting closer to the biltong being ready, you will probably begin to test pieces of the biltong to see how they are. Make sure to work very clean to avoid any bad bacteria creeping it. About to start my first batch, will let you know how it turns out. Considering that we no longer tie biltong slabs up outside on trees, the best source of this is from a fan. If you want some suggestions on a couple of humidifiers I know do a great job, here is a page with a few recommendations for humidifiers. 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. Used it before when I had to go on a long hike. The fennel and chilli is very much an inspiration that came from Italian cured sausage I had. 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Try to avoid grinding the peppercorns too fine if you want the best flavor. Your biltong will be ready once it's lost 50% of its weight. I thought there was enough air being pulled through the compressor but it seems it wasnt the case. Traditional favorites are brown vinegar, white vinegar, and apple cider vinegar. Trial and error is the way! When it comes to slicing biltong remember that it is quite tough, and the knife can slip easily. Optionally add baking soda to the meat along with the marinade and give it a good mix. Start weighing after about 4 days to monitor the weight loss. This affects the quality of the biltong and also increases the risk of mould growth. Remove the meat from the container and pat dry with kitchen towels, taking care not to remove too much of the spice. Iodized salt has a chemical aftertaste. Cover the meat completely in spices making sure to get it into every nook and cranny. Nine times out of ten, the answer will be its fine and to leave it and check on it tomorrow. If you find that youve cut your biltong early and its wetter than youd like, use clean fingers to rub a little salt and vinegar on the exposed end and hang it back up. Cut the meat into 3cm or 1,1-inch strips along the grain of the meat. It really has a recognisable flavour. I would at least vacuum seal it. I use a 275 w Infra red lamp for heat connected to a inkbird temperature controller and a computer fan controlled by a light dimmer to give me the perfect environment. First, know your weather. If you are hanging the meat in a room with a fan it may take up to 10 days to dry. Biltong can also be made from: Chicken, simply referred to as chicken biltong. Its perfectly fine and very common to dry out jerky which has been in a dehydrator. It was also typically made in the winter months when the colder temperatures would reduce the risk of mold. Most South Africans have a biltong slicer, which makes the job easier. I had another wine cellar that was too small to hang the meat, I had to lay it so the pieces preciously mentioned have been curing in there at 13C for 2-3 weeks and I just transferred them to the 17C wine cellar to be hang. The whole concept of using a lightbulb seems fundamentally fuc.ked, Health, Wealth, Leisure and Relationships. Mold can look like its only on the surface but often the threads in the mold may have penetrated the food to a deeper level. I never like the pre-mix because they add some flavouring too, but that's just me. Room temperature in most houses is fine, but air flow can be a problem. The Nepalese then pound it into powder and fry it with vegetables. These involve the cuts of beef from the top of the leg to the mid back or short loin. I wanted to thank you for all the knowledge Im getting from your blog. it needs much thinner cuts, no more than 1cm. Now with the current climate and setup I have this has the chamber averaging around 7deg C. My thinking is that this is preferable to when I had the fridge controlled by the temp controller to maintain ~12deg C, but RH was averaging 85%. 01 May 2023 01:09:48 Yes you could do that or you could grind the chilli flakes a bit and add more. Ive added liquid smoke to my brine in the past. So glad I found your post!! But have never seen anyone in south africa use this. The main aim of all of these is to create dry warm circulating air so that the biltong dries correctly and efficiently. Here is simple cheap sensor pack to check temperatures around the home. (This is a little less than you would typically use, but youre applying it directly with the biltong spice). She actually liked it and that was fantastic! The point of using vinegar is to neutralize any bacteria that may affect the meat. I use the same recipe also and my wife loves it and unfortunately, the dog is now addicted. Once you have the art of making biltong honed, then maybe you want to start using some of the meat from hunting expeditions. Thanks mate! Step #1: draw templates for cutting. If youve ever tried biltong, youll know exactly what I meannone of that sugary, rubbery stuff-it-in-a-dehydrator rubbish here, please! But before I started doing jerky I was making South African biltong, this is a slower drying process and uses much chunkier bits of meat. Are there any issues you have to pay special attention to when making biltong in a humid climate? It will happily stay high quality in the fridge for two weeks loosely wrapped or a few months vacuum sealed. Although with airflow, the biltong dries in higher humidity than this. It really does depend on the environment you live in, you could be anywhere in the world wide web so you may have a more suitable environment when it comes to the humidity or you may not. Even putting it in a biltong box is not traditional, as the flavor wont have time to develop. Hi John, Thanks for your kind words, really encouraging for me. If you want to see how it's done, jump to the video in the recipe using the above button. I'd consider getting a commercial dehumidifiercause I've had biltong go mouldy before so the risk is real. So dont leave a whack on expecting it to disappear as the meat does. I use a half pound of beefsteak (anything that doesnt have much fat) and cut the strips in a variety of widths from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inch so that they cure at different rates, and I can enjoy over a few days. I do not mind waiting 2 or 3 weeks. Similar to Biltong Sukuthi is cut into thin strips, spices and salt are rubbed on and then it is either air dried, or smoked until it is totally dried out. The method and spice mix hasnt changed much in hundreds of years, but a few variations have appeared recently, like piri piri biltong and the use of additional ingredients like worcestershire sauce and dried chillies. Do not point a fan directly at the meat (to avoid case hardening). The meat is then air-dried in a dry environment with very good airflow. This comes down to personal preference. Hi Charle, what do you use to sharpen your knives and what knoves to you use? I live in Alaska and our house and garage stay about 66F. Thanks for your time. I will do it again for sure!! As soon as the spices are nicely toasted, slightly smoky and fragrant, remove them from the pan and let them cool down completely. The golden standard for perfectly cured biltong is medium wet with lots of fat. 30 degrees Celcius or 86 degrees Fahrenheit is the perfect temperature to dry biltong at. We, South Africans, save the sweetness for desserts and we do have some super-sweet ones like koeksisters something like a doughnut thats plaited, deep fried, then dunked in a cold lemony syrup; or malva pudding a soft pudding thats given a sauce that soaks through made from cream, butter, and sugar. Store vacuum sealed or wrapped airtight in the fridge or freezer. Pieces shouldn't be too thick I may earn a tiny commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Like most other cured meats it's easy to adjust the flavourings and ingredients used. This will be the first curing recipe I will try, but I will be using a refrigerator dedicated to this and I will keep it around 12 Celsius, with a fan inside and a device to monitor humidity. Try a small batch first and keep an eye on it :) 4 Reply ethnastydizasty 4 yr. ago I'm also in the PNW (Vancouver, Canada) and I just finished building a new box. Hi Tom, I recently discovered your website and its a real treasure trove of information. You can air dry the biltong, but it will take longer and you need the right weather, whereas a commercial biltong maker or dehydrator will have a built-in fan for continuous airflow to speed up the process, as well as a light fitting which will prevent the growth of mold, and also help reduce moisture. Oui, vive la France ! Nice basic recipe as used by my family for many years. I believe eating and cooking well attributes majorly to a happy life. If youve not checked for a while and found your biltong totally covered, sadly the best place for it is the bin. This next point cant be overemphasized; use fresh spices and toast, grind and mix them just before youre about to apply them. It all depends on the type of dryer and thickness of the meat as to how soon your meat is ready. Jerky is a much sweeter, chewier meat snack and the method of making it has changed from air drying to high-temperature drying which basically cooks the meat. Biltong quite often is 1 thick. The word biltong comes from the combination of the Dutch words bil which means buttock and tong which means tongue or strip. Now I truly appreciate other people are learning from this blog which summarizes what I have learned. Geez people , biltong is air cured meat. If not why not and if you do how much and how would you put it into the process. The point of using the vinegar is to make sure any bacteria are neutralized. Do a speed test on our app and win R5,000, https://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/613014-The-Official-Biltong-Enthusiasts-Thread. You should assume any link is an affiliate link. Just add a teaspoon of bicarb to the biltong spice for every 1 kg of meat. Copyright 2023 NewLifeOnAHomestead.com - All rights reserved. I like to take 2 to 4 days to dry out biltong at around 28 to 35C, personal preference. My South African friends say Biltong is superior to Jerky in every way and if that is true, I can't wait to try this. Thank you very much for sharing it. In most cases, flies arent a problem, but pepper has the added benefit of detering them. If you like quite a dry biltong then the venison is really good. Check your biltong every day for mould. Wet stones and ceramic steels. South Africans can get fussy about the way it is sliced too so bringing out the slicer and cutting according to guest preferences also makes something of a talking point at a gathering! Adding sugar brown sugar, for example may sweeten the taste but it also brings you closer to beef jerky than to South African biltong. Salt the meat all over and let it sit for 3 hours flipping a few times to make sure it salts evenly. Fill the bottle with the vinegar of your choice. Best recipe, and love the weight tool you added. The most important thing to remember when choosing meat is the quality and fat marbling. Many DIY biltong makers will construct a 'biltong box' with a fan and a lightbulb to create good air circulation and warm temperatures. If you find that youve been testing your biltong for readiness for 2-3 weeks and it just doesnt seem to be drying in the middle, this may be your problem. Been making and munching the stuff for years. Throw the marinade out or use it to marinade other meats. Case hardening happens when the outside of the biltong dries very fast, but the inside of the biltong strip remains raw meat. Chill the beef in the fridge. idk about this lightbulb plan. If youve ever tried cutting over-dried biltong, youll know how tough it can betough as old boots! Viva La France! Raw beef inoculated with 4-strain cocktails of either E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, or Staphylococcus aureus, and processed with a standard biltong process, were shown to incur a >5-log reduction . As a bit of a prepper, I have been making beef and venison jerky for more than a decade. You dont want to use too much because it can leave an unpleasant aftertaste. Learning tricks from other cultures on planting and gardening brought new ideas to food gardens and creating beautiful outdoor spaces. I bookmarked your website years and years ago as found you were the best recipe. This moisture gets in the way of your biltong absorbing the biltong spice and marinade. Is it too humid? Cover the container and let your biltong cure for 24 hours in the fridge, turning and rubbing through the meat occasionally. I got contacted by a man in East Africa, he was keen on dry-curing meat he definitely needs to build something suitable. Quite - but dehumidifier heating. For biltong making it is not worth buying super expensive meat as you should rather grill your top quality cuts, like fillet steak. Lie the meat down in a flat glass container (you dont want to use metal because the vinegar might react with it), then place this glass container in the refrigerator. This is the most common type of dry curing people do at home apart from jerky. Ive since upgraded to an old fridge with the mechanics removed, holes in the bottom, and a fan drawing air past the meat. You can loosely cover the meat with a muslin cloth to prevent any flies from getting to it. Will that work ok? Hang the meat in a well-ventilated, dry-air, warm environment(close to 30C or 86F) protected from insects and animals. You can buy ready made biltong boxes, or make your own. I dont like to throw away good spices, so I coat once, leave to cure in the fridge, pat dry, then hang with no additional stages. I was able to share it with my friends and everyone really loved it. If you are happy waiting a few weeks then the low temp is good and you'll get a very good product. But what I love of the weight ratio youve added in. Fixed that for you. Weigh the meat and write it on the label. Make a biltong box from a cardboard box to save money. It basically just follows the procedure but since it is common to have a fermentation stage having that higher temperature and higher humidity allows that pH and acidity to increase to create a hostile environment for bad bacteria. We looked at how to pick the best meat so let's check out the rest of the ingredients. My dads buddy from South Africa used to make it using this pre-mix spice and it was unbelievable. Its important to note that, while your biltong will shrink by around half the size when dried, the fat doesnt shrink at the same rate as the muscle. WHAT AN AMAZING TREAT!!! Stand the box upright and open the flaps on top. These coated slabs are then marinated in vinegar for a few hours, then air-dried for several days until dry. It makes an amazing summer snack platter when served with drowors, marinated olives, Parmesan sables, spiced nuts, pea and mint dip and freshly baked sourdough bread. And if it's on the wet side, it'll go rancid faster. Salt and vinegar both act as detergents against bad bacteria by displacing water and lowering the Ph level. Many DIY biltong makers will use a biltong box with a fan and a lightbulb in to create good air circulation. Anything too extreme will create an extreme result. I love this recipe. go old school.look up south African biltong. Thanks Sebastian. This is definitely one style and very popular. Charcuterie is indeed a French word but I have to say the Italians are the masters in that matter. I know this is probably because of oxidation but I wasnt sure if this would negatively affect the curing process? It is eaten in great quantities here, but its popularity is only now starting to spread around the world. It was my 1st time ever making biltong. First time making the biltong. Check your biltong daily; you want to know how fast its drying. It's very simple to make, takes much less time than other cured meats and is the perfect snack for many occasions. Large chunks of fat can be a little unpleasant to deal with when eating biltong. Once the meat has salted for 3 hours, rub off the salt but don't wash it. I however eat it like Biltong This is my version: Cut topside or silverside into 2 cm wide strips and marinade in salt, curry powder and lemon juice for 24 hrs. They were known as the "Voortrekkers" and the biltong story started with them. If there is any topic you want to suggest feel free. Instructions. Thank you for the time you have put into the presentation!!! Step #5: glue the fan. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Biltong made from beef or venison is the most popular. However living in South Africa most of my life, I have seen people dry it in garages with the meat hung on lines, and a fan going to keep any insects off and make sure the drying progresses evenly. This is so we can hang it up and track the moisture loss by weighing it. Is it drying too fast or too slow? Right now it averages 30 to 40 degrees Celsius with humidity around 80% plus. Humidity and Temperature Ranges for a Curing Chamber. Sugar on our meat is not popular among biltong fans. Do not be light here; make sure that all the meat is covered in vinegar. Cheers Tom. Opinions vary on curing methods, spice mixes and drying conditions, and there is a lot of misinformation around, so trial and error has been my friend. Every experienced biltong maker has a personal recipe for making biltong. My favorite is apple cider vinegar. Check out the courses link at the top if you want a booklet on DIY curing chamber, my charcuterie course will be out later this year too! penicillin a.k.a. In fact, if you have other members in your household, its not unusual to have half your biltong missing by the time its ready . Then just lay the cured and spiced thin pieces out on a wire rack in the oven. 3 cm or 1.1 inch thick. I have a question this time : I just bought a wine cellar (18 bottles). Here is a quick synopsis on how to make biltong. The easiest way to measure dryness is with your fingers. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. If conditions are particulary humid or hot, theres a chance you might experience this problem. Place the meat in a mixture of salt, Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar making sure each part of the meat is moistened in the mix you can set the meat aside to marinade in the fridge for between half an hour to an hour. Plastic-covered paper clips make for a cheap solution. The biltong in these pictures was made by an ex-South African / Zimbabwean couple living in Phoenix, Arizona, who missed their favorite snack in the US, and have perfected their way of doing it which I am going to share with you. I have a question on a 4.5 lb Pork shoulder that Im attempting to cure into Spalla. Your house seems like the place to be) Thanks! Some recipes call for the addition of bicarbonate of soda. Other cuts can be used, but are not as high in quality. Try to avoid fatty cuts of beef as it is trickier to dry fatty meat without it spoiling. I still need to find some stuff to fashion a biltong box out of, so I have some time. The easiest ways to achieve the high humidity and high level of temperature is to have a humidifier and a heater of some sort in the curing chamber. I do have a query regarding lower temperatures. Just wondering what the downside would be to having the temp a few degrees cooler, but the humidity in the desired range? Hi Charle This is something that took me a while to figure out on my first curing chamber. This will be grain-fed beef. Its 90% humidity there now thats 11 AM in the morning with a sunny day with some cloud intervals). This time can be shorter or longer depending on the thickness of the meat, the humidity of the environment, the wind flow around the biltong, the temperature, and lastly, how you prefer your biltong, slightly wet or dry. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Im still on the learning curve with biltong but this recipe is giving me the best results. I thought it might be useful to stick in a quick overview of the different projects I am familiar with and the environments. Remove the meat from the vinegar/Worcestershire sauce mix, pat it, dry with a clean kitchen cloth, and then coat it evenly with spices. But once you have this culture growing inside the curing chamber, the salt cured meat you put in there will be well protected (as long as you follow a good methodology of course). Ive been using malt vinegar. There's a lengthy thread on biltong making. Want to know how to make the best biltong of your life? Got one of those cheap BiltongKing makers or some such from Game ages ago. Whole muscle dry curing is also easier then salami, less air is exposed to meat surfaces which could have potentially bad bacteria get into it. Its easy to over-salt biltong, making it almost unbearable to eat in bigger quantities (lets face it, whos going to only eat a little biltong? In the early days, I also used the right conditions in a friends shower, not ideal but it did help change the pH acidity which was the goal. 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. If you want it quick and don't want to wait too long put it in a box. When you grind the spices, it releases the compounds that give them the flavor. Awesome. These commercial quick dry solutions wont taste the same. Biltong is a dry beef product that is manufactured without a heat lethality step, raising concerns of whether effective microbial pathogen reduction can occur during biltong processing. You can use red wine vinegar rather than balsamic vinegar if you prefer. Low humidity for biltong is anything below 50%. Add a pinch of pink salt if you want. Using a sharp knife, following the grain of the meat, cut into 1 inch (2.5cm) thick lengths and place in a non-metallic container. If you use old spices mixed weeks ago, youre compromising the taste of your biltong. Buy good quality beef. Sprinkle the vinegar on and rub everything in thoroughly whilst turning the meat with your hands. The biltong can avoid case hardening by ensuring that the humidity is moderate to low and the air movement is not pointed directly at the biltong meat. BTW Charlie, have you ever used a pre-mix call Crown Mills now Crown National? When you trim the biltong, you need to choose for yourself. Once ready, cut into thin slices with a sharp knife and enjoy some of the best meat youll ever eat. Some recipes call for several stages of curing and washing off spices, reapplying them, etcthis is not necessary. You should aim for 40% - 50% moisture loss for a wet or medium cure biltong and up to 70% for a hard cure dryer biltong. Pick one side of the meat slab and slide the meat hook through.
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