BILTONG RECIPE RECIPES

Steps:

• Trim excess fat off the meat.
• Slice meat along the grain no thicker than 1.5cm.
• Cut those slices into strips of 3-5cm wide.
• Combine sugar, baking soda and black pepper.
• Roast coriander in a pan over a medium heat for 2 minutes and then crush it fine.
• Mix into the sugar mixture.
• Pour vinegar into a flat dish and drag meat strips through the vinegar coating them well.
• I use my cooler box for this next step in the process: sprinkle a handful of salt over the bottom of the cooler box and cover with a layer of meat strips.
• Sprinkle the meat with a layer of salt and then the spice mixture.
• Keep layering the meat, salt and spices finishing with a layer of salt and spices.
• Close cooler box and leave to stand for 24 hours.
• Discard any left over vinegar.
• When you open the cooler box, there will be a lot of water drawn from the meat and the salt should be dissolved.
• Take the meat out of the cooler and place on a tray.
• Remove any large pieces of salt that may still be on the meat.
• It is your choice if you still want to pat the meat dry, I never do.
• Discard the water in the cooler.
• Using a paperclip opened to resemble an "S", hook each meat strip and hang to dry.
• I use a biltong box because the biltong is dry within 3 days of hanging - conventional methods take much longer.

Steps:

• Cut the meat into strips about 2 cm x 3 cm (3/4-inch x 1 1/4-inches). Roast the coriander seeds in a dry frying pan to bring out the flavour. Crush lightly with a pestle and mortar and mix with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle a little into a glass dish, top with a layer of meat strips, and season once more. Continue this way until meat and seasoning are used up.
• Refrigerate for a day, mixing every couple of hours so that the meat flavours evenly.
• Hang up to dry in a suitable spot (high in the garage rafters or behind the fridge where there is some movement of air). Straightened paper clips make handy fasteners!
• Drying time is about 5 days, depending on the weather, and whether you prefer your biltong crisp or slightly moist.